How to Get a Job as a Social Media Marketer

Working as a social media marketer can be a whole lot of fun, which is why so many recent college grads and even seasoned online marketing experts with MBAs aspire to spend their 40-hour workweek on Facebook and Twitter. Unfortunately, most of the time, social media marketing positions are both enjoyable and grueling. If you've ever worked in online marketing, you know that numbers are everything. Social media marketing is no different. As a social media strategist, you have to regularly drive traffic to websites using social media channels, and you have to make sure that the traffic you're driving is generating revenue for your employer.

If you're aware of the challenges associated with social media marketing and are still interested in working in the field, you should know that landing a job will take some effort and use of the right strategies. Social media positions are highly sought after, and there aren't a whole lot of entry-level slots. If you want to make yourself a more attractive candidate for social media marketing positions, here are a few things you should think about doing:

1. Consider relocating

If you want to improve your chances of finding your dream job as a professional Tweeter, you might have to pack up your things and move to the big city. The majority of social media jobs exist in the largest, most high-tech cities. Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver boast a decent amount of online marketing firms and small businesses that employ social media marketers, for instance. Additionally, Calgary and Ottawa aren't bad places to look for social media strategist job openings, since both cities are relatively high-tech.

2. Learn about other forms of online marketing

You're a lot more likely to get hired if you know a little bit about SEO, PPC, and SEM in general. If you didn't study the basics of online marketing in college, it's a pretty good idea to do some research before you start applying to jobs. Fortunately, there are a number of useful online marketing tutorials and courses that will help you get better acquainted with the many ways in which businesses build their online brands, increase their online visibility, and improve their online reputation. So, hit the ebooks and learn everything you can to make yourself more marketable to potential employers.

3. Stay active on your profiles

If you're applying to social media jobs, it's safe to assume that potential employers will be checking out your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest accounts. So, stay active in the social media world. Post links to interesting and insightful content and stay engaged with your friends and followers. If a potential employer is able to tell that you know all the ins and outs of social media by looking at your profiles, you'll have a much easier time landing a job.

4. Come up with a pitch

A lot of businesses are on the fence about investing in social media, since the return on such an investment isn't always measurable. So, you need to be ready to explain to potential employers how you're going to use social media to help them profit. It's a good idea to spend a few hours researching and thinking about what works for businesses in the realm of social media. After you've put a good deal of thought into the matter, come up with a few statements you can pitch to potential employers in interviews to let them know you're informed, capable, and ready to help their business succeed through the use of social media. Write your pitch down, memorize it, and prepare to sell yourself as a social media marketing expert.

Amanda Watson is an experienced freelance blogger who covers web-based businesses and higher education. She writes about the latest online mba news and current trends among online entrepreneurs. You can reach Amanda at watsonamanda.48@gmail.com.