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How To Become A Social Media Manager (Step-By-Step Guide)

If you want to learn how to become a social media manager, your instinct for earning an online income must be working on overdrive:

Social Media has ruled the web for years. As a result, there is no better time than now to build a career as a social media manager:

Millions invest in products and services after discovering them on Social Media. Both small and large brands know that Social Media is one of the most essential marketing channels.

These brands need constant content that will turn viewers and readers into loyal followers and members of a community.

However, they cant deal with such an ambitious task on their own thats why they hire social media managers to help them.

Today, Ill lead you into the world of social media managers:

• What is a social media manager, and what does such a person do?
• Is social media manager the right fit for you?
• Do you have the necessary skills to become a social media manager?
• How much can you earn as a social media manager?
• And whats the best way to become a social media manager?

Why Should You Become A Social Media Manager?

Professional social media managers have different reasons for choosing that career path. Everyones story is unique, so its hard to give an ultimate answer that will cover this question.

With that said, here are some of the most common reasons why people decide to build a career in the social media field:

• An opportunity to master a brand-new industry
• Leaving a print into a companys success story
• Gaining new skills to get a better-paid position later

In other words, diving into the social media manager role is best for people who want to develop highly marketable skills, help brands increase their influence, and join the process of building a real community online.

What Is A Social Media Manager?

Social Media Managers manage the social media accounts of other individuals, small businesses, or companies.

Overall, the job of the social media manager is to handle a brands presence on one or more Social Media Networks.

Think of social media managers as professionals who put much time and effort into building an online presence for potential employers.

For example, a social media manager must network, engage with the audience, and track performance.

Of course, social media professionals may have many other responsibilities. Lets take a closer look at them, shall we?

Before discussing how to become a social media manager, we should cover the job description.

These days, social media managers have plenty of responsibilities:

After all, theyre responsible for managing such an important marketing channel.

Youll take on different roles and complete many duties as a successful social media manager. How about I glue you in the details?

Social Media Manager Job Description

Generally, these are the most common duties a social media manager has:

• Building and developing social media marketing strategies
• Planning, creating/posting highly-valuable content
• Creating editorial or content calendar
• Doing graphic design
• Filming video content (or overseeing the content creation process)
• Writing captions and descriptions of social media posts
• Answering questions/replying to social media users
• Tracking content, audience engagement, and social media strategy through data analysis
• Data analyticsof content performance
• Managing communities (if the employer sees that as necessary)
• Creating a brand identity and unique voice
• Developing creator partnerships and public relations
• Running ads, ad campaigns, or other social media advertising

First and foremost, dont let this extensive list of duties intimidate you:

You dont have to be an expert in each field to be a great social media manager.

Also, some tools will help you complete the necessary tasks Canvawill take care of the graphic design, for example.

Social Media Sites To Specialize In As A Social Media Manager

I doubt the social media sites youre about to see will come as a big surprise to anyone:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• TikTok
• LinkedIn

If this is your first try to be a social media manager, you should be able to do tasks on all these networks (at least the most basic ones).

Why is that? Isnt it better to focus on only one social media network?

It isnt since you dont have the necessary practical experience yet.

As soon as that changes, youll have much more freedom to decide whether to work with a particular social media network.

Before I walk you through the process and show you how to become a social media manager, how about we discuss services?

To be more specific, lets see some of the services you can offer in the social media management role:

• Researching hashtags and implementing the data your research will produce
• Developing content strategies or improving existing social media strategies
• Working to increase the number of followers/engaging with followers on a new level
• Branding/rebranding services
• Search engine optimization, driving free traffic/paid traffic
• Creating, pinning, and scheduling pins
• Writing blog articles/updating old ones

Feel free to add different services to that list if you have the relevant knowledge or hands-on experience.

For example, TikTok wasnt even a thing a few years ago, but it is now the fastest-growing network among various social media platforms.

Maybe you should become a TikTok marketing expert and offer such a service to your social media manager portfolio. That idea is worth the effort and will pay off for sure.

Social Media Management Skills

By all means, the social media landscape is constantly changing.

So, the essential skills necessary to work as an in-demand social media manager will change over time, too.

Still, there are sets of social media marketing skills I believe will stand the test of time:

Writing Skills

Earlier in this article covering how to become a social media manager, I mentioned that you must plan, create, and probably update content.

A social media managerial position wont be possible unless you develop above-average writing skills (or improve your existing ones).

If you doubt your writing abilities, you can always spare time to go through a professional writing course.

My Freelance Paycheck is an extensive online training that will teach you how to earn at least $3,000 a month from freelance writing alone read the full reviewhere .

I wont dwell too much on developing graphic design skills. These are key skills for anyone who wants to be a good social media manager.

