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Thanks to the continued popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, it’s perhaps no surprise that social media remains a popular job choice for recent college graduates. Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular types of social media job categories as you set off on your new career journey.
Content creation jobs
The largest volume of social media jobs focus on content creation. Many of the most popular job titles include Blogger, Content Curator, Social Media Coordinator, Social Media Specialist, and Social Media Community Manager. All of these jobs require a familiarity with the most popular social media platforms, as well as experience in creating your own content or managing a community of fans. If you’ve ever worked as a paid social media influencer, then you have the perfect skills to get started in this area.
Data analyst jobs
Given all the data being tracked these days by social media platforms, companies are also looking for individuals with a background in fields like data science, mathematics, or statistics. They need people to analyze the performance of different social media campaigns, and to put together extensive reports on key metrics, sometimes referred to as KPIs (key performance indicators). These job titles include Data Analyst and SEO Specialist. Here, you should be comfortable analyzing click-through rates, engagement levels, and overall traffic trends across different social media platforms.
Branding and marketing jobs
Another option is landing a job in branding and marketing. Here, you will be much more integrated into the business strategy of the company, and less focused on the day-to-day content creation process. Popular job titles here include Marketing Associate, Brand Manager, Digital Project Manager, and Creative Director. The emphasis here is on creating a unified brand voice, building brand loyalty, and coordinating campaigns across different social media platforms. For a new product launch, for example, you might develop ideas for TikTok and Instagram, based on key brand attributes that your company is looking to emphasize for a desired demographic group.
Strategy jobs
Finally, the highest-paying social media jobs typically have a strategy focus. Indeed, they often have the word “strategist” in the job title itself. Examples of these jobs include Digital Strategist, Brand Strategist, and Content Strategist. As a Digital Strategist, for example, you will be figuring out the right mix of paid and unpaid media to build your brand’s online presence. You will be analyzing consumer trends for digital, and then pitching the best ideas and concepts to other people in your organization. And, most importantly, you will be mapping out an actionable marketing plan for weeks, if not months, at a time.
Conclusion
As you can perhaps tell from the above, many of the job descriptions in social media tend to overlap. That’s especially true for more junior job titles that are best suited to recent college graduates. For mid-career candidates, or perhaps for candidates holding advanced degrees like an MBA, jobs in marketing and strategy make the most sense, since these have very defined career tracks, and enable you to focus on the business impact of social media. As long as you have at least some familiarity with the most popular social media platforms, you could be well on your way to a high-paying job that is both challenging and fun.
