Globally, 40 percent of internet users report using social media as part of their job. Social media jobs have become more common than ever over the last several years, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down.
Are you interested in landing a social media career? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Explained below is everything you need to know about social media jobs, including what to expect from them, what opportunities are currently out there, and the kinds of salaries you can earn in this field.
What Kinds of Social Media Jobs Are There?
In general, social media jobs can be divided into 6 different categories:
- Social Media Management
- Community Management
- Content Creation
- Campaigns and Promotion
- Advertising and Paid Promotion
- Analytics and Strategy
Many social media jobs, including content creation, advertising, and promotional jobs, are highly creative. They require extensive knowledge of topics like brand building, content writing, and graphic design.
At the same time, though, other jobs are more analytical. For example, social media analysts are responsible for evaluating data gathered from social media ads to help marketers make smarter decisions for future campaigns.
As you rise through the ranks at a particular company, you may find opportunities for social media jobs that require more management and leadership skills, too. Positions like social media manager or community manager will require you to oversee those in charge of the creative work and keep them on track toward achieving their goals.
Different Names for Social Media Jobs
It’s not always easy to tell whether or not a particular position is a social media job, especially because a lot of employers like to get creative with their job titles. When you start searching online for social media jobs, the following are some titles you might run into:
- Social Media Specialist
- Social Media Strategist
- Social Media Consultant
- Creative Director
- Digital Communications Professional
- Digital Content Manager
- Blogger
- Brand Manager
- Brand Influencer
- Community Manager
- Content Manager
- Digital Media Manager
- Digital Media Producer
- Digital Media Supervisor
- Director of Online Communications
- Director of Social Marketing and Brand Communications
- Director of Social Media Marketing
- Director of Social Media Relations
- Director of Social Media Strategy
- Internet Marketing Coordinator
- Internet Marketing Manager
- Engagement Coordinator
- Engagement Manager
- Interactive Media Associate
- Interactive Media Coordinator
- Interactive Media Manager
- Manager of Digital and Social Media
- Online Content Coordinator
- Social Media Account Executive
- Social Media Analyst
- Social Media Producer
- Social Media Associate
- Social Media Coordinator
- Social Media Executive
- Social Media Marketing Coordinator
There are a lot of different ways that an employer can say “social media job.” If you see any of these terms pop up in your search results, though, you’re likely on the right track toward finding a job in the social media sector.
How Do I Get a Social Media Job?
It doesn’t matter if you’re drawn to an analyst position or a content creator position. The same general rules apply when it comes to finding social media jobs.
The following are some steps you can take to find openings and increase your chances of getting hired:
Decide Which Role You Want
If you don’t already know, start by deciding what kind of social media job you want to do.
Are you a beginner without a lot of experience? If so, a management position probably isn’t in your immediate future.
However, if you have some data analysis experience, you may be a good fit for a social media analyst position. On the flip side, if you have a writing or design background, a content creator job may be the right choice for you.
Look into the descriptions of various positions to see which one aligns with your interests, experience, and long-term career goals.
Build Your Social Media Presence
If you want to get hired for any type of social media job, you need to be able to prove that you can navigate social media platforms. One of the easiest ways to do this is to start building your own social media presence.
Create accounts on a few different social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Draft a clearly written bio for each platform that tells people who you are and what you do. Use a professional image for your profile photo, too.
When you’re satisfied with the basics of your profile, start posting on a regular basis. Share photos, stories, status updates, etc. to start attracting followers and gaining relevance.
Learn the Basics
Next, you need to learn the basics of how social media works. This includes learning about things like hashtags, content creation rules, best practices for filming videos or taking pictures, etc.
If you’re not sure where to begin, there are lots of social media courses — many of which are free — that can help.
You can also start following accounts that are related to social media marketing or improving your online presence. Professionals like Neil Patel, Chalene Johnson, and Gary Vaynerchuk are all good people to follow to learn more about how social media works and how you can fine-tune your profiles.
Get Some Experience
The more social media experience you have, the easier it will be to get hired for social media jobs. Consider looking into a social media internship so you can learn from a pro and gain some valuable skills that will serve you in future positions.
You may also want to look for volunteer social media jobs. For example, local charities or nonprofits might be searching for help managing their online presence. Working with these organizations is a win-win — you get valuable experience and they get a boost to generate more interest in their causes.
Use Social Media for Your Job Search
More than 84 percent of organizations use social media for recruiting purposes. Furthermore, 79 percent of job seekers use social media to look for open positions.
If you’re trying to land a job in social media, you need to be using these platforms to expand your search.
Follow local businesses and marketing agencies to stay in the loop about new openings. Pay special attention to LinkedIn and Facebook, as many professionals use these sites to advertise jobs and engage with current job seekers.
Craft an Impressive Resume
Finally, start putting together a resume so you can apply for openings and increase your chances of getting hired. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when crafting your social media resume:
- Echo the language used in the job ad when writing your cover letter or describing past experiences
- Quantify results (e.g., created x number of ads, increased Instagram followers by x amount, generated x amount in ad revenue, etc.)
- Proofread, proofread, proofread (ask someone else to review your resume to make sure it highlights your best attributes and to ensure there aren’t any typos or grammatical errors)
What Is the Highest-Paid Social Media Job?
Creative directors are some of the highest-paid professionals in the social media marketing sector.
Creative directors are professionals who supervise all of a marketing team’s creative tasks — including social media marketing tasks. They work with other members of the creative team, including designers and copywriters, to create marketing materials, develop plans and strategies, and more.
The average salary for a creative director is $77,327 per year. However, you can earn a lot more than this (well over $100,000 per year in some cases) depending on where you live and the experience you have. For example, those based in New York City can earn an average salary of $134,855 per year, and those in Austin, Texas can earn an average salary of $103,545 per year.
Can Social Media Be a Career?
Social media can absolutely be a career.
Once upon a time, the idea of getting paid to create content for Facebook or manage Instagram ad campaigns might have seemed ludicrous. In 2022, though, social media is a viable career field with a wide range of options for people of all backgrounds and skill levels.
The Top 20 Social Media Job Titles [by Popularity]
These days, there are tons of different social media jobs worth considering, from entry-level positions to managerial and directorial positions with great salaries. Listed below are the top 20 social media jobs you may want to look into as you begin your search, sorted from most to least popular.
- Blogger
- Community Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Brand Ambassador
- Content Manager
- Brand Manager
- Content Strategist
- Social Media Designer
- Engagement Manager
- Social Media Specialist
- Social Media Strategist
- Social Media Coordinator
- Social Media Assistant
- Social Media Executive
- Social Media Analyst
- Digital Content Manager
- Digital Media Manager
- Director of Social Media
- Director of Community
- Social Media Editor
The Bottom Line on Social Media Job Searches
Now that you know more about what social media jobs entail and what kinds of opportunities are out there, are you ready to pursue a career in this field?
Keep the information discussed in this guide in mind and you’ll have no trouble finding a social media job that aligns with your interests and experience.
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