The Evolution Of Social Media Jobs
Social media has truly been life changing in the past decade, but what is it that makes it so powerful? It is so much more than the latest trend or simply a socially disruptive form of communication.
Social Media has undeniably created jobs.
The need to understand and possess interchangeable skills to be effective on social media, makes it different than anything that has come before. Now that anyone can share their opinions to thousands of followers, or just one, for brands and companies to cut through the noise, it does take a skilled person and a thought out campaign strategy. Analysing, computing, creating and designing a successful social media campaign strategy, that will grab users’ attention, becomes increasingly difficult when we as consumers have become comfortable with constant stimulation.
Initially, within all industries, social media was viewed as something "fluffy", where content was only posted when an employee had a bit of time to spare. Additionally, said employee could be the average tech savvy individual who had a slight way with words. Today, there are established job roles and departments dedicated to creating and promoting a successful social media campaign.
The power and global reach of these platforms are being recognised and where there is demand, job opportunities follow.
Creating An Industry
Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, SnapChat....the list goes on and on and combined all these ’sharing’ tools have created an industry. Traditional marketing strategies are, of course, still necessary to understand. However, there is now an entire field that is solely based online. Traditional marketers must learn the digital ways to stay abreast with the most effective ways to interact with targeted audiences. Additionally, the success of social media campaigns can be tracked, so campagins can be tweaked depeding on if said target audience is being reached, which increases the likelihood that social media campaigns will be successful.
Furthermore, we as consumers receive all sorts of news, useful updates and ads through social media. This has created a new form of journalism. As previously mentioned in The Role of Social Media in Political News, social media has evolved into a form of news curation, with updates on the racial tensions of #Ferguson being broken on social media first, rather than on traditional media outlets.
According to Social Media Today, the 5 jobs that have been created from social media are:
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Blog/Copywriter
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App Developer
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UX/Web designer
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Security Specialist/ Hacker
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Digital Marketer
Using Social Media In Your Job Hunt
Not only has social media created careers opportunities, but these platforms have also changed the way industries recruit for positions and individuals apply for job roles.
There are several social media accounts where the author(s) solely use the platform to advertise jobs and internships within a certain sector. Additionally, companies now use their social media accounts to promote roles published on their website. This allows for a wider net to be cast when recruiting, as social media platforms (especially when using social ads) increases the reach of posts.
Job hunters have also evolved the way in which they search for their next role. With platforms such as LinkedIn, people can send out hundreds of CVs online, all from the comfort of their home.
Always Something New
In the digital realm, there is always a new platform, tool or app released, so there is always something to learn. Those who work as a digital marketers, or more specifically as social media managers, executives and assistants, must continuously read relevant literature, take short courses and learn from what peers are doing.
Always being aware of the next Facebook algorithm change or a new platform is a must, as social media isn’t a fluke or a trend.
Original Post by MintTwist. Follow them on Twitter:
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