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A report by CNNMoney has shown a growth rate of 9% in a 10 year span for a social media marketing career. Some of the available social media roles are: social media manager or strategist, community manager, brand ambassador, brand/influencer manager, creative director, etc. As a recent graduate or university student, social media marketing could be a great option to launch and build your career. If you enjoy storytelling, planning campaigns, strategizing and finding creative ways to grow brands through the power of social media, this might be a viable platform for you.
Related: Interested in learning more about digital marketing skills? Here is a quick guide about 5 hard & soft digital marketing skills which will help you in pursuing a social media marketing career.
What does the day-to-day look like for a Social Media Marketing Professional?
On a typical day, a social media manager could have a range of responsibilities such as devising a strategy for an upcoming product launch, producing videos, evaluating data from various platforms, crafting popular GIFs, generating visual content, synchronizing messaging with PR and Communications, managing paid advertising campaigns, and handling various other tasks. Here is a more detailed explanation of daily activities for a social media marketing professional:
- Setting social media strategy & goals – Based on the organizational objectives, social media teams will also plan their goals for every quarter. The day to day activities will be focused on working towards achieving these goals.
- Monitoring social media channels – Social media professionals will typically start their day by checking in and monitoring all the company’s profiles. They will take a quick look at the changes and engagement based on the different content and campaigns which have been launched.
- Seeking social media trends – Professionals will also take a look at competitor channels and seek inspiration from other companies within a similar space. They may also review current affairs and trends in the social media space using tools like Buzzsumo.
- Campaign planning and brainstorming creative ideas – While working in the social media function, it’s important to plan campaigns based on the brief provided and generate creative ideas to break through the clutter. There are often brainstorming sessions where the entire social media team will sit together and bounce ideas off each other.
- Content planning, scripting and creating – The content calendar is planned in advance for multiple weeks, this includes creating new content pieces, reusing older content and sharing creatives for review and approval. Based on the calendar, the content will also need to be lined up, scheduled or posted by a member of the team using tools like Buffer.
- Measuring and analyzing performance – Social media professionals have to keep track of active campaigns, measure activity, budgets and analyze the performance of different posts and campaigns. Reports will also need to be created to be shared with senior management to review the effectiveness of campaigns.
- Engage in social listening – Through tools like Hootsuite, social media professionals can keep track of conversations around their brand and competitors by understanding how customers feel about their experiences. This is a great tool to improve the quality and use it as feedback to fix potential problems.
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How can you launch your career in Social Media Marketing?
Here are 6 steps to help kickstart your career in social media:
1. Learn on the Job
When starting out a social media marketing career, it’s important to learn to be effective at the workplace. Ask questions and be open to learning from peers and seniors who have more experience and exposure with the field. Gain experience and familiarize yourself with tools to improve efficiency and operations like Hootsuite, Later, Facebook Business Manager, etc. There will also be differences in operations based on the company and industry so it will never be one size that fits all. Remote internships and apprenticeships could also be a method to get started and learn on the job.
2. Upskill & reskill with certifications
While social media is a field of work which doesn’t require traditional educational qualifications, you should constantly find ways to upskill.
Social Media Boot Camps – Qureos has focused live community events and mentor sessions to help you learn social media concepts and practically apply them to simulated projects. We also provide apprenticeships for successful apprentices to venture into the world of social media by working with our corporate partners from all over the world. This will give you a chance to learn, earn and grow.
Free certifications – There are many certifications offered by companies and institutes which will help you learn and gain credibility as a professional. It usually consists of a range of lessons in the form of video tutorials followed by quizzes and a final examination to gain your certification. Some of the popular certifications are from Hubspot Academy, eMarketing Institute, Twitter Flight School, etc.
Paid certification – There are some courses with certification for a modest fee. This might be a good investment to have professional credentials to boost your profile as a social media professional. Some of the best paid certifications are Social Media Marketing by Udemy, Bootcamp Digital, Hootsuite Academy, etc.
3. Stay updated with the latest industry trends
The social space is constantly changing, evolving and growing with trends, features and brand new platforms. Attend industry conferences, webinars and mentor driven sessions to learn more about the changing social environment as hosted by Hubspot, Sprout Social, Digital Marketing Institute, etc. It’s also a best practice to read relevant articles, subscribe to newsletters and consume content from subject matter experts. Some of the best blogs to follow are ‘The future buzz’, Duct tape marketing, Social media today, Hubspot blog, Convince & convert, etc.
4. Be focused on measurable results
While the creative aspects of brainstorming ideas and creating campaigns can be fun, it’s important to be focused on the results. Spend time on reviewing the data, finding insights and tweaking your campaigns to maximize the return on investment. Try A/B testing to find the best content, headlines, design, call to action, etc to perfect your campaigns.
5. Build your portfolio
As a social media marketing career enthusiast, it’s important to build a portfolio with details about your past successful campaigns and measurable metrics. You might also want to dab into freelance projects and offer to help organizations for free in return for experience and exposure. You could collate all your previous projects and work using a portfolio template or use a free website tool like Wix, Web builder, or WordPress.
6. Grow your network
Connect and build a relationship with peers and seniors with your workplace. It would also be helpful to reach out and find mentors through networking events and platforms like LinkedIn to grow your network. Remote networking through virtual coffees could help you strike up conversations with potential mentors and peers. At Qureos, we have mentors who are industry experts with a willingness to share knowledge and help apprentices navigate through the real world.
How can Qureos help?
Starting a social media marketing career may seem daunting as a student or young professional without much practical experience. Managing social media for a company can be overwhelming at first but it’s very rewarding once you find your footing and start picking up the work. You can become the most eligible candidate in any room with a stellar portfolio that is impossible to reject! Complete portfolio projects and showcase your expertise in Marketing and fool-proof your application.
Build Your Work Portfolio - Marketing Projects
Qureos, contact us at hello@qureos.com or check out our socials!
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