Mastering a Career in Social Media - CareerAlley

Mastering a Career in Social Media - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Are you an avid Facebook user? Do you enjoy keeping friends up to date on your activities with multiple Twitter posts? Do your pins get re-pinned on a regular basis from Pinterest? You just might be able to turn your love of social media into a career. Career Options for Social Media Fans You can begin as a content writer for social media sites and work your way up to manager and finally to strategist. There are also other jobs in between these options that range from providing the content to organizing it to incorporating social media into an entire marketing strategy. The different jobs require various experience or education and provide different levels of income. Starting at the bottom is the content writer that can earn between $14,000 and $60,000 annually based on experience and the job demands. Public relations managers and social media strategists can earn six figures in the larger cities. How to Get Started If you want to know how mastering social media can turn into a career, you have to get away from your computer and meet the professionals. Attend events, conferences, and seminars on social media. Dont just sit in a corner and listen; use these opportunities to network. Pick the brains of those who are successful to find out what they did to get where they are. Social media is just beginning to be viewed as a viable career choice. Because of this fact, there arent a lot of training guidelines and requirements to go by. Instead, it is more important that you stay updated on changes in the industry. Know the latest technology and news about social media. You must know them in-depth, understand the newest tools and applications. You must know what is current, but also where social media is headed. Of course, some standard education will put you ahead of the game. A background in marketing and public relations or even journalism can give you an edge over the competition. Perhaps the best advice for people who want to have a career in social media is to develop a strong online presence on social networks. By creating networks and demonstrating your ability to gain a strong following, you can show your skills to potential employers. Finding Jobs Put your contact information on your sites to make it easy for people who stumble across your profiles to contact you. Join groups and establish strong profiles on networks such as LinkedIn to enhance your visibility. Also, dont be afraid to approach potential employers. See a company that youd like to work for that either doesnt have a social network nor has one that is ineffective? Send them a message and let them know how you can help them. You have to be able to tell companies why social media is important and why you are the right person for the job. As social media continues to grow and develop more credibility, more businesses and organizations will increase their interest in it. This means that there will be more jobs for people like you. About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including SEO and social media. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.Joey Trebif