What Is A Social Media Job, And How Can You Get One?

Are you a little Twitter obsessed? Or perhaps you’re nursing a worrying Facebook habit? Well, take heart, because you’re not the only person in the world with a slight social media addiction. And this is exactly what makes social media platforms such fantastic arenas for companies to leverage to get their brands out there in the digisphere. Any business with even the smallest amount of marketing knowledge knows that to reach more potential customers, you need to engage with them where they spend most of their time – online. But it’s a time-consuming task, requiring more than a little techspertise. So, if you’re a whizz on social media, why not monetize your knowledge and find a social media job?

Granted, there is more to being a social media manager than spending all day posting stuff on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But a passion for these platforms is a great place to start! Be warned, however, that coming up with clever posts, taking endless selfies and bantering with others online is only a small percentage of what a social media job entails. As a social media manager, you are pretty much in charge of reputation management, brand building, and company culture. You have to have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the media. More importantly, you need to decide how much of it you want to use to engage with your customers. It’s continually thinking about how to present relevant content in the most engaging way possible.

A Typical Social Media Job Description

Actually, is that even a thing? Because social media is such a dynamic arena, dealing with human interactions, opinions, and emotions, there probably isn’t a hard and fast job description. Essentially, however, social media jobs are all about giving consumers a voice and providing them with the platforms through which they can speak directly to your brand. They’re basically a combination of several marketing functions, and, as a social media manager, your daily tasks change continually. One constant, however, is that you always have to come up with fresh and interesting ways to communicate messages and ideas in ways that ultimately increase your sales.

To do any social media job well, you need to have a few key skills, including:

Attention to detail: Double and triple check every piece of content you post on social media. This includes facts, grammar, and spelling.
Ability to multi-task: Social media managers often work remotely and under a lot of stress. They also seldom only work on one brand and need to juggle several campaigns at once. Successful multi-tasking under pressure is a key quality.
Crisis Management – social media platforms are the general public’s automatic go-to points as soon as something happens to outrage or offend them. Everything from questionable ads to impulsive comments from a brand ambassador can unleash a social media storm that needs a quick, decisive and placatory response from the company in the spotlight. And by the company, we mean the social media manager.

How To Prepare For A Social Media Job

Before even applying for the position of a social media manager, you can prepare yourself for your interviews by making sure you’re on top of a few important issues:

Know your potential employer’s/client’s target audience, and think about how you can best leverage the various social media platforms to interact with them. What can you do to showcase what the brand has to offer – other than simply publishing great content?
Keep up to date with the launch of new platforms, or updates to existing ones. Be completely savvy on the differences between the platforms, as well as which ones are most relevant to your potential employer, and why.
Research the business thoroughly beforehand and prepare a game plan and editorial calendar before you come for the interview. Decide what content – and how often – you’ll post on which channels. Be ready to explain why you feel this plan will work, and what it could achieve for the brand.

Right Now, You’re Seven Days Away From Greatness!

There’s a song that goes on about what a difference a day makes. Well, when it comes to nailing that social media job, we think that’s maybe a little optimistic! But we do know that one week definitely makes a huge difference!

The social media ninjas at The Digital Coach have come up with an amazing seven-day Digital Gear Up Course. It’s designed to equip you with the entry skills you need to start your journey of social media greatness. From Google Adwords to Twitter, Facebook to Email Marketing, we demystify it all, explain how it works and get you ready for social media stardom!

Need more info? No problem! Get in touch with us today. And remember, you might not be strong on social media yet, but when it comes to our Gear Up course, seven days does not make one weak!