Introduction
According to Matt Davies Stockton, social media has started to become a legitimate business tool over the last decade. That’s why a career in social media has become very lucrative over the years. From customer engagement to marketing strategies, you need all those skills for a successful social media career. Let’s check out effective methods to start a social media career.
The Methods
- Be aware of the changing social media landscape and prepare for fluidity – Social media careers are quite autonomous. It isn’t a structured or steady role since social media technology is often changing and evolving each year or month. If you’re not prepared to adapt and be fluid in this role, it just isn’t for you.
While you’re in the role, you need to investigate all the niches in various social media platforms and be on top of popular trends. While it’s impossible to be proficient in all social media platforms, you need to be proficient in the top five leading platforms. You also need to figure out programs that could add value to your skills. For instance, the basic knowledge of HTML and C# programming knowledge could help. You also need to be familiar with the terminology used in this sector.
- Educate yourself with the basics and keep learning on the job – To start a career in social media, you don’t need to attend full-time courses. That’s because the things you’ll learn in traditional academia would quickly become obsolete the next year. Instead, it’s better to attend short courses with a flexible schedule and attend conferences or networking events in the sector.
It’s impossible to learn everything about this field from courses. Instead, you need to keep learning during your current job. You’re at an advantage if you have a background in journalism, advertising, or marketing. Get involved in the social media initiatives of your department and shadow existing social media experts in the company to gain insights and learn about new strategies.
- Build your own brand and grow your network – You may already have a decent presence on certain social media platforms like Instagram or Snapchat. The next step is to use that popularity for professional advantage and leverage that position to build your presence on other platforms. Ditch silly weekend pictures and dog filters and instead focus on showcasing your expertise in creating meaningful and marketable content.
Use your social media presence to connect with other influencers and industry experts and work on collaborative projects. Collaboration opens you up to each other’s audience and also connects you to each other’s existing sphere of influence. You also need to attend seminars and events related to your sector to build such relationships.
Conclusion
Matt Davies Stockton suggests that you follow the above-mentioned tips to build a successful career in social media. While businesses are open to hiring someone with a general marketing background, they would always prefer someone who has a specialized social media role. Make sure you fit into that.
