Multimedia content has become a great way of gaining your audience’s attention and letting your business stand out in a sea of static listicles and blog posts.
A lot of content is shared on social media every day. More than 500 million tweets are shared on Twitter per day, and over 300 million photos are uploaded on Facebook every day. Seeing this high competition, brands are now using more and more multimedia content to get noticed by their target audience and improve their online presence.
However, creating, sharing, and monitoring multimedia content is not easy. That’s why brands hire multimedia communication specialists who can do the task proficiently and help them get recognized.
What is a multimedia communication specialist?
A multimedia communication specialist is often considered the public face of an organization. He uses audio, videos, images, infographics, digital animation, sound, graphics, and other multimedia tools to create different forms of multimedia products.
He distributes these products on a range of platforms, including social media channels, websites, TV, and apps, so his target audience can interact with the brand. He uses different multimedia products and communication sources to establish lasting relationships with the public and influencers.
A multimedia communication specialist works together with the content creators and strategists, who are responsible for understanding the project purpose, doing research and analysis, identifying new market trends, and developing strategies to boost the performance of multimedia products.
Duties of a multimedia communication specialist
A multimedia communication specialist is responsible for a range of tasks. His duties vary from company to company. Typically, he is asked to perform the following tasks.
Discusses projects with clients
A multimedia communication specialist meets clients to discuss project details. He asks them about their expectations and requirements, so he can create content and strategies that match their needs.
Set target goals
He will discuss the client’s needs with the team to set target goals for the project. He lets every team member participate in the goal setting stage, so he can listen to different ideas and find better solutions to make the project successful.
Create attractive designs
He works closely with the creative team to design multimedia products. He uses a variety of tools such as 3D Flash Animator, Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Flash Player to create content using his own creative skills.
Test multimedia products
He tests multimedia products on different devices to ensure they are error-free before they are published on social media channels, websites, and other platforms.
Support social media efforts
He is also responsible for managing the social media profiles of the company or client. He ensures content is posted regularly. He establishes a content calendar and publishes content every day on social channels.
He also communicates with his target audience via live videos, comments, and direct messages to hear their concerns and problems, and offer suitable solutions. He gets ideas from the customers about their needs and then tries to create content that can fulfill those needs.
Produce written content
He also works with the team of writers to ensure they are writing content according to the client’s needs. He proofreads and edits their content before it is published. A multimedia communication specialist also writes different forms of content, including blog posts, social media posts, articles, etc., to ensure a steady flow of content is maintained.
Make recommendations
It is a multimedia communication specialist’s duty to review all forms of content or multimedia products before they are published on platforms.
He makes necessary recommendations about content improvement to ensure the final product is captivating and designed according to the likes and preferences of the target audience.
Develop communication ideas
A multimedia communication specialist has exceptional written and oral communication skills that he uses to communicate with his target audience in creative ways.
He writes catchy headlines of blog posts, creative sales copies, interesting emails, and engaging social media posts in the brand’s voice to connect with his audience and establish a stronger relationship with them.
Valuable skills of a multimedia communication specialist
Here are the skills that increase the demand for multimedia communication specialists in the market.
- Oral and written communication: You should know how to use different communication sources to communicate with your customers, understand their needs, and provide solutions to their problems.
- Content writing and editing: You should have strong content writing skills, so you can write web content, blog posts, articles, social media posts, emails, video scripts, and copies to reach your audience and connect with them using wise words.
- A good eye for design: You should be able to evaluate multimedia products thoroughly before they are uploaded on the internet. You should make sure all designs are trendy and according to the preferences of your target audience.
- Ability to use multimedia applications: You should know how to use multimedia applications to mix audio, text, video, animation, and other elements to create something unique, interesting, and engaging for your audience.
- Teamwork skills: You will have to work in teams. Therefore, you should have basic teamwork skills like collaboration, listening skills, community building, conflict management, and decision making. It will help you work better as a team and achieve goals fast.
- Presentation skills: You should know how to convert complicated data into understandable and shareable data, so every team member, even if they do not have knowledge of the technical stuff, can comprehend social media marketing metrics and their results.
- Imagination and creativity: Producing multimedia requires creativity. You have to create something new every day, which can only be done if you have an imaginative mind.
- Confidence: As a multimedia communication specialist, you have to attend meetings, present reports, convince clients, and handle a team. You need self-confidence to perform all these duties on your own. A shy and doubtful person will not be able to handle so many things at once.
- Plan and organize work: It is important to be organized to handle multiple duties every day. You should know which tools or apps can help you organize your team and keep everyone informed about the work that has been done and the work that still needs to be prepared before the deadline.
