Passionate About Social Media? How to Make it a Career

Social media took the world by storm, and to this day it keeps a firm grip on all of society. It’s a powerful tool that can make or break businesses, politicians, and even entire regimes. The exchange of information available through social networks offers so many opportunities and being able to master it is a skill all unto itself. If you can understand a brand, it’s message, how to create compelling content, and then how to publish and engage with audiences online, then you have a worthwhile skillset. 

If you love social media – love to be on it, create content, try new things, and engage with your online community – then you can make it a career. There are many ways you can go about doing this, and the best news is that you can pursue multiple efforts all at once. If you aren’t sure about where to begin, start here with this guide: 

Earn a Marketing Degree 

When it comes to what degree you’ll want to pursue, marketing is a great place to get started. There are many different subsets of marketing degrees available today as well, giving you more freedom to focus on the career path that works for you. For example, you could prepare yourself for leadership with a social media management degree that combines marketing principles with management skills. The right degree for you will ultimately be the one that helps you learn and develop the skills you believe you’ll need most. 

Start Building Up You Own Platform 

If you can create a thriving platform for yourself, you’ll not only expand your opportunities, you’ll also have a winning proof of concept. Building your own audience is great work experience that you can personally benefit from, so always start here. It doesn’t matter what angle you choose either, so long as it’s something you could show a potential client or employer. 

Not only that, but if you get big enough, you can then use that platform as a tool. Not only can you partner with brands, but you can lead a campaign with them on your own platform and increase your income and your credentials all at once. 

Be Aware of All New Platforms 

Every company wants to be on the ground of something that ends up big. Content creators and businesses that were on TikTok before it got huge are now in a much better position than those who are only just starting to consider starting today. For the sake of your career, it’s important to stay in the know of not just the latest trends and platform updates, but of any up-and-comers as well. No matter the platform, even those that demand authenticity like BeReal, are opportunities for personal and professional brands. If you have a unique approach that will help your client grow on those new platforms and make waves, you’ll be well on your way to a thriving career. 

Stay Informed 

Always stay informed on the latest news, trends, updates, tools and even overarching marketing trends. Do this by reading reports and following along with those that work to qualify and quantify information so that brands and professionals like you can make smarter decisions.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.