Here are some tips from actual social media professionals on how to land your dream job.
Maybe you're a college student who wants to take a serious look at your career plans or you're a working professional who has realized your current job isn't all you dreamed it would be.
Either way, you find yourself wondering: "Why don't I do social media professionally?"
Good news: It's a totally viable career path. The average social media manager salary in the United States (as of October 2019) is $55,199, according to Glassdoor.
But how do you go from amateur social media enthusiast to paid social media manager at a viable company?
Wondering how to become a social media manager? We've got answers.
We sought advice from a few in-house social media managers here at Capterra and put out a call to social media professionals in multiple industries. From there, we distilled their feedback into 10 tips. Let's dive in!
10 ways to become a social media manager
1. Consider a degree in communications or marketing
... but know that it's not a requirement.
Alice Fuller, a former television producer turned social media strategist in Raleigh-Durham, emphasizes learning and practicing however you can to get started:
"If you truly desire to be a really good social media manager, learn the fundamentals of marketing and writing first. Learn as much as you can ... then put what you learn into practice for yourself, then work with others for free or [a] low fee so you can get some real experience under your belt."
Amy Newton, a senior social media manager at an internet marketing firm in San Diego, underscores the importance of marketing-adjacent disciplines:
"In my experience, employers like to hire well-rounded social media candidates, so it's also important to highlight your writing and design skills. At the same time, pursuing a degree that focuses on writing or communications is key. That knowledge is crucial to this industry."
There isn't one specific degree, though, that'll open every door. One of Capterra's in-house social media specialists, Chris, took a less traditional route to earn his social media stripes.
While working as an electrician and managing a storage facility, he gained most of his social media management experience through a catering and events company (specializing in Korean-Mexican tacos) he runs on the side:
"I did it backwards. I built it from the ground up: branding, marketing, copy ... it's a living resume. Do it while you're in school ... You don't have to do the internship route, you can do this all from your bedroom," he said. Hiring managers "just want to know can you run and grow an account."
The social media managers we talked to have backgrounds in everything from political science to fashion design, psychology to pharmaceutical sales. Social media management is more like music than dentistry: It's OK to learn it on your own.
2. Stay versed in industry tools and tech
Whether or not you want to pursue a formal education in marketing, you need to maintain your own knowledge of the tools and tricks of the social media trade.
There's a science to social media outside of the creative and community engagement aspects. To be successful, you need to stay in step with the analytics side of things and be able to leverage the insights and data you glean to reach a larger audience.
The best way to do this is to stay up-to-date on the best and most popular social media management and social media marketing software options. Many of these products offer free trials, so don't be afraid to get in there and educate yourself on what these tools are offering in terms of social analytics and content tracking.
Shelby Rogers, a content marketing manager, suggests the following highest priorities for any social media manager (SMM):
Good storytelling and content
Being able to understand analytics and make changes accordingly
Engaging with your community
She followed up by saying:
"You have to offer your readers good content or they'll never return ... Analytics will also give savvy SMMs an idea of what content best invites engagement. Ultimately, engagement is the goal of any social media marketer ... Having people engage (like, share, retweet, tweet at your brand) with a company furthers its exposure and helps foster a healthy relationship with the public."
3. Look for social media opportunities everywhere
No matter what role you're in now, there's probably a related opportunity to start building your social media profile. Talk to your marketing team or company leadership to see if there's an opportunity to promote your businesses products or activities on social media.
And don't discount looking for social media opportunities in your personal life. Across our team here at Capterra, our colleagues have used social media to do everything from document their photogenic pets to prompting and popularizing their book clubs and dog-walking services.
BMoreDogAdventures on Instagram (Source)
Promoting your hobbies on Instagram may not directly land you your dream job, but it can certainly add value to your resume and professional portfolio, as it demonstrates your ability to run a successful social media campaign.
As digital marketer Abhishek Joshi shared: "It could be [as simple as] a weekly Twitter chat discussing horror movies [that] shows that you know how to thrive in digital conversation."
4. Remember, you're always being watched
Even if you're just manning a personal account, if you demonstrate a strong voice and consistent posting, you can use it to get a foot in the door. This goes both ways, though. If you demonstrate bad judgment on public social media channels, that can—and most likely will—be used against you.
Director of development and communications Anne Rose says:
"A really high level of emotional intelligence is important. You have to approach everything with an internal sense of how it will make people feel or act ... You should understand organizational politics, internal vs external PR, messaging, and customer service."
Remember: The internet is forever. It's never a bad idea to give your public accounts a personal audit and remove embarrassing posts. If you do mess up, take a breath. Even the professionals make mistakes.
"THINK BEFORE YOU POST," emphasizes communications manager Ashleigh Ostermann:
"This is huge. We've seen mishaps from well-known brands with multiple people on their social management team who post something not relevant to the brand or hop on a trending hashtag before knowing what it's talking about."
