The rise of social media career growth

If you’re someone that spends a lot of time online, then you might just be suited to a career in social media. The world of social media is constantly evolving and changing, and businesses everywhere are looking for people that understand the digital landscape.

Growing on social media isn’t as simple as posting a few things and hoping for the best – it requires specialised skills and knowledge that can help make you an asset to any business. If you’re considering moving into a career in social media, then read on! 

Is social media marketing a good career?

Interested in helping brands tell their stories to audiences that care? Working in social media marketing gives you the ability to tell stories through words, photos, videos, audio and more, so it’s a role where no two days are going to be the same. Working as a social media marketer may provide you with a lot of variety in the workplace, which is something many people are looking for from their career.

Some of the things you can do day-to-day while working in social media marketing include:

• Creating and executing organic and paid social media campaigns
• Communicating with customers/potential customers and building communities 
• Collaborating with staff to build their personal social media presences (where applicable)
• Collaborating with influencers/other creatives to produce content for social media platforms 
• Working with internal and external stakeholders to get buy-in for social media campaigns 
• Tracking the success of social media campaigns and optimising future campaigns

Social media marketing is also a career that offers excellent job security, flexibility and earning potential. According to talent.com, Australian social media managers make an average of $90,000 annually. If you’re wanting to pursue a career that allows you to potentially work from home, work with a range of businesses and gives you the opportunity to make good money, then working in social media marketing could be for you.

How do I get a job in social media?

Interested in a job in social media? One of the best ways is to build your own social media presence. For example, if you’re looking to work with businesses to help grow their LinkedIn presence, then growing your own profile will help you understand what content works on there, and what doesn’t.

Immersing yourself in the world of social media (especially from a more professional/corporate lens) will show potential employers that you’re able to effectively grow a platform from a small start – which is often the case with corporate profiles that might not have been a focus for the business in years gone by. 

Completing some further study related to social media can also help you stand out when applying for social media-related roles. Prospective employers are likely to look for candidates that have completed courses to consolidate and elevate their understanding of social media (while also developing necessary professional skills like collaboration and critical thinking).

If you’re looking to shift into a social media-related role, or you’re looking to help your current business excel online, then it’s worth bolstering your social media CV by completing some further study (either in the form of a course or a short course) that can help you stand out. 

Where can I find social media jobs?

Now that you’ve decided you want a job in social media, it’s important to know where to look! In addition to the regular job posting sites like SEEK, Indeed and LinkedIn, websites like Pedestrian Jobs and Ethical Jobs (if you’re looking to work in the not-for-profit sector) can help you find roles that you might miss elsewhere. Setting up job alerts that are tailored to your experience/interests when it comes to social media means you’ll be the first to know when your dream job is posted!

Building a portfolio for yourself can also help you bring in inbound leads about potential social media jobs. Being able to curate a highlights reel for yourself on your website shows potential employers that you’re able to work with a range of companies in a range of industries, and a website gives you the space to present data and context about social media campaigns that you’ve helped create/execute. Being visible on search engines is an excellent way to hear about social media jobs that might not otherwise be advertised on the job websites we mentioned previously.

Finally, word of mouth is a powerful tool when it comes to finding social media-related jobs. Building a network as a social media marketer is important, as it’ll ensure you’re hearing about the latest opportunities. You’ll also have a community to talk with about changes to social media algorithms/best practices, as the world of social media is always changing and evolving (just look at what’s happened at Twitter in recent months).

Thankfully, a large part of being present and active on social media is being social, so consistently posting your own content, and engaging with other people’s thoughts, will help you find like-minded individuals in no time at all.  

Interested in becoming a social media manager, or just want to improve your social media skills? Upskilled offers a range of social media courses that can help you become a platform-specific guru, an all-round expert, or something in between. Get in touch with Upskilled’s education consultants if you’re looking to learn more about which course might work best for you!
 

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