A social media specialist creates effective online advertising campaigns, requiring excellent writing and marketing skills, as well as experience with relevant websites and computer applications. A degree in communication or marketing may be required. Additional skills include web design, SEO, and graphic design. Experience in marketing and online media is necessary, and freelance projects can help gain experience.
A social media specialist creates an effective online advertising campaign aimed at increasing an organization’s online exposure. Common duties include creating content for social networking sites and blogs, researching customers’ online behavior, investigating competing business trends, and performing other marketing tasks. Some social media experts also design websites, create videos and create graphics for use in their online advertising campaigns. To become a social media expert, you’ll need to have excellent writing skills, be an effective marketer, and have experience using relevant websites and computer applications. A college degree focusing on communication or marketing skills may also be required.
Some social media specialists may need a bachelor’s degree that focuses on writing, advertising, and technology skills. If you already have significant social media experience, some employers and freelance jobs won’t require the degree. If you decide to get a degree, it’s helpful to focus on marketing, communications, or journalism. You should also take some courses in web design, advertising and multimedia to be prepared for the technological aspects of social media. Those looking to advance the field or teach classes on social media might eventually consider a master’s degree in online marketing, although this is rarely necessary to become a social media expert.
Web design, search engine optimization (SEO) and graphic design are additional skills needed to become a social media expert. While some professionals focus primarily on writing materials for existing websites, others design website layouts, create logos, and create display ads. Knowing SEO is critical to gaining exposure on the web, and most employers require you to use sites that analyze keywords to discover the most popular topics on the internet. You should also be familiar with the productivity software used to create spreadsheets, presentations and documents.
Social media specialists usually have at least a few years of experience in marketing and online media, including experience publishing content on various social networks, online videos, and blogging sites. You may also need to record and edit videos and record and edit images. To become a social media expert, excellent written and oral communication skills are essential, and you must have extensive experience creating online content using the Associated Press (AP) writing style. Freelance projects are a good way for aspiring social media experts to gain experience in all these areas, and can help you land a position later on at a larger company.
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