Crafting a result-oriented social media strategy requires skill, creative thinking, and experience, among other skills. This is why a social media strategist is in high demand. The job involves creating, evaluating, and tweaking social media content to help a brand achieve its marketing goals cost-effectively. In this blog post, we’ll tell you how to become a social media strategist. By the end, you’ll have a step-by-step plan to start your career on the right foot. Let’s dive in.
Who is a Social Media Strategist
A social media strategist helps brands start and grow their social media accounts by creating, editing, and publishing content. Their major job is to come up with effective growth and content strategies, helping the brand reach its goals cost-effectively. They don’t only strategize and create content but also monitor its performance and make tweaks to their strategy accordingly.
There are essentially two kinds of social media strategists. Some work as freelancers and offer their services to clients all over the world. The price of their services depends on the experience and skills of the strategist. The second type of social media strategist works in-house for companies or agencies and gets a monthly paycheck.
What Does a Social Media Strategist Do
A social media strategist maintains a brand’s presence on social media. The role involves coming up with a content strategy that aligns with the brand’s marketing goals and values. Strategists may also create, publish, and analyze the content. In most of the cases, this is the responsibility of the social media content creator. Typically, a strategist handles the following aspects of social media marketing:
- Strategizing and executing social media campaigns
- Establish effective communication channels with relevant teams
- Developing content strategies for different platforms
- Identifying and measuring key performance indicators
- Keeping in touch with online trends
- Documenting wins and losses
- And maybe more
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How to Become a Social Media Strategist
Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a social media strategist.
Build Your Foundations
Some employers require a professional degree in a relevant subject such as marketing, communications, and PR. However, this is not the case when you’re pursuing this career from a freelance perspective. Most clients will just look at your skills, portfolio, and experience before hiring you for a project. Nevertheless, it’s always a plus to have a relevant degree from a reputable organization at your back. Alternatively, you can enroll in online courses and learn all the basics on your own. You can spice up your CV by taking certifications from reputable organizations like HubSpot and Google.
Work as an Intern
More than 66.4% of interns land a full-time job after the completion of their internship. Besides, you’re unlikely to land a full-time job with a reliable brand or company with zero experience. For exposure and experience, you can work as an intern, remotely or in-house. Working as an intern allows you to build your network, which increases your chances of getting a full-time offer.
Build Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is essentially a combination of your projects and experiences. A company considering you for the role will likely ask for your portfolio before moving forward with the hiring process. What you can do is document every little success and content piece in a file. Alternatively, you can add all your details to your website. Make it easy for a potential employer or client to check your portfolio by adding a link to it in your CV, cover letter, social media, or any relevant place.
Related: How to Be a Social Media Content Creator
Network
A powerful way to find clients and employers for a social media strategist position is by networking in niche communities. Join Facebook and LinkedIn groups and participate in the conversations. Showcase your talent, skill, and experience with value posts and insightful comments. You can also join job boards and freelance platforms to increase your chances of getting hired.
Skills Needed to Be a Social Media Strategist
Familiarity with Social Platforms
Every social media platform will be different in terms of the audience, advertising tools, content type, and relevance to your business. Understanding the type of content that performs best on a platform helps you drive engagement and conversions for brands.
Client Management
When you’re working as a freelance social media strategist, you need to constantly be in touch with clients and make sure they’re satisfied with their investments. Effective communication skills come in handy here. Keeping your tech team in the loop and maintaining a clear communication channel is a skill you need in an in-house job.
Graphic Design
Social media strategists work with graphic designers to create eye-catching and engaging designs for the target audience. Understanding graphic design helps you keep everything in line with the brand’s colors and theme.
Copywriting
The ability to write good copy helps social media strategists hook, engage, and convert the audience. For instance, they can use storytelling to create stroll-stoping Facebook ads.
Related: How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager
How to Become a Social Media Strategist: FAQs
Let’s address some frequently asked questions about becoming a social media strategist.
What Do You Need to Become a Social Media Strategist?
Most social media strategist jobs require a relevant degree and some experience. For freelance jobs, you just have to showcase your ability to help a potential client grow on social media.
What is the Job of a Social Media Strategist?
A social media strategist is responsible for creating and executing social media marketing strategies. They create, publish, and manage content on different social platforms.
What is the Difference Between a Social Media Strategist and a Social Media Manager?
Social media managers take care of day-to-day marketing tasks, like responding to customer queries and making sure they’re satisfied. Social media strategists, on the other hand, have a more creative job of creating and executing growth strategies.
Conclusion
To become a social media strategist, all you need is a relevant degree, some experience, and the right skills. Getting a freelance or remote job isn’t as tricky. The barrier to entry is lower as clients mostly look at your skill level, portfolio, and communication skills before hiring.