5 Tips For A Career In Social Media
How do you work in social media or become a social media manager or strategist?
I often get this question by so many students and people who are looking to switch their career to this field.
It’s interesting to me because I transitioned into social media marketing from investment banking at a time when no one really taught you how to be a social media marketer. There was no course or degree out there that gave you a certification saying you are fit to be a social media consultant.
I learnt everything on the job — by taking small projects, blogging, working with startups, helping our friends, etc — everything that could teach me.
So my top 5 advice to people who want to have a career in social media are:
Talk to an expert -
Find someone who has worked in this field or runs an agency and intern under them to acquire the right skills. This will teach you the tricks of trade before you enter in it full time.
2. Take on different projects -
Don’t be afraid to work on projects and industries you have never worked before. New industries may intimidate you but take on projects that are unknown. It will really teach you how to apply the fundamentals of marketing.
3. Read and re-tool -
Technology changes everyday, so it’s important you read enough and keep re-tooling your skill sets. Subscribe to marketing blogs like Hub spot, Buffer, Later which keeps you notified on trends and updates. Success in social media is all about identifying trends and keeping up with technology on a daily basis.
4. Learn how to write -
No matter what aspect of social media you are in, you need to have a command over language. Social media is a lot about how you can convey emotions. And a good copy write helps with that especially when you are in the initial stages of your career where you will be juggling multiple responsibilities.
5. Don’t be afraid of numbers -
Analytics is an important part of social media. Understanding the returns on efforts is key to a successful campaign. Even if you are doing organic growth, it’s important to understand how content performs through numbers. A number of courses online are available if you are looking to understand more.
At the end of it, Sheryl Sandberg, rightly said — “ Don’t spend time building a resume, build skills”.
