WVU Online | Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Social media is part of the everyday lives of the majority of people across the world. Because of this, brands have to have a social media presence to grow their brand awareness. The platforms may change based on the brand’s audience, positioning and purpose, but the fact remains — brands need social media marketing.
And you can’t just make posts and hope it works.
The algorithm and trends change constantly. Facebook penalizes link-based content, Instagram makes it hard to post links (please don’t put links in the copy, people can’t click them!), X/Twitter’s changes are still a mystery to many and TikTok has to be spot on to the trends.
This is where a social media marketer is needed. If you're a beginner looking to embark on a rewarding career in social media marketing, this comprehensive guide is your roadmap to success.
Before you can become a social media marketer, you have to understand what it is and how it differs from other digital marketing channels.
Social media is an online platform that facilitates the sharing of ideas and information by building virtual communities and networks. Social media marketing involves utilizing various social media platforms to connect with and influence your target audience.
It plays a pivotal role in a brand’s overall digital marketing strategy, fostering brand awareness, engagement and customer loyalty. Understanding the unique potentials of different social media platforms is crucial for crafting effective marketing strategies.
Each social media platform has its unique features and formats, and marketers often leverage different types of assets to effectively engage their audience. Here's a brief overview of the key assets used on popular social media platforms:
Tailoring content to the specific strengths and features of each platform is essential for a successful social media strategy. Marketers often use a combination of these assets to create a diverse and engaging presence across multiple platforms.
A good social media marketer possesses a combination of skills, qualities and strategies that contribute to successful engagement, brand awareness and a positive impact on business objectives.
Here are essential skills that make a social media marketer valuable:
A savvy social media marketer has an understanding of technical skills they can use to plan out and improve social media effectiveness and reach.
Here are a few technical skills and platforms to use:
1. Social Media Management Tools:
2. Data Analytics:
3. Graphic Design:
4. Video Editing:
5. Copywriting:
6. SEO Knowledge:
7. Social Listening Tools:
Staying current with the latest technological developments and continuously enhancing these technical skills is crucial for a social media marketer to thrive in a dynamic and competitive digital landscape.
Equally important are soft skills such as creativity, communication, organizational skills, and adaptability.
These skills are the foundation for effective collaboration and successful campaigns. Here’s a look at some soft skills you can utilize:
Strategic Thinking:
Creativity:
Communication Skills:
Adaptability:
Organizational Skills:
Problem-Solving:
Starting a career in social media marketing requires a strategic approach. Consider the following avenues:
To be a successful social media marketer, you need the skills mentioned above, but you also need an understanding of the different aspects of marketing and how social media marketing fits into the business’ holistic marketing plan.
To begin a career in social media marketing, explore educational pathways through degrees, certifications and courses.
The WVU Online programs offer a range of options, including Integrated Marketing Communications M.S., Digital Marketing Communications M.S., and more.
Our programs are taught by practitioner faculty, bringing their real world into your online classes. They know the ins and outs of marketing and specialize in different aspects of marketing.
Alexis Schnell, M.S. IMC, already had a background in social media from her time in undergrad and her position before she started the IMC program, but there was more she still wanted to learn.
Her favorite course with the IMC program is a toss-up between creative strategy and social media marketing because these two courses combined her two passions and showed her where she could take her career.
When Lexi took on a new role near the halfway point of her master’s degree, and her experience in the IMC program gave her the confidence to make that leap.
Her time learning about social and digital media allowed her to bring a new perspective to her role and the team she was collaborating with.
One way to gain experience is to volunteer or do internships for local businesses or nonprofits. Many of them don’t have the bandwidth to strategize their social media marketing and can benefit from your skill set while you build your portfolio.
You’ll gain hands-on experience through different projects and build your portfolio — and possibly even be offered a job!
Another way is to build mock campaigns to showcase your skills and creativity. You can use these as a pitch to get a job.
