Category: Jobs

More than half of the world spends their leisure time on social media. This is why social media marketing has become an integral part of business growth. As a result, the demand for social media managers is higher than ever. In this post, we’ll tell you how to become a social media manager the right way. Let’s get started.

How to Become a Social Media Manager

Common Tasks of a Social Media Manager

As a social media manager, you may be assigned one or more of the following tasks:

• Post scheduling
• Profile setup
• Graphic design
• Customer service
• Creating a content plan
• Profile optimization for a better organic reach
• Reporting key performance indicators

You can specialize in any one of these services and don’t have to offer everything at once. But, knowing about all these broadens your horizon, improving your chances of getting hired.

Skills You Need to Become a Social Media Manager

Unlike many other professions, a social media manager needs multiple soft and hard skills to be effective.

Communication and Writing Skills

Effective communication is one of the most important skills you can have as a social media manager. It’s important for effective client management as well as dealing with the followers. Plus, your major job would be to publish great content. So, having exceptional writing skills can help a lot.

Understanding Social Platforms

You should also have a thorough understanding of the most popular social media platforms. This helps you land the right job and generate better results for brands.

Understanding Social Media Management Tools

There’s a plethora of social media management tools out there. Of course, you can’t learn every software. But, it pays to have knowledge of the most popular ones like Buffer and Later. These tools can save a lot of time by automating your workflows.

Creativity and Design

As a social media manager, you need to devise a content plan. This requires creativity. Having basic design skills also pays off. Platforms like Canva make this aspect of marketing less technical and labor-intensive.

Analytical Skills

Social media marketing should be data-driven. You need to be able to analyze important metrics and adjust your strategies along the way. The good thing is social media management tools do the heavy lifting for you. You just have to know which metrics to track and be willing to take action when necessary.

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Steps to Become a Social Media Manager

Get Educated

The first step would be to get a good grip on the core concepts of social media marketing. While professional certifications may not be necessary in every case, they can help build credibility. Plus, some companies do require that you have a bachelor’s degree, usually in:

• Marketing
• Advertising
• Public relations

Explore different credible platforms like Coursera and HubSpot for relevant certifications.

Define Your Skills

Once you have a good grip on social media management, it’s time to decide on a specific skill. Define your exact service and set a price. Starting with specific skills helps you build credibility and master these areas more quickly. As you learn and grow, you can start adding more skills to your portfolio.

Gain Relevant Experience

To get your foot in the door, you need to have some hands-on experience. Start by creating and managing your own social media pages. Next, to gain some practical experience, offer your services to a non-profit organization. You can also work at low prices at the beginning to hone your craft. This will give you the exposure you need to work with bigger brands.

Build Your Portfolio

A portfolio is the previous record of your work as a social media manager. When hiring, you will have to show your portfolio of previous work as proof. Keep a record of all social media management jobs no matter how small they are. One way to keep everything streamlined and easily accessible is by creating a portfolio website. A portfolio website lets you showcase everything under one roof. If not, you can use LinkedIn to present your previous work.

Build Your Social Presence

A strong social media presence helps you build credibility as a service provider. Work on your social presence and showcase your experience and skills. Share engaging content consistently and try to get more likes, shares, and comments on your posts. Networking with other professionals and hiring managers is a great way to put yourself out there.

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Create a Resume and Cover Letter

Create a resume that showcases your skills, experience, and knowledge. Keep it short though. A one-page resume is enough to present the most relevant information. As for the cover letter, personalize it for each job vacancy you’re applying for.

Apply for Social Media Manager Jobs

Once you have a great resume, start applying for jobs on relevant platforms. For instance, hiring managers use LinkedIn to find new employees for their company. In addition to responding to job posts, you can also use cold outreach to find new opportunities. Before reaching out, make sure your LinkedIn profile has all your important information. Plus, be clear and concise with your message.

Prepare for the Interview

An interview is the natural next step when you get shortlisted for a job. Prepare for it by researching about the company and your potential role in it.

FAQs

What qualifications do you need to be a social media manager?

To become a social media manager, you don’t need a degree. All you need is skill and experience. However, a relevant degree or certification can improve your chances of getting hired.

How can I start as a social media manager?

You can start as a social media manager by creating and optimizing your own social profiles. Offer your services for free, to non-profits, or at a lower rate to get your foot in the door.

Do social media managers make money?

Yes, social media marketing is a rewarding job career where you can earn upwards of $50k per year.

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How to Become a Social Media Manager: Conclusion

The demand for skilled social media managers is only growing, so it can be a rewarding career choice.

Here’s a quick recap of how to become a social media manager:

• Get educated
• Define your skills
• Get relevant experience
• Build your portfolio
• Build your social presence
• Create a resume
• Apply for jobs
• Prepare for interviews

Keep in mind that social media marketing is a constantly evolving industry, so you need to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. Connect and network with other social media experts to stay in the competition and keep learning and growing.

