Information in the blog post was obtained from the HubSpot Blog, Sprout Social Blog, and Smart Insights Blog.
Social media is one of the fastest-growing phenomena in the world today. Currently, there are 4.72 billion social media users in the entire world, which is over 50% of the population. In the last year alone social media has grown by 3% with the growth not projected to slow down any time soon.
With the growth of social media comes the growth of careers in social media. At one point in time, there was not even a position for social media marketers, whereas now larger companies have huge teams of social media marketers in order to keep an online competitive advantage over their competitors. With many social media positions being relatively new, it can be tough for prospective employees to know how to prepare themselves and what to look for in a career in social media.
What do Careers in Social Media Look Like Right Now?
Careers in social media continue to grow exponentially every year. According to the data that I found, 88% of marketers expect to add another position to their social media team in the next two years. Furthermore, 62% of the same people believe they will have two - six more positions in the next two years.
Social media is also rapidly changing, with new things happening every day, social media marketers must be able to adapt to whatever the current trend is at the moment.
There is a world of opportunity out there for individuals who want to get into the realm of social media for their full-time career, but it is also going to take time to perfect your craft. Not everyone who has a Twitter (X) account is cut out for life as a social media marketer. The competitiveness is continuously getting tougher and tougher as more people enter the field, 52% of marketers say that finding the right talent for the job will be one of their toughest challenges this year. In order to land the job of your dreams, you must be prepared to do so.
Take a look at this blog for more information on careers in social media marketing. It has some great information about navigating the tricky world of social media.
Skills Needed to Pursue a Career in Social Media Marketing
1. Industry-Specific Skills and a Willingness to Learn
The social media world is changing faster than you are able to blink. If you can not keep up with the times, then there is no way you will succeed in social media.
You must have proper knowledge about the specific industry you are a part of in order to create meaningful posts that people will respond to. You also need to keep the information you need updated. You do this by always learning more while you are at work. The people that continue to learn new things every day will eventually rise above those who are comfortable where they are at.
It is critical for you to spend a lot of time on the networks you are active on in order to keep up with the latest trends and news. You also need to be active on all networks so you are able to understand what is driving patterns of engagement.
2. Copywriting
There are many different types of copywriting out there, but in the realm of social media, copywriting means one thing; translation. As a social media marketer, it is important to be able to identify your brand persona and create a social identity with it.
You can practice this at home, think about the target markets of a Ford F150 vs. a Toyota Prius. As a social media marketer, you would want to portray the same message in different ways online for each of those cars. It is important to be able to do this in order to reach your target market the best.
3. Data Analysis
Data analysis gives you the ability to separate yourself from others in the digital realm. Being able to look at the data you are receiving from each network you work with allows you to see what works, and what does not. Doing this allows you to constantly correct your mistakes and get better at your job each day.
When a firm is able to track specific KPIs and checkpoints every day they can find out how well their posts are working, whereas a company that does not do this has no idea if their social media campaigns are successful or not.
4. Creativity
This one is simple, you need at least some type of creativity in order to be successful on social media. A successful campaign is much more than just a few posts each week with not much meaning behind them.
When consumers view campaigns on social media, is it easy to tell which ones rise above the others. Campaigns that are creative and grab the consumers' attention will do much better than ones that do not.
Keeping your creative juices flowing is an important element when trying to be creative. Take time during your day to watch videos, listen to podcasts, and brainstorm ideas you might have for your next campaign, and if you think of something, always write it down, you do not want to forget it.
5. Customer Service
Just like any job, customer service is king and your customers always come first because without happy customers, you won't have any. Because social media has the ability to use direct messaging, it is really easy for customers to voice their concerns over social media. In instances like this, you could be the first person to respond to these customers, so you want to make sure to leave a good impression on them.
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea about the current trends with social media careers and the direction social media is heading, you can see how much social media marketing is growing. Each and every day the need for high-quality social media marketers is higher and higher.
Unlike what some people believe, not everyone can work in social media, it takes time, practice, and patience to get good at your job, just like anything else. If you apply the skills I have listed and continue to learn every day you can become the next great social media marketer!
Resources
Gomez, Ronnie. “Social Media Careers: The Skills You Need, Where to Look and Jobs to Consider.” Sprout Social, 11 Aug. 2022.
Cox, Lindsay Kolowich. “The 8 Types of Social Media Community Managers (+ Job Descriptions).” HubSpot Blog, HubSpot, 10 Mar. 2022.
Chaffey, Dave. “Global Social Media Statistics Research Summary 2023 [June 2023].” Smart Insights, 7 June 2023.
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