Connecting with others over social media is loads of fun so imagine if you got to make a career out of it!. An increasing number of brands and marketing teams are hiring social media managers to take their social efforts to the next level. If you've always wanted to get paid to do what you love, read on for five tips to help you land your dream job in social media.
- Practice on yourself. Be the CEO of your social media presence by treating your personal accounts like you would a client's. Make sure all profile information is filled out, use snazzy, professional avatar pictures, and update frequently every day. Let your social accounts show off your talent for you.
- Network and connect. The key to finding a great job is to let as many people as possible know you're looking. The good news is that connecting and networking is exactly what social media services are all about. Let your friends and peers know, and be sure to ask for referrals. Mention your search on all your social channels including, of course, LinkedIn.
- Learn the tools of the trade. There's more to social media management than posting terrific content. You also need to understand how to interpret data and analytics, define key performance indicators that prove your success, and all the differences between the various platforms and services. You must also learn the lingo so you can speak to clients about paid vs. organic reach or explain what page- and post-level engagement is. Once you've got all that committed to memory, you'll want to make sure you know how to use common social media management tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social.
- Get technical. Social media managers needs to have some basic technical skills in order to work with content management systems, image manipulation programs, and apps your clients may prefer. Take the time to learn a little about working with things like Photoshop, WordPress, CSS, and HTML. There are plenty of helpful courses and reading material online, available for the low cost of free.
- Have fun! Companies shopping around for a social media manager look for candidates who are energetic, fun, and passionate about what they do because they know it translates into great content on their social channels. It's not a good idea to tweet things like, "Well, it's been a few days since I posted here. Guess I better figure out what to say" because it sends the message that maintaining your social accounts is too much effort. Instead, keep your messages positive and upbeat -- never let them see you sweat.
Let your personality shine through and show organizations that you social media is in your blood. You'll have that job in no time!
Image: longmontmagazine.com / photolouge_np / Excelle