An estimate by Statista places the population of people in the US using social media at 82 percent in 2021, while social media usage across the world population stands at 49 percent. This shows that social networking is rapidly increasing across the different regions, indicating the need for professionals with social media marketing skills to maximize the opportunity of having billions of people on social media spaces.
This has led to the emergence of career options like digital marketers and social media marketers, as most companies are looking to have an online presence for their businesses. Read on to find out how to get a job in social media marketing, see the highest-paying social media marketing jobs, and the social media marketing skills you’ll need to get them.
What Is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is the process of promoting the goods and services of a company on its social media platforms, with the intention of creating traffic on its website and stimulating engagement and patronage from its prospective clients.
The activities of social media marketing involve the creation and scheduling of social media posts, while considering a particular customer base through the use of a sales funnel. The focus is to get these prospects to take action on purchasing goods or services or contacting the company.
Social Media Marketing Job Outlook
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a job growth rate of 10 percent is expected for social media professionals from 2020 to 2030. This means that social media jobs will be experiencing more job openings per year than other fields, on average.
What Education Do I Need to Become a Social Media Marketer?
Usually, a professional certificate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s Degree in Marketing or a related discipline, such as journalism, is a must-have. However, some employers require that you have your educational certificate or degree in a field related to social media marketing.
Can I Get a Social Media Marketing Job Without a Degree?
Yes, you can land a social media marketing job without a degree, although it may be more difficult. Some employers accept training certificates from vocational colleges and bootcamps.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job in Social Media Marketing?
Yes. Many employers accept applications from social media experts with certificates from bootcamps. There are top bootcamps that offer courses on social media marketing. You can consider this line of education if you can’t afford the time or costs of the other education options, like vocational colleges and universities.
Due to the intensive nature of these bootcamps, it takes three months to one year to complete learning within this field. Most tech giants and other big companies recruit graduates from bootcamps.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Job in Social Media Marketing?
Considering the education path you choose to take, you should consider spending four to six years in school, then acquiring experience for one to two years. A bachelor’s degree or master’s is preferable to some employers when recruiting for high-paying roles in larger companies.
It will take you a shorter time to get your dream job if you follow the other education paths, such as associate degrees, certificates, or bootcamps. These paths can all be taken, or you can choose a select few. You can also consider applying for internships to build your social media marketing experience.
Common Social Media Marketing Education Paths
Social media marketers require a certain level of education to be able to start a social media marketing career. This education can be gained from social media marketing bootcamps, digital marketing bootcamps, or community colleges. Below are the education paths you need to take to start this career.
Social Media Marketing Bootcamps
Intensive and relevant training programs, as well as specialized courses, are offered by some bootcamps. These offerings teach you how to become a social media marketer within a short time. There are some top digital marketing bootcamps that offer certificates in digital marketing, social media management, and advertising. Employers recognize this type of certification, as it gives you practical experience in the field.
Community College
Attending community colleges can also get you a degree or certificate. Some people prefer the shorter, two-year courses rather than the four-year courses. You can even get a transfer to a four-year college degree program to continue your education in a more accessible way. You should consider Scottsdale Community Collage and Ventura College if you prefer this education path.
Social Media Marketing Degrees
Employers in this field recognize a bachelor’s degree, which takes four years to complete, or a master’s degree, which takes between one and two years. Both options are for you, but they are costlier than bootcamps and community college degrees and take a longer amount of time.
Some of the best schools offering in-person and online degrees in social media marketing, social media management, and other fields, include the University of North Texas and Columbia University.
Key Social Media Marketing Skills to List on Your Resume
Your resume should show prospective employers that you have core social media marketing skills such as communication, content curation, and creative content writing. These skills are required to manage social media accounts effectively. You should learn how to write the perfect resume to showcase essential social media marketing skills, some of which are listed below.
Excellent Communication
This is the core skill needed in this field. You must have strong communication skills to represent organizations and engage their customers through periodic social media content. How you portray the voice of the brand will affect the company’s social media landscape, either positively or negatively. You may also need to communicate with a creative team or the rest of a social team.
Content Curation
This refers to the ability to create a steady flow of content for the company using social media tools. You should be able to share the right content on social accounts that informs and encourages social media users to engage with the offerings of the brand, towards achieving the company’s social media goals.