Erin Robinson, M.S. IMC, already had her own marketing and design business before she thought about pursuing a master’s degree. Her time in the WVU IMC program gave her the additional knowledge to grow the services of her business and help it flourish.
"In most of the classes, we were able to choose our own client or who we wanted to focus on, so I would focus on local businesses in my area and even some clients that I've had in the past," Erin said. "I was able to put everything I learned into action so I will be able to implement it in the future."
Networking is key to career growth. Engage with industry professionals on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms. Those professionals you engage with can help you get your foot in the door at a company they are connected to.
"My biggest advice in the program is to connect as much as you can with the students and professors. With it being an online format, you have to have the self-discipline to take advantage of any networking opportunities you can." — Ashlee Phillips, M.S. IMC
And seek mentorship to gain valuable insights and guidance. Those connections you make can mentor you as you begin your career in social media marketing.
If you want to get into social media marketing, you have to know the emerging trends. As mentioned, one skill is adaptability.
One reason is being able to stay on top of and adapt your content to match emerging trends. Here are a few trends you need to know to stay competitive in social media marketing:
Every day it seems like a new tool has been launched or a new feature is available in AI platforms. ChatGPT has a GPT-4, exclusive to Plus users, apps have plug-ins for Zoom where you can summarize a meeting.
The options are endless. And now AI is being built into social media platforms.
The main thing to keep in mind when working with AI is to use it responsibly (AI was a popular topic at Integrate 2023; check out our recap to see what you missed!)
Video continues to rule the digital landscape. People have a short attention span, which is why short-form content in TikToks and Reels meets their needs.
You even have YouTube Shorts, a minute or shorter video on what has been known as a long-form storytelling platform.
However, don't just create content for the sake of creating content. Make it creative, entertaining or informative. And don’t wait too long on a trend, you can easily miss your opportunity.
While we can’t predict the future, we know new social media platforms will be launched throughout your career.
Just like Threads — launched in 2023 — which reached 100 million users in the first five days of the launch. Keep up to date on the latest platforms and keep up with your social listening.
In conclusion, marketers must embrace the transformative potential of AI and Machine Learning, keep a vigilant eye on emerging social media platforms, and cultivate a culture of continuous adaptation to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing successfully.
If you’re looking for career paths in social media, here are a few to explore:
A social media manager is a marketing professional who provides the voice and content for a brand across social channels.
They are responsible for responding to comments, creating content and keeping up to date with trends on social media. Social media managers look for opportunities to increase brand exposure for their brand or organization.
A digital marketing manager is a professional who is responsible for maintaining a brand’s online presence and sales by working on various marketing campaigns.
Their duties include researching, strategizing with other professionals and creating content for successful campaigns. They often collaborate with marketing teams, sales teams, other support teams and vendors.
Content marketing managers are usually responsible for planning, developing, and implementing the company's overall content strategy.
They are responsible for the management of the creation and production of online and offline marketing content. These specialized managers coordinate content marketing operations, determining how to utilize content to meet company and target audience goals.
Social Media Strategists help an organization decide which social networks to keep accounts on, and what kind of content to post and when, for maximum reach.
They often work with several different marketing, communications, and sales teams to create an engaging social media strategy.
Additionally, they keep meticulously detailed schedules, develop high-quality content, and maintain a consistent brand voice among all social media channels.
These specialists are responsible for using digital strategies to develop solutions and meet an organization's marketing objectives.
They use all of the necessary digital tools, such as website pages, emails, social media, and blog articles to coordinate digital strategies for a company or client. Often, Digital Strategists work on cross-functional teams and are comfortable using data to make decisions.
Kickstart your social media marketing journey with WVU Online programs. Whether you're interested in a master's degree, graduate certificate, or bachelor's degree, WVU Online offers comprehensive programs like Integrated Marketing Communications M.S., Data Marketing Communications M.S., and more.
Embark on your social media marketing career today and make a lasting impact in the digital landscape!
Call us, write us, or fill out the request information form. Whichever communication style you prefer, there will be someone from WVU Online on the other end waiting to help.