- Give work direction to others: You will work with content creators, animators, filmmakers, photographers, writers, etc. Therefore, you should know how to assign tasks to each person and make sure everyone is on the same page.
Tips for becoming a successful multimedia communication specialist
Get your bachelor’s degree
You should complete your education to apply for this role. Employers want candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree. You should choose a major subject that is the most relevant to your job. It can be journalism, mass communication, communications, multimedia, graphic design, marketing, digital media, social media marketing, creative writing, etc.
Sharpen your skills
A multimedia communication specialist should have a range of skills. If you do not know how to create multimedia products, it is time to learn this skill. Many online and physical institutes offer such skills. Get enrolled, and learn multimedia, writing, graphic designing, social media management, or any other skill that a multimedia communication specialist should have, but you do not have yet.
Talk to people who have been working in the field for years
Talking to experienced multimedia communication specialists will help you build your network and find what areas need more attention before you apply for the job.
Create your personal brand
When a potential client finds you on the internet, he learns about your skills through your social media profiles, posts, articles, and websites. Therefore, post consciously on the internet and show off your skills to impress potential clients and get a chance to work for them.
Keep learning
The multimedia industry is changing every day due to the change in the behavior and needs of the public. The marketing and communication techniques that worked yesterday might not work today. Therefore, you should never stop learning.
Keep learning about the latest trends, techniques, and tools to increase your knowledge and stay updated.
Build your portfolio
If you have worked for a small agency or have helped a friend before to handle his social media channels or websites, keep the work saved and use it as a sample in your portfolio. Make sure you have multichannel writing samples that show your writing, communication, and marketing skills.
Let your portfolio speak for you.
Salary of a multimedia communication specialist
The salary of a multimedia communication specialist can range from $34,037 to $172,768 per year, depending on a variety of factors. As of May 2022, the average total salary of a multimedia communication specialist is around $72,321 per year. The average base pay is approximately $50,928 per year, and the additional pay is around $21,393 per year.
Sunnyvale, New York, and Baltimore make the highest paying cities in the US for multimedia specialists.
FAQs
Is multimedia communications specialist a stressful job?
A multimedia communication specialist has to manage numerous tasks in a restricted time, which certainly makes this job stressful. However, if you are passionate about establishing a strong relationship with your audience and creating multimedia products, you will enjoy your job and forget about the stress when you have clear goals set in your mind.
Is multimedia communications specialist a good career?
A multimedia communication specialist makes good money. This well-respected role also provides him with numerous opportunities to move into different roles, companies, and industries. You can change your career path whenever you want. These points indicate this career’s benefits that you may not find in many other career options.
It is a good career choice for people good in communication and content creation skills.
Do I need a degree to become a multimedia communications specialist?
So far, no educational institute offers a degree in multimedia communication. But, you should have a bachelor’s degree if you want to get this job. A bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject will increase your chance of acquiring the job.
Can I become a multimedia communications specialist without experience?
Although the majority of employers look for candidates with at least a 2-year work experience, you can still get the job with no experience if you are highly skilled and competent. Here are the tips for getting this role without any experience.
- Tell your story and explain why you could not work as a multimedia communication specialist earlier.
- Use your connections. If you have a friend, ex-colleague, or any other known person working in the company, you can ask them to share a word about you with the interviewer.
- Build a captivating resume and mention all the skills, which the company is looking for, in your resume. In addition to writing skills, you should also write down how you can use each skill to improve the performance of this company.
- Prepare for the interview. Learn about the company through its social media profiles and official website. Find what the company stands for and how it wishes to improve its services or products in the future.
- Understand your interviewers in advance. Find their profiles on LinkedIn or use other resources to learn about their experience, qualifications, etc. Use this knowledge to your advantage during the interview. Instead of having a usual question and answer session, turn your interview into a professional conversation.
What are the other career paths for a multimedia communication specialist?
Multimedia communication specialist is a skilled person who can design graphics, write content, communicate with customers, and create effective marketing strategies. Due to all these abilities, he has many other career options, which he can choose whenever he decides to change his career.
Here are a few examples of the career paths that a multimedia communication specialist has.
- 3D modeler
- Lead artist
- 3D artist
- Concept artist
- Animator
- Graphic designer
- Communication specialist
- Multimedia specialist
- Content writer
- Social media marketing strategist
- Social media marketing consultant
- Website manager
Summary
Multimedia communication specialist creates multimedia content and uploads it on social media channels, websites, apps, and other platforms to help the brand increase its reach and improve overall revenue. He uses different communication techniques and sources to connect with the target audience and convert visitors into loyal clients.