Writing
The best social media marketers are those that understand the art of copywriting and use it well. While images and videos dominate social media content, writing plays a key role in social campaigns, as posts, captions, and video and image design require text. Your writing has to be captivating and help motivate people to click through to your company or client’s website.
Where to Find Social Media Marketing Jobs
Almost every brand requires a social media presence. Running a successful social media page requires social media marketing professionals such as social media strategists, social media coordinators, and other social media managers. Listed below are the best places to find social media marketing job openings.
Company Website
Almost all organizations require a social media assistant with the social media skills and relevant experience to help market the brand and increase market share. You can go to the “careers” section on the website of your company of interest and apply for vacant social media marketing jobs.
This is one of the best sites to find a social media role. LinkedIn is one of the largest social media platforms there is, focused on career networking. Companies looking to find social media marketing professionals with the skills they desire often check LinkedIn. Your first move is to create a personal profile, ensuring that you list a relevant degree and previous experience.
Indeed
Indeed is well-known and rated as the best overall job search website. You can find social media positions here, along with other helpful career resources for your improvement. Indeed also indicates the average salary for each position and the parent website to apply for the job.
How to Prepare for Your Social Media Marketing Interview
Most companies conduct interviews before recruiting for positions. So, if you are looking to get a job as a social media marketing manager, or any role on a social media marketing team, you must put your best foot forward. Other qualified people are looking to get the same job, so you must prepare and have the best responses to the interview questions.
Social Media Marketing Interview Questions
- Why do you feel upkeeping the company’s reputation on social media is vital to your employer?
- How do you manage customers’ complaints on social media without tarnishing the image of the company?
- What strategies would you use to create awareness for our company?
- Describe the process you use to create a social media calendar.
- Describe the impact of influencer marketing on a brand.
The Five Highest-Paying Social Media Marketing Jobs
| Social Media Marketing Jobs | Average Salary | Projected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Vice President of Communications | $148,989 | 10%* |
| Public Relations Manager | $88,261 | 10% |
| Marketing Communication Manager | $85,000 | 10% |
| Social Media Manager | $78,538 | 10% |
| SEO Specialist | $76,559 | 10% |
*Job outlook for all positions in this table is based on Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Managers
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Vice President of Communications
- Salary: $148,989
The vice president (VP) of communications ensures that the marketing, social media, and public relations departments reach their goals set for the quarter and year. The communications VP also manages teams and guides them towards hitting their brand goals.
Public Relations Manager
- Salary: $88,261
Public relations (PR) managers oversee the interaction of the company’s brand with the general public, mostly through media outlets. They help to maintain the brand’s image in the eyes and ears of the public. PR managers handle the company’s news and other related information.
Marketing Communications Manager
- Salary: $85,000
Marketing communications managers are responsible for developing and supervising all the communications and marketing strategies for the company. They draft out the goals, strategies, and the necessary implementation plans for executing comprehensive marketing campaigns for the company.
Social Media Managers
- Salary: $78,538
Social media managers enhance the brand management and customer engagement of the company through organizational communications. They craft social media strategies and develop and post social media content, like videos, articles, and images, on the company’s social media websites and channels.
SEO Specialist
- Salary: $76,559
Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists handle the development of optimization strategies to increase website search engine result rankings. They also conduct paid campaigns for brand awareness and collect and analyze data results from executed tests.
Social Media Marketing Career Path
Social media marketing has many branches and job opportunities at different levels. One of the first steps when considering a career in this field is to identify what career path best suits you. Below are some entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level social media marketing job roles to consider.
Entry-Level Social Media Marketing Jobs
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Strategist – SEM strategists are responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of the company’s search engine optimization strategy. They also handle web analytics, keyword strategy, web marketing, content strategy planning, and other duties.
- Content Coordinator – Content coordinators are responsible for keeping the company’s website content and social media pages up to date. Using social media management tools, they arrange content upload schedules and assist in managing the company’s website presence.
- Associate Consultant – Associate consultants work under the senior consultants. They conduct research and assemble the required data, which is later analyzed to make managerial decisions.
Mid-Level Social Media Marketing Jobs
- Marketing Manager – Marketing managers are responsible for generating business leads and overseeing marketing and pricing strategies. They increase brand awareness and market share, among other duties.