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If you have a small business, you just can’t ignore social media. It’s where most of your audience spends their time. However, people don’t primarily use social media to connect with brands or buy stuff online. They’re there to connect with friends and family and scroll through their feeds.

So, on social media, you’re dealing with a cold audience who isn’t yet ready to do business with you. This is where hiring a social media manager comes in handy. A social media manager helps you make your social channels a consistent source of high-quality leads and sales. In this post, we’ll talk about the reasons why you should hire a social media manager. Let’s dive in.

Why Hire a Social Media Manager for Your Business

Consistent Social Media Presence

One of the biggest benefits of working with a social media manager is that they keep your social media active. As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate, so it’s easy to put social media posting at the bottom of your to-do list. Consistent social media posting keeps your brand alive in the minds of your target audience. Not posting enough can easily make them forget your brand, or worse, find your competitor. A professional social media manager will know how to create a consistent social media strategy. Plus, they can create the type of content that attracts new followers and keeps the existing ones engaged.

Time- and Cost-Saving

Let’s be honest. As a business owner, managing social media accounts isn’t the best use of your time. Hiring someone who can do that for you effectively can save you a lot of time. The time you can spend on more meaningful work, like coming up with growth strategies. In addition, social media managers aren’t generally expensive, especially for the value they can provide. As a result, your overall costs are reduced as compared to when you’re investing your own time.

Target audience engagement

Randomly posting content on social media doesn’t work, even if it’s high-quality. You want your followers to think you care about them. And that you can only achieve with engagement! Engaging the followers requires a strategy and the investment of time. A social media manager keeps in touch with your audience. He or she can get into their minds and find their biggest pain points or desires. Plus, your social media pages are essentially a customer support channel, so answering any questions can help you save your brand’s reputation.

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Social media analysis

Post likes, comments, and shares are three of the most prominent social media metrics. But, effective social media analysis is much more than that. You need to use reporting and analytics tools to understand where you stand, and how you can improve.

This includes:

• The best time of the day to post
• The number of link clicks on your posts
• The demographics of your audience
• And more

Only a professional social media manager can effectively manage that.

Crisis management

Now that you know why hire a social media manager, it’s time to address the next most important question: What qualities does a social media manager have? Let’s answer that.

Qualities to Look for in a Social Media Manager

Before hiring a social media manager, make sure it has all the following qualities.

Good communication skills

A good social media expert should be able to communicate effectively with your audience as well as you (Or your team). Your social media channels are often the first point of contact with your potential customers. So, in order to generate more leads, you want to make a great first impression. For that, you need someone who can create a positive first impression about your brand. An experienced social media manager won’t let leads fall through the cracks by answering all their queries professionally.

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Creativity

Regurgitating the same content isn’t going to get you so far on social media. Your social media expert has to be creative enough to produce content that helps you stand out from the crowd. This is why creativity is a quality you should be looking at while hiring someone.

Analytical skills

Analytics is the backbone of every digital marketing strategy. Without it, you can’t know for sure if your strategies are working the way they should. Your social media manager should be able to analyze and track your key performance indicators. Only a resource who’s good at analytics can help your social media grow in the right direction, at the right pace.

Up-to-date knowledge of social media trends

The world of social media is constantly evolving; many strategies that used to work wonders are no longer effective. This is why you need someone to stay in touch with the latest trends and developments and implement a strategy that’s in line with the latest best practices.

Customer service skills

Happy customers act as brand ambassadors, automatically attracting leads and sales to your business.
But, although having a great product is a must, your customer service needs to be top-notch too. A good social media manager should be able to handle customer queries effectively, keeping them happy and satisfied.

When to Hire a Social Media Manager

Here are a few situations hiring a social media manager will be beneficial.

• You lack consistency
• Low social media presence
• Need for crisis management
• Need to stay up to date on the latest social media trends

FAQs

Why should you hire social media advertising professionals?

Advertising involves upfront investment, which is why it can be a bit tricky. You need an expert who has some experience running social media ads successfully.

Should a small business hire a social media manager?

Yes, if your budget allows it, hiring a social media manager can help you build a loyal following and attract more leads to your business.

What is the Role of Social Media Hiring?

The role of social media hiring is to find the right candidates on platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, conduct interviews, and shortlist the right ones.

Why Hire a Social Media Manager: Conclusion

If you own a business, having a solid social media presence is no more an option. And because it takes expertise and time, you may not want to delve into it yourself. Let’s face it. There’s a list of tasks you should be doing instead. Things that can actually move the needle for your brand. So, hiring a social media manager is the right thing to do.