5. Never stop learning and adapting
Ten years ago, MySpace was a thing. The past few years brought us Snapchat. Social media channels come and go, so it's important to stay informed and stay flexible. That doesn't just go for channels, but for marketing disciplines as well.
Social media manager Lauren Mallett started off in textile design, moved into fashion design, then dabbled in styling, booking, graphic design, and marketing before landing in her current role.
"You learn a lot down there at the bottom of the food chain, and if you're not quite sure what you want to do it gives you invaluable experience," said Mallett, who even took a pay cut along the way.
"When you're working across different marketing disciplines, you'll naturally gravitate to one in particular that appeals to you. It will probably ... take up most of your time and be the thing that causes you the most stress—but the most excitement too. You have to be data-driven, but you have to be creative. You need to plan ahead, but you need to be reactive. It seems that the best social media managers are good at being a lot of different things at once."
6. Be comfortable working and learning on your own
Social media managers collaborate directly with marketers, bloggers, salespeople, and more. Their job is—by definition—social. But there's a difference between live communication and digital communication, and the life of a social media manager can be, ironically, solitary at times.
Moises Cardenas, a digital marketing specialist, says that social media managers need to be comfortable working as a "team of one."
His advice to survive in this role: use social media marketing software, and read up on everything marketing related, from SEO to graphic design, website design and backlink campaigns, Google Adwords, Wordpress, and Facebook Ads.
Jenn Scott, a user experience (UX) and content strategist, recommends "reading industry blogs, networking with other SMMs online, and checking out the occasional social media conference." She also recommends the SproutSocial series of free social media webinars.
7. Find brands you admire, and follow them
Make a list of companies and brands that you admire and would love to work for, and keep an eye on their career pages. If you've already taken steps toward building an impressive social media profile, you'll be positioned to land a dream internship or job when the right opportunity comes along.
"If you love the company you work for, storytelling is easy and fun, and social media management will come naturally," says Amelia Swaggert, a marketing manager at a Los Angeles digital agency focusing on food and beverages.
Your dream social media job might not necessarily be at a huge, established corporation. It could be any brand with a fun, innovative approach to social media, or a brand you love that needs you to bring that approach to the table. Just be careful not to take your innovative approach too far.
8. Build an online portfolio and show it off
Social media specialist Kyra Mancine says that she created a sample blog for a company she was interviewing at before being hired. She showed the company her online portfolio of websites and social media channels so they knew what she brought to the table, and even showed off her personal blog during the interview process.
"I think it's important to portray your interest, enthusiasm, and experience with sites—even if they aren't necessarily a paid gig," she said.
Marketing coordinator Drew Henry landed his past social media role not because of his experience managing PR and social media for several restaurants but because of a lifestyle blog he launched with friends.
"My side hustle blog is ultimately what got me recognized and how I landed a full-time social media manager position," said Henry, who recommends also showing analytics for your personal blog and accounts.
"Bottom line: if you don't have work to show and aren't at the forefront of social media yourself, you aren't going to get hired ... You may think a personal blog should stay off of a resume, but in this case it only enhances it."
9. Bolster your resume with volunteer work
Consider volunteering to manage the social media accounts for a school, a nonprofit, or organization that you support. You'll get valuable, high-profile experience, and the organization will benefit from you amplifying their message.
"Nonprofits need a lot of help in this area, and because resources are so thin it [often] falls on the lap of someone who either doesn't know how or want to manage it," said Christina Disbrow, president of a firm that helps nonprofits.
The work you do for a good cause might be a stepping stone to your ideal social media manager job.
10. Demonstrate good time management skills
Social media, by its nature, is meant to distract and grab attention. There's an inherent danger for any social media manager—like a candy shop owner with a sweet tooth—to become hypnotized by the channels they're monitoring.
"Multitasking is critical," says Anna Rose (from Tip 4). "If you can't work with 10 tabs open in three different windows, with multiple monitors, this job isn't for you."
That may be a bit of an exaggeration for some, but Jenn Scott (from Tip 6) has advice on managing time that anyone can use:
There are so many things to keep an eye on at any given time that you can easily get stuck in the weeds if you're not deliberate about how much time you devote in a day to Task X or Project Y. Quickly responding to a Twitter DM or taking five minutes on a Saturday to check the mentions is one thing, but keeping work at work except when absolutely necessary is a good boundary to maintain.
Remember: Connection is what it's all about
If you're looking for one key takeaway in all of this, turn to Ashleigh Ostermann (from Tip 4):
When it comes down to it, social media management is about personal relationships. You're humanizing the brand in order to relate to your customers. You have to put yourself in [their] mindset.
In the spirit of continued learning, here are some more articles on social media marketing from our sales and marketing blog:
Keep Your Customers With a Killer Social Media Live Video Strategy
5 Free Social Media Software Options to Boost Your Company's Digital Presence
Are you a social media manager?
How did you land your job as a social media manager? What advice would you give to someone looking to break into the field?
Share your experience in the comments, or connect with me on Twitter!