Social media is an integral part of any business’s marketing strategy. It allows companies to stay in touch with their customers, promote their products, and learn about the wants and needs of their audience.
With the increasing demand for social media specialists, it’s no wonder that many people are starting to wonder if social media might be a good career path for them. But how do you get started? What do you need to know? Read on to learn more.
Is It Easy To Get an Entry-Level Social Media Job?
If you’re looking for an entry-level job in social media, it’s definitely possible. You just need to know how to find the right opportunities and prepare for a potential interview.
You don’t need a college degree to work in social media either—you just need to be passionate and dedicated. Leveraging your experience will allow you to build on your skills and connect with people in the field. This will make it easier to advance in your career.
Entry-Level Social Media Jobs
A quick search of job boards and websites will yield many entry-level social media marketing jobs you can choose from.
Related Read: How To Get Into Social Media Marketing
Let’s walk through some of the most common social media roles and tips for getting started.
Marketing Intern
A marketing intern is usually a student working within a company’s marketing department. An intern’s tasks vary greatly depending on the company, department, and the intern’s interests, but some everyday tasks include:
- Researching trends in social media and creating reports based on that research;
- Analyzing data from surveys and focus groups;
- Writing blog posts;
- Creating graphics for social media campaigns;
- Supporting the creative team by researching photos or videos for an upcoming campaign;
- Assisting with brand management efforts such as customer service or public relations.
Salary
Marketing interns typically earn an average of $14.72 per hour or $19,297 per year.
Qualifications
A degree in marketing is helpful, but it’s not essential—most companies will happily take on interns without formal education. However, if you’re applying for an internship at a large company or one that requires specific skills, then a social media course or bootcamp would look great on your resume and increase your chances of getting an internship.
Career Outlook
Marketing internships are a great way to learn how to apply your marketing skills in the real world. During your internship, you’ll acquire various skills such as social media management, content creation, and analytics.
The most common job titles for those who have completed a marketing internship include:
- Social media manager
- PPC/SEM/SEO specialist
- Content creator or copywriter
- Digital marketer
Social Media Specialist
A social media specialist is a person who manages and promotes a brand’s presence on social media platforms. They may also create content for these platforms or work with a team of creatives to do so.
Social media specialists are often responsible for creating engaging content that will appeal to their target audience and drive sales.
Salary
According to Glassdoor, the average social media specialist’s salary is $71,164 annually.
As an entry-level social media marketing specialist, you can expect a lower average salary of $28,016 annually, while more experienced social media managers earn an average of $81,305 annually.
Qualifications
If you’re interested in becoming a social media specialist, there’s no need to attend school for years. It’s more important to understand how social media platforms work and have a course or bootcamp under your belt. Digital marketing courses teach you the ins and outs of the industry and typically include instructions on how to use different social media platforms.
Career Outlook
If you’re looking to further your career as a social media specialist, there are plenty of other options available too. You could become a social media manager at an agency or company or even work your way up to becoming a director or executive director of communications.
Content Strategist
Content strategists create content in a way that supports the brand vision and delivers on business objectives by creating relevant, engaging, compelling, and consistent content across all marketing channels.
They help manage the creation of infographics and video assets and assist with their production where required.
Salary
Content strategists make an average of $97,786 per year. The salary increases exponentially at companies such as Meta, where the average salary can reach $135,431 annually.
Qualifications
If you’re interested in becoming a content strategist, you’ll need several qualifications. The first is a strong background in writing and editing. Content strategists are responsible for everything from ideation to execution, which means they must be able to think critically about the content they create and how it fits into the brand’s overall strategy.
You don’t need a degree to land a job as a content strategist, but digital marketing courses and internships give you an advantage.
Career Outlook
There is plenty of opportunity for people who know how to write and manage content. There are lots of ways you can move from writing the content yourself to managing other writers and helping them produce the best possible work. You can become a content manager or director of content by working your way up through various positions within an organization.
Communications Specialist
A communications specialist is a professional who specializes in writing and editing content for business, media, and non-profit organizations. Their primary focus is creating content that will help brands communicate their message effectively to their target audience.
Communications specialists may work with several mediums, including print, online, video, or audio. They work closely with other professionals in the business world to develop strategies for communicating with customers and clients.
Salary
The average base salary for a communications specialist is $53,962 per year.