- Product Manager – These managers are the product planners on the product management team. They also improve customer satisfaction through market research.
- Social Media Manager – These professionals are responsible for creating and maintaining the company’s brand with the use of social media marketing software. Social media managers coordinate with other marketing professionals to develop social media marketing campaigns.
Senior-Level Social Media Marketing Jobs
- Senior Director of Marketing – The senior director of marketing oversees the operations of the marketing department. They also plan, direct, and coordinate marketing efforts.
- Director of Communications and Marketing – The person in this role is in charge of all the stages of company branding and product marketing. They also strengthen and facilitate the company’s partnership with its external environment.
- Senior Social Media Manager – This senior manager is responsible for developing strategies and campaigns, identifying social media opportunities, and growing a multi-media network of social media influencers. They also help clients with consultative recommendations, among other duties.
Social Media Marketing Certifications
Including social media marketing certifications in your resume and portfolio gives you an edge over other applicants for a job in this field. There are prerequisite skills for different social media careers, and achieving certifications gives credibility to your skills. Below are the top three social media marketing certifications you should have.
Google Analytics Certification
This certification shows prospective employers that you can effectively utilize Google Analytics within your company and can help others use it, too. However, you need to pass the Google Analytics exam before you receive this certification.
Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certification
This is a must-have if you are looking to land a social media marketing role. You can earn the Hootsuite certification by passing an online exam containing 60 questions. The exam questions come from a series of video tutorials and test your knowledge of the fundamental principles of social media marketing.
HubSpot Academy Social Media Marketing Course: Get Certified in Social Media Strategy
This is a free certification course from HubSpot. In just four hours, you will learn about how to effectively use social media marketing for business and how to build a social media marketing strategy. It’s a great course for aspiring entrepreneurs and digital marketers.
Tips on How to Get a Job in Social Media Marketing
If you follow the right tips, you can land any of the roles in social media marketing. The fun thing about this is that the approach is almost the same. This same series of tips can land you a placement as a social media marketer, a social media specialist, a social media manager, and many more positions. The professional tips below will help you find your dream job.
Get an Education or Training
Your first move towards landing a job is to learn what social media jobs entail and how to engage an online community through your social media presence, with social media posts on social networks. You can attend a college, digital marketing bootcamp, or self-study using online courses. Potential employers usually prefer someone with hands-on experience, which bootcamps can give you.
Hone Your Technical Skills
To land a job in social media marketing, you need to understand how to use your social media marketing skills to apply the necessary social media marketing strategy across different social media channels to build brand awareness, engagement, and patronage.
Build Your Digital Marketing Portfolio and Resume
After acquiring the required education and technical skills, you need to create your resume and build a social media marketing portfolio. Showcase your previous social media campaigns, relevant work experience, and projects where you have used a particular social media strategy to achieve a company’s goal. Your resume should also show how you improved the online presence of at a company through its social media accounts.
Begin Your Job Search
The main activity of the job search is doing research on the companies you have an interest in working for. Before sending your application, you need to identify what social media management positions or social media roles suit you, the requirements, and if the annual wage is satisfactory.
Prepare For an Interview
After sending your application for the social media marketing role of your choice, you must acquaint yourself with the basic knowledge about the company and the role you are interested in. Prove to the board that you are social media savvy and that you bring so much to the table. Be aware of the latest social media activities of the company and how to improve them.
Should You Get a Job in Social Media Marketing in 2022?
If you enjoy sharing content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms to sell a product, then you should get a job in social media marketing. A social media marketing career is fun and also offers you an above-average paycheck.
Social Media Marketing FAQ
Yes, you can become a social media marketer without a degree by teaching yourself about social media marketing, attending a digital marketing bootcamp, earning a certification, or attending a two-year community college. However, many employers prefer that candidates hold a relevant bachelor’s degree.
No, it is not hard to get into social media marketing, since social media is used daily by both degree-holders and non-degree holders. Hence, with the necessary skills, you can start a career in social media marketing.
Social media marketers carry out marketing activities over the Internet, such as engaging with the community or target market and creating curating content like videos and pictures with the intention to stimulate sales and increase promotion.
Social media marketers use social media accounts to promote the goods and services of a company or business. They use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to engage customers, reach new customers, and advertise or publicize new products.
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