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Social Media Manager
Job Responsibilities of Social Media Specialists/Managers
The primary job responsibilities of Social Media Specialists/Managers include the development, implementation, management and review of social media marketing plans. As they work to fulfill those primary responsibilities, Social Media Specialists/Managers typically perform the following duties:
- Use research, benchmarking, messaging, target (audience) identification and other tools to build and implement a social media strategy
- Create and optimize pages in social media platforms to increase company visibility
- Generate, edit, publish and share content daily on company pages (text, images and videos, for instance)
- Develop and maintain editorial calendars, syndication schedules
- Connect with social media page visitors via dialog and messaging
- Moderate user-generated content/comments on company social media pages
- Work with other departments, such as sales or customer service, to manage company reputation, promote products and/or services on social media
- Capture and analyze data and metrics to evaluate and improve the performance of social media marketing strategies.
Common Employment Settings for Social Media Specialists/Managers
Social Media Specialists/Managers work in a wide variety of employment settings throughout virtually every industry. Basically, any company, business or organization that uses social media to promote their goods and services, engage consumers and/or create brand recognition requires the services of these professionals.
Many work directly and exclusively for large corporations, small businesses, non-profit organizations or government agencies, managing their social media presence via in-house positions. Many others work in advertising or marketing firms, and some pursue their trade as freelancers, working remotely from their own home or office to serve the social media management needs of a variety of clients.
Social Media Specialists/Managers: Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook groups Social Media Specialists/Managers under the Public Relations Specialist category, so job growth projections for the specific position are not provided. However, employment of public relations specialists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 25,800 openings for public relations specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Organizations will continue to emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to maintain and enhance their reputation and visibility. Public opinion can change quickly, particularly because both good and bad news spread rapidly through the Internet. Consequently, public relations specialists will be needed to respond to news developments and maintain their organization’s reputation. The use of social media also is expected to create opportunities for public relations specialists as they try to appeal to consumers and the general public in new ways. Public relations specialists will be needed to help their clients use social media effectively.
Becoming a Social Media Specialist/Manager: Educational Requirements
Starting a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager generally requires earning a degree in digital marketing or a closely related field. The Bryant & Stratton College AAS Digital Marketing degree is an excellent choice for launching such a career, providing a strong foundation for the skills and knowledge you will need to enter the field as a social media professional.
Additional Training/Requirements
Many employers prefer to hire candidates for Social Media Specialist/Manager positions who have significant work experience, typically 3 to 5 years of employment in social media marketing or a closely related occupation. Most employers prefer to hire candidates for these positions who have demonstrated their expertise by creating successful social media strategies for other employers or clients, and/or building a strong personal social media presence.
Many employers also prefer to hire candidates who have earned professional certifications, demonstrating advanced knowledge of social media management and digital marketing. Among the certifications most often requested in this field are the Online Marketing Certified Associate (OMCA) or Online Marketing Certified Professionals (OMCP) credential. Earning these and other professional certifications generally means meeting the educational and work experience standards of the issuing organizations and passing an exam. In some cases, maintaining certifications once they have been earned may require meeting requirements to complete periodic continuing education courses. The cost of the OMCP certification is included in tuition for the Bryant & Stratton College AAS Digital Marketing degree.
What can I do with a Digital Marketing degree?
Earning a Digital Marketing associate degree through Bryant & Stratton’s program can give you the skills and credentials you need to pursue a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager. You will learn how to design and implement effective social media marketing campaigns, engage consumers through a variety of social media platforms, enhance brand visibility, increase website traffic, analyze data on consumer behavior and evaluate marketing campaign results.
This degree program includes courses that can prepare you for many other roles within the digital marketing field, including web analytics, search engine marketing and optimization, and mobile and email marketing, to name just a few. Additionally, since Bryant & Stratton’s AAS Digital Marketing degree program is an approved program through OMCA, the degree you earn upon graduation will qualify you to sit for the OMCA certification exam. Finally, completing this degree program can prepare you for success should you decide to continue your marketing education via Bryant & Stratton College’s Digital Marketing Bachelor’s degree program.
For more insights into building a career as a Social Media Specialist/Manager or in another area of the digital marketing field, please visit the Business degrees section of the Bryant and Stratton College blog. By exploring the blog and our website, you can gain further insights on how to plan your most effective path to success as you work towards building a lucrative and fulfilling career.
While these projections can help career-minded people evaluate potential employment fields, it is important to note that job market data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook is only intended to provide insight on occupational opportunities. It should not be construed as a guarantee of salary or job title. Neither BLS nor Bryant & Stratton College can guarantee employment in any field.
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