Qualifications
To become a communications specialist, you’ll need to have a few key qualifications. Online courses are a good option if you don’t have a degree in communications. Springboard’s social media marketing certificate can help you with many aspects of communications. It has been designed by industry professionals to give you hands-on experience.
Career Outlook
The career outlook for communications specialists is bright. The field is expected to grow 14% from 2020 to 2030, resulting in more than 151,000 jobs. You can then work in various fields as a communications specialist, from journalism to public relations and marketing.
Social Media Coordinator
Social media coordinators are responsible for managing social media accounts. They post content, respond to comments, and engage with users. A social media coordinator must keep up-to-date with the latest trends in social media and be able to adapt quickly as platforms change. They need to have a good understanding of how different networks work so they can effectively use them for their organization’s marketing purposes.
The responsibilities of a social media coordinator include:
- Creating, managing, and updating a company’s social media accounts;
- Monitoring the performance of each account to ensure it’s optimized;
- Coordinating with other team members to ensure they stay on top of content creation and posting.
Salary
The average salary of a social media coordinator is $41,581 per year. The highest pay for a social media coordinator is $54,000 per year.
Qualifications
In most cases, a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field is required for this position. Social media coordinators may also need experience working with various social media platforms.
The qualifications for this job vary depending on the company you’re working for. For example, if you’re working at a small company that doesn’t have much online presence, it may not be necessary to have many qualifications. A course and a basic understanding of social media might be all you need.
However, if you’re working at a large corporation with multiple brands, there may be higher expectations for what qualifies someone for this position.
Career Outlook
Larger companies usually hire social media specialists. In this case, you’ll be responsible for managing the company’s social media accounts and ensuring they stay up-to-date with current trends and practices. This is a significant first step in managing and coordinating multiple accounts simultaneously.
Becoming a social media director is probably best if you want to progress further in this field. This would involve overseeing your clients’ social media efforts and managing the company’s accounts.
Community Manager
A community manager is a person who manages the relationships between a company and its customers. They are often responsible for creating an online community where people can interact with each other and the company and managing the interactions between those groups.
Community managers typically serve as the point of contact for all social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter pages, Instagram profiles, and more. They may also be in charge of creating content for these platforms or helping others create content, like social media posts or videos. Community managers are also responsible for moderating comments on those platforms.
Community managers can work in many industries, including retail, hospitality, travel and tourism, technology, education, media and entertainment, healthcare, and more.
Salary
Community managers earn an average salary of $74,085 per year.
Qualifications
Community managers need excellent communication skills—it’s their job to represent their companies online, after all! They must also understand how media platforms work and how they can use them to reach customers.
Some community managers have experience in communications or PR before moving into community management, while others come from more digital marketing positions. For those who don’t have any experience in these areas, a digital marketing course can help learn about how businesses can use social media and other digital platforms for marketing themselves and connecting with customers.
Career Outlook
Statistics show that community managers increase a business’ performance online by 12%.
Therefore, the need for community managers is increasing as more companies find that they need help managing their online presence and reputation. This means you can expect more jobs in this field, as well as opportunities for career advancement.
FAQs About Getting Into Social Media
We’ve got the answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Do You Need a Degree To Get a Social Media Job?
No. In fact, many of the best social media professionals don’t have degrees. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get an education! You can always sign up for a course or get an internship to learn the ins and outs of social media, which will help you stand out from other candidates.
Can You Get a Social Media Job Without Experience?
You can get a social media job without experience if you’re willing to learn and show off your skills. Knowing what kinds of skills will be most helpful for the job you want is important. If you’re applying for an entry-level position, emphasize what you did in school or previous jobs that show off your skills and experience.
Do Entry-Level Social Media Jobs Pay Well?
Yes. The average salary for an entry-level social media manager is $41,017 per year. That’s a pretty good paycheck for someone who’s just starting.
Since you’re here…
According to LinkedIn, social media marketing skills are the most in-demand marketing skills this year, and jobs are plentiful. Our Social Media Marketing Certificate Course will prep you for an industry job in just 8 weeks. Don’t take it from us – our student reviews are glowing for a reason. We get people where they want to go, ASAP.
![How to Do a Social Media Audit [+5 Templates and Examples]](https://www.springboard.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/how-to-do-a-social-media-audit-5-templates-and-examples.png)