But, while hiring a manager for your social accounts, make sure they can:

• Effectively communicate with followers, existing customers, and you
• Analyze your key performance indicators
• Be creative and consistent
• Can stay up-to-date

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It’s hard to imagine a life without social media, right? From children to senior citizens, everyone is spending some part of the day on their favorite social platforms. The interesting thing is it’s not only great for connecting with friends and family. Social media is an ideal tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and achieve marketing goals. And if you’re reading this, you’re wondering if social media marketing is a good career. By the end of this post, you’ll know it’s the right path for you. Let’s get started.

Is Social Media Marketing a Good Career? (Everything You Should Know)

What is Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing involves using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote a product or service. In a social media strategy, you create helpful and relevant content, engage with followers, use paid ads, and analyze your progress. You can use social platforms to achieve a variety of marketing goals, which may include:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Generating traffic and leads
• Sell a product or service

Why Social Media Marketing is Important?

There are several reasons why brands prefer social media over other marketing channels:

Cost-effective

You can create social media accounts and start publishing content for free. Organic social media marketing is a form of inbound marketing where you build a following with the power of helpful content.

Higher Engagement

Unlike most other marketing channels, social media lets brands engage with their prospects in real-time, helping them build relationships.

Brand Building

Because they have a huge audience, social media platforms can help you boost your reach and build a strong brand.

Data Analysis

Most platforms provide a wealth of data for brands to help them make better marketing decisions. For instance, Meta ads let you track performance and make tweaks in real-time.

Is Social Media Marketing a Good Career?

If you’re interested in digital marketing and content creation, social media marketing can be an extremely rewarding career for you. Here are some reasons:

Growing Demand

According to Statista, spending on social media advertising will surpass $230 billion by 2024. Brands need professionals to manage their social media pages and help them sell more through advertising. Clearly, there’s an increasing demand for professionals in this industry.

Variety of Roles

Social media marketing involves a variety of roles, including:

• Content creation
• Management
• Influencer outreach and negotiation
• Paid advertising
• Strategy development
• And more

Just pick a role that interests you, get good at it, and start offering it as a service. For instance, if you’re good at content creation, market yourself as an expert in that particular area.

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Flexibility

One of the best things about being a social media marketing professional is that you don’t have to stick to a routine, a company, or even a working environment. You can work any time of the day, from anywhere in the world, and with whomever you like. A lot of companies have started hiring remote employees. Plus, if you’re skillful, and know how to market yourself, there’s no shortage of freelance opportunities.

High Earning Potential

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a senior social media manager is over $68,000 per year. However, the exact salary can vary depending on factors like your experience, company size & location, and your role. The best thing is there’s no cap on the income you can generate as a social media manager given that you have the right skill set and experience.

Global Reach

Thanks to social media, brands can now reach a global audience. As a result, professionals like you can work with companies and clients all around the globe.

Measurable Results

Social media marketing campaigns are easy to track and measure, which can help you stay on track. This also means you can build a strong portfolio and showcase tangible results to potential clients.

How to Start a Career in Social Media Marketing

Now that you know that starting a career as a social media marketer is worth it, let’s talk about how you can move forward.

Learn the Basics

Before diving into the practical world, familiarize yourself with essential social media marketing concepts. HubSpot has a detailed certification course on the subject.

Develop Your Skills

Skill development goes beyond taking online courses. Practice is a major part of the process when it comes to developing your social media marketing skills. Start by growing your own social media profiles and pages. If you’re not sure, offer your services at attractive rates to build your portfolio.

Build Your Online Presence

You can have all the right skills to be a successful social media marketer. But, if your potential clients don’t know about them, they’re of no use. To build a strong online presence, build your social media profiles and start engaging with relevant brands.

Get Certified

A great way to build your credibility as a social media marketer is by getting certified by reputable institutions or companies. Certifications help you stand out from the competition and demonstrate your skills and knowledge.

Keep Learning

Social media marketing is an evolving industry, which makes it important for marketers to stay up to date with the latest trends. Plus, keep learning new ways to use social media more effectively for promotions.

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FAQs

Do social media marketers get paid well?

Social media marketers get paid pretty well. In the US, the average salary of a social media marketer is over $43k per year.

Is social media marketing in high demand?

Yes, social media marketing is in high demand because businesses of all sizes need to promote their products on social media.

Is social media marketing a stressful job?

Social media marketing has its own challenges and stressors. However, it’s also one of the most rewarding careers.

Is Social Media Marketing a Good Career: Wrapping Up!

Social media marketing can be a great career if you like content creation, advertising, and digital marketing. Here’s a quick recap of the benefits of being a social media marketer:

• High earning potential
• Growing demand
• Flexibility
• Variety of roles
• Global reach
• Measurable results

But, in order to be successful, you need to:

• Develop your skills
• Gain relevant experience
• Build your online presence
• Stay up to date with the latest trends
• Keep learning

If you’ve read this far, you got the answer you were looking for, and have the toolkit to be a successful social media marketer.

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