How to Pivot to a Career in Social Media
If you dislike your job but love communication and social media, you might want to consider pivoting to a job as a social media marketer. There are essentially two ways you can approach this – you can either hang out your own shingle as an entrepreneur and craft social media marketing campaigns for a number of different clients, or you can go to work for a company with a job title such as social media manager or social media strategist. Both of these approaches are discussed below.
Skills
In order to run social media campaigns, you need to have some familiarity with all the different platforms, how they are used, and their demographics. You will want to be able to switch between platforms based on the campaign and the audience you are trying to reach. You need to be creative, communicative, and diplomatic, with the ability to manage negative interactions well alongside positive ones. In addition, you also need to have some data analysis skills. You will need to be able to share both qualitative and quantitative data about the success of campaigns.
Getting Experience
If you want to pursue a career in social media, you need to build a solid social media presence. Creating and showcasing a brand for yourself is one way to do this. You could also look into volunteering to run a nonprofit’s social media feed as a way to get your foot in the door.
Entrepreneurship
Pursuing something alone can be both exciting and scary. One advantage is that it gives you the opportunity to really throw yourself into the work you love. If you are passionate about the arts or human rights, you can focus on working with organizations that promote similar things. On the other hand, starting a business by yourself is always a little nerve-wracking until you have built up a substantial client list. You may want to start part-time and keep your current job until you are close to replacing your income or at least making enough to live sufficiently.
It might help to work on lowering your expenses before you go freelance. Consider taking in a roommate or moving to a cheaper place. You could also cut your spending and even your monthly bills. Taking advantage of student loan refinancing can result in lower monthly payments. Keeping a tight rein on your spending for a few months or a year can help you get through the initial bumpy period of getting your business up and running.
Getting a Job
The other option is working for a company. One advantage of this approach is that you might be able to stay where you are. Even if your company doesn’t have an established social media presence, you could try presenting a case regarding the benefits of creating one. This can be a great way to start getting experience if you can persuade the business to make it one of your job duties. You might only work on social media five or 10 hours per week, but you can learn a great deal at this time. Alternately, you could look for a full-time position at a different company.
This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
