You have great content – now it’s time to share it on social media. What does this mean – exactly? As social media marketing has become essential for nearly every business, the role of having a specific employee designated as a social media marketer is growing to be commonplace.
For many entry-level professionals looking to get into the marketing world, working on social media can seem like the ideal job. Scrolling Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all day? It’s something many of us already do. So, how hard could it be? Surprising to many, being successful at this career path is not only challenging, but it can come at a price that may not be apparent to the eager-to-apply workforce.
I have been at the forefront of the digital marketing trend for nearly eight years. Working on brands for a wide array of clients ranging from consumer packaged goods, a private university, a nonprofit, and multiple international retail brands. After years of answering the question, “What do you do for work” and then receiving a response like, “Oh, so you tweet all day and get paid for it,” I want to clear up some misconceptions and shine a light on the importance of this role for organizations.
What Do I Do as a Social Media Marketer?
So, to answer the question, “You tweet all day for a living?!” here is my response. Yes, as a social media marketer, I do tweet for a living. I also create content calendars that align with the strategic and seasonal goals of the brand.
Here are some examples:
- write the copy and create digital assets that will be used for each post nearly every day of the week
- spearhead online campaigns that bring awareness to the company and engage with our target audience
- act as a customer service representative by responding to every single fan comment or question in a timely manner
- create reports analyzing what our customers respond to positively to help lead overall business objectives and strategic decisions
- responsible for staying on top of an ever-changing arm of the marketing mix.
The digital space changes at a rapid rate, and it is a social media marketer’s responsibility to live and breathe social media and all its transformations.
What Does it Take to Excel as a Social Media Marketer?
Excelling in social media marketing not only means being a dog with many tricks, but it means being able to deal with the pressures that accompany the position. When you hit ‘publish’ on a Facebook post, the CEO of that company can see your work. In fact, they get to see your direct work daily. More than just your boss or CEO, essentially, the entire world can see your work – they will either love it, hate it, or be indifferent. Content cannot be thoughtless or posted carefree, as the implications of the words you choose can harm a company’s reputation greatly or lift it immensely. The public is watching you. They are seeing the words that you write and judge whether that’s a company they want to support.
Although community management—responding to customer questions, comments, and concerns– for a social media marketer can sometimes feel monotonous, it is essential to the organization. As the community manager, you become the integral link between the customer and the company. By interacting with the thousands or millions of fans each day, you begin to understand the individuals you’re speaking to and are able to more thoroughly understand the tone of voice that your followers respond best to. Being the voice of the brand means you must take the form of the people you’re speaking to, many times, unlike yourself. You must be able to deeply understand the target market to speak their language. You are the manager of this online community, and you must lead it with passion, intelligence, and persuasion.
Final Thoughts on Being a Social Media Marketer
Simply put, there’s much more to being a social media maven than it can appear to the outside public. It takes strategy, creativity, and commitment to not only the brand but to your followers. You are their friend; you are their connection to an organization that they feel passionately enough to connect with on their personal time. Unlike many marketing channels, you touch the consumer on a near-daily basis and create a relationship with them. Yes, you tweet for a living, but one tweet can make a social media marketing career. The pressure’s always on.
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Author: Jessica Moran