In the past decade, social media has become an integral part of the business world. Today, it’s often a top priority for companies, meaning that there’s plenty of opportunities for careers in the field.
With the recent emergence of social media in business, there’s never been a better time to get started in a career in the field.
If you’ve ever dreamed about starting a career in the exciting and innovative field of social media, here’s how to get started.
1. Follow Social Media Gurus
One of the first steps you should take on your journey towards a career in social media is to follow the greats. And we’re not talking about the social media stars with millions of followers – follow the social media gurus who are doing what you want to be doing.
Following the very best marketing professionals gives you a great insight into the job. They’ll also share their tips and tricks they’ve learned over the years, giving you an edge.
It also helps you map out where you want your career to end up in your career. Studying the steps someone you admire took to get where they are today should help you understand how to get there yourself.
2. Learn About the Different Platforms
Now that you’re following a whole lot of different social media superstars, it’s time to start diving into the different platforms. If you’re going to be working in social media, you need to know what you’ll be working with.
That means it’s time to stop avoiding the latest social media platforms because you feel too old, or don’t fit the demographic. Diving into these platforms especially might give you an edge later when it comes to working in social media.
You should also study the latest trends, data, and anything else you can get your hands on to give you an advantage going into a career.
3. Learn on the Job
For those already working in advertising, marketing, or a related field, it’s possible to start learning social media at your job.
Ask around to see if there are any opportunities to get involved with the social media efforts, and you might find an opportunity. With a bit of extra experience on top of your regular job, you’ll also get a feel for the work and figure out whether you like it.
Building your skillset like this will help you when it comes to deciding whether you want to transfer entirely over to a career in social media.
4. Study Digital Marketing
With the rise of social media in the business world, education is finally catching up. Today, there’s a variety of courses you can do to learn about the field and start developing your skills.
Digital marketing courses teach you exactly how to develop a social media strategy. It also dives into the other daily tasks you’ll be doing, like email marketing, optimizing websites, and how to craft SEO content.
There are other ways to educate yourself about the field as well. Attend webinars and other events to gather more information about the latest insights and strategies.
5. Practice Your Craft
If you’ve decided on a career in social media, it’s time to start practicing your craft. Jump onto your channels and start sharing meaningful content with your friends, family, and audience.
Content creation is a big part of working in social media, so being able to do it yourself will also help you better manage it down the line. From crafting better Instagram stories to editing videos and images, it will all help you in your future career.
6. Work on Your Personal Brand
A part of ramping up your social media presence is curating your brand. Since this is going to be your career, you should lean into becoming more professional across your channels.
That means no more sharing those drunken photos of last weekend’s party. Instead, focus on presenting yourself as a professional. This is a necessary step towards kickstarting a career in social media.
Don’t forget to fine-tune your brand across all the platforms you use either.
7. Volunteer to Build Experience
Starting a career in social media is competitive, which is why volunteering your services is a good way to get some experience under your belt.
It doesn’t have to be a full-time volunteering gig (we’re not advising you to work for free!), but rather something small that you can work at to build your portfolio. Often, not-for-profits and startups are the companies that need the most help.
When volunteering your services, it’s a good idea to choose a company working in a field you’re passionate about. It could be an eSports company or a charity, but if you love the work they do, it will be easier to volunteer your services.
8. Grow Your Network
Social media is all about engaging with people in the online space. As such, you should become a natural networker as you get more involved in the social media industry.
Having great connections with other professionals in the field gives you a direct advantage when it comes to advancing in a social media career. Not only will you enjoy the expertise of others, but you can also leverage your network to find new opportunities.
And while you could do all this purely online, make sure to attend some in-person events as well. Face-to-face interaction is still a key part of networking, even when you work in social media.
9. Commit to Becoming a Lifelong Learner
Working in social media means that you’ll be at the forefront of innovation and new trends in marketing. It’s a fast-paced working environment; to keep up, you’ll need to continue to educate yourself about the latest trends.
That means following blogs (we think ours is pretty good!) for industry insight, attending webinars and marketing conferences, and working towards official certificates in social media marketing.
As you build up your portfolio of social media work, make sure you keep track of the mistakes you’ve made along the way as well. Learn from them and you’ll be a more valuable employee down the line.
Over to You
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