Social media is here to stay. From established leaders like Facebook and LinkedIn to newer options like TikTok, we love to share and connect. For businesses, these platforms represent important opportunities to reach and engage with their audience. The challenge, of course, is that someone needs to manage their presence and monitor those conversations. We’ve seen the rise of social media management jobs and want to offer a few important tips for anyone interested in going this route with their careers.
Is Social Media Management for You?
Before we dive into the process of becoming a social media manager, you need to determine whether social media management jobs are right for you. Do you have what it takes to start a rewarding career here? Those who are most successful in the role of social media manager share some specific characteristics and traits, including:
- Able to deal with sometimes angry or abusive comments
- Able to turn conversations around with dissatisfied customers or clients
- Enjoys interacting with people from different backgrounds
- Understands the importance of replying to comments and answering questions
- Have good writing skills
- Are conversant with graphics design programs, such as Adobe Photoshop or Spark, or Canva
- Detail-oriented to catch errors in the text of posts
- Understands analytics tools like Sprout Social, HubSpot, etc.
- Flexible enough to post, engage, and monitor even outside of standard business hours
If you think you’re cut out for social media management jobs, head over to ZipRecruiter. In just minutes, you can create a profile and upload your resume. Then, ZipRecruiter will start matching you with positions. You can also browse through current openings and apply to them with a single click!
Why Choose to Become a Social Media Manager?
Now that we’ve looked at the traits and characteristics that make some people good fit for social media management jobs, let’s consider why you might want to enter such a role. Honestly, the reasons for becoming one and the benefits of doing so vary drastically. Here are some of the more common:
- The chance to steer brand development and cultivate happy customers/clients to become brand ambassadors.
- The chance to humanize the brand and create an authentic persona that embodies the company’s mission, values, and code of ethics.
- The opportunity to see the impact you make and the communities you build through social media channels.
Social Media Management Jobs: The Prerequisites
Like most others, social media management jobs come with some prerequisites. While these will vary from one employer to another, there are enough commonalities that we can confidently say you’ll need the following:
- Education and/or experience – Most social media managers have at least a bachelor’s degree (or the equivalent real-world experience). Communications, marketing, media, and journalism are some of the most common fields.
- Experience with social media technology – The best social media managers know the ins and outs of the most popular platforms today and how best to use them to their employer’s advantage. You should also have an eye toward up-and-coming social platforms that might be worth considering.
- An affinity for people – At its heart, social media is all about people and the interactions between them. As a social media manager, you must have an affinity for people and a love of storytelling/communication.
As mentioned, each hiring manager will also have their prerequisites when it comes to the social media management jobs they post. For instance, one company might require that you have served in such a role for a year or more, while another might be open to newcomers to the role but expect you to have five years of marketing experience. It’s important to read through job descriptions thoroughly to determine whether you’re a good fit for the company, not just the position itself.
Action Steps: How to Become a Social Media Manager
Once you’ve decided that this is the path you want to take, the actual steps needed are relatively simple. They break down as follows:
- Make sure you’ve got the education/experience necessary for the role.
- Make sure you’re immersed in social media culture and that you’re up to date on the platforms out there, including trends toward and away from specific platforms, such as Twitter vs. Mastodon.
- Search through ads for social media manager jobs and take an inventory of what’s required and what companies are hiring. Dive into those companies and make sure they’re a good fit for your career path, values, and goals.
- Create a resume if you don’t already have one, and then submit it to the companies you’re most interested in working with.
In Conclusion
Social media management jobs are in-demand, and that trend shows no sign of changing anytime soon. With the right skill set and education (or experience), you can communicate with consumers, tell a brand’s story, and create amazing relationships. ZipRecruiter makes it simple to explore the best social media manager jobs out there all in one place.
