The evolution of social media jobs

Social media has truly been life-changing in the past decade, but have you ever wondered what makes it so powerful? There is so much more than just the latest trends or the way we communicate through it. Social media has grown with its specialists, which is why having a team of professional social media experts is an integral part of every business.

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Social media jobs

The need to understand social media, and learn the interchangeable skills that turn a social channel into a profitable business, is greater than ever before. Now that anyone can share their opinions with thousands of followers every day, it is hard for brands and companies to cut through the noise and make their statement. 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. This is why having a social media expert has increased in value more in recent years.

Initially, within all industries, social media was viewed as something “fluffy”, where the 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 a demand, job opportunities follow.

In 2020, social networking sites and hiring software are key tools for human resource managers, as they will be able to better understand their candidates. Thanks to platforms such as LinkedIn, managers and HR representatives are able to find out which candidate is right for them.

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 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 campaigns can be tweaked if said target audience is being reached, which increases the likelihood of a successful social media campaign. Social media has undeniably created careers paths.

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 such as #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:

• Blog/Copywriter
• App Developer
• UX/Web designer
• Security Specialist/ Hacker
• Digital Marketer

In 2021, the digital sector is expected to keep growing at a continuous pace. Therefore, the top marketing positions in demand will be:

1. Digital Marketing Specialists. In this sector, we find PPC Specialists, SEO Specialists and Social Media Specialists. Moreover, people looking to get into this field will need to have a general marketing knowledge as well as SEO trends and Google Ads expertise.
2. Graphic Designers/ Creatives. With all businesses running into the digital landscape, graphic designers will play an important role too. If you wish to succeed you must be able to produce layouts, illustrations, logos and interfaces. The 3D animation, for example is a sector that is set to grow from now on.  
3. Digital Marketing Strategists. In the post-COVID-19 Era, businesses are looking to survive and thrive within digital. Hence, being able to create digital marketing strategies and responding with the right message will be vital in 2021.
4. UX Designers. User experience designers are much more than designers, as they are in charge of making decisions about how best to produce customer behaviours. Understanding what is the secret sauce of consumer behaviour regarding a company’s website and products will enable you to create the right marketing strategy.
5. Bot Developer. Front End developers, Back-End etc. As search engines are dominating the future, coding is key for all business to respond to all future Google updates. 
6. Email Marketing Specialist. This specialised form of content development and marketing is evolving, as email marketing strategies are created to generate leads and create brand awareness. 

Search Engine Optimisation trends 

SEO is always an evolving and moving target due to the nature of the algorithm itself.  Here is a list of the most relevant search engine optimization trends that we will see in 2021:

• User Experience (UX). The customer journey is becoming a key ranking factor for the search algorithm, as next year’s biggest Google update concentrates on page speed. These “UX signals” will be relevant in 2021, as well as on and off-page SEO.
• Semantic search. How users search for things on the internet will determine the SEO world next year. Moreover, the semantic search will be how search engines use all the data they have available to define the intent of users, offering them the most relevant content. How your company uses semantic search will be a detriment to your digital marketing strategy. Your overall strategy should concentrate on the content that answers your audiences’ questions; structured data; internal linking and topic optimisation.
• Search intent. In 2021, digital marketers will be able to understand what their customers are looking for, and therefore those questions they re asking will help them have better organic search rankings. This is due to Google algorithms’ capacity to depict all kinds of search intents, from all kinds of natural language queries. 

Using social media in your job hunt

Not only has social media created career opportunities, but these platforms have also changed the way industries recruit for positions and how 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.

Work on what makes you stand out of the competition 

It is essential to have a clear plan on how to push your application and differentiate yourself from the competition. Now is the time to re-invent yourself and think of those unique experiences, skills and education that you have: write a list of them and define your profile.

On the other hand, take care of how you present yourself on social media: your LinkedIn profile speaks for you. It is often the first thing recruiters will look at when receiving your application. Choose a formal profile picture and update your job experiences descriptions, as every little detail matters.  

Participate actively in social media debates 

Work on your social media profile by actively engaging in debates: look for industry-relevant groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and share your unique point of view. By doing this you will create an impact and will be able to show your knowledge and stand out. 

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 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 social media and Google algorithm changes, or new platforms cropping us.

Contact us

If you’re in need of assistance creating and/or implementing your social advertising or social media campaign, drop us a line via hello@minttwist.com.