Nowadays, you can learn tons about graphic design and video editing from any relevant YouTube channel.

Marketing Know-How

Working as a professional social media manager requires a greater understanding of social media network channels and algorithms.

On that note, take the time to learn the social media marketing fundamentals and target the right audience.

Many of you might think that once they learn how to become a social media manager, the job is over, but thats not true:

Building a successful career as a social media manager requires constant testing, adjusting, and adapting strategies.

And if you want to do the job well, being flexible is crucial.

Leadership Skills

More often than not, social media managers dont create content but spend lots of time overseeing the creative writing process.

Thats almost always the case if you work for a large brand or corporation, so leadership skills are essential.

Easy Online Jobs Anyone Can Get Paid To Do:

How To Become A Social Media Manager With No Experience: Step-By-Step Guide

By all means, you dont need to go back to college to be able to work as a social media savvy specialist.

So, if you have a kid researching how to become a social media manager as a teenager on the other laptop, this article will help both of you.

With that said, here are the steps you have to take to start earning from social media manager jobs:

1) Refresh Your Social Media Knowledge

Considering youre learning to be a social media manager, its easy to see why you wont accomplish that without a profound knowledge of the field.

If you ask working social media marketing managers whats the number one skill you need to do the job, most of them will tell you the same thing:

Above all, you wont become an in-demand social media manager without a deep understanding of the social media channels, landscape, and latest trends.

Its one thing to be a social media fan as an individual. But as a professional, you must have your thumb on the social media pulse.

So, immerse yourself in the social field, brush up on your knowledge, and pay attention to the hottest social media trends.

As you know, you need specific skills to find the best work as a social media manager. Be honest about your writing, graphic design, video editing, and communication skills.

Do you lack transferable skills in any of these areas? Then, start developing them.

What if you have some skills that are far from a professional level? Well, the best way to improve any skill is to practice it.

For example, if you want to hone your graphic design skills, consider creating graphics for bloggers or your website (if you have one).

3) Consider Signing Up For A Social Media Marketing Course

Generally, you dont need a certification or marketing degree to find a job and build a strong foundation as a social media manager.

Be that as it may, going through a social media course will be beneficial to you:

Such online courses will get you up to date faster without getting a Bachelors Degree.

There are a couple of certification courses you should consider to learn about brand management and building a social media presence.

Now, some might want to expand their digital marketing expertise as well. While not free, the Digital Marketing Career Blueprint is one of the best digital marketing courses.

4) Get Some Related Work Experience And Understand Each Social Media Network

At this point, you must improve your social media skills and gain deep knowledge of the industry. Think about checking your social media training by jumping into the practical side of the job:

You can start being a social media manager by managing a couple of professional social media accounts of a friend, for example. Now, there is something else youll have to keep in mind during that process:

Social Media is not a static field it changes and evolves constantly. Subsequently, expect to stumble upon new social media specialties and niches.

Most social media managers look for clients on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, but you can discover your niche on other social platforms.

5) Create A Business Strategy And Plan

OK, what does creating a social media manager business plan entail? Well, the first step is answering a couple of essential questions, such as:

• Why am I starting this business?(You need to be sure about your mission and long-term goals).
• What services should I offer?(Chances are, you already have a pretty good idea about the services you want to provide. Write them down. Remember, you can always modify them later).
• Who is my target audience?(While its OK not to be super niched down, you shouldnt start the job without knowing who your future employer might be. After all, you cant help everyone, so decide what potential customers you should target).
• Who is my competition?(Doing some competition research is a must. Once you know the type of clients youll be going after, try to find out who youll compete with for their attention.

6) Build A Strong Portfolio

Once you gain enough social media experience, youll be ready to take the next step creating a portfolio.

A portfolio is a valuable asset that allows you to showcase your social media management abilities to potential employers and customers.

Alright, and whats a great way to create such a portfolio? I recommend launching a simple website:

First, youll need to come up with a name, which will be your domain name and the name of your business. Then, choose a blog hosting provider SiteGround offers affordable plans and stellar customer service.

When your site is ready, include all the social media work youve done on various platforms to demonstrate your abilities.

7) Build A Social Media Presence

It doesnt matter which social media network you want to develop a career in:

The best way to build a social presence is to create an account on at least one platform and grow it from scratch.

Spending time on that social media platform will help you gain practical knowledge that will prove valuable experience later:

Youll have a chance to see first-hand how analytics work and understand how an algorithm operates.

8) Update Your Resume

First and foremost, your resume cant be a static medium. As your social media skills and abilities develop, so will your portfolio.

Think of updating your resume as designing and re-designing your brand:

Do your best to revamp your resume in a way that shines a bright light on your abilities as a social media manager.

Including an About Me section on the top of your resume is an excellent idea and one of the best practices you can leverage:

That About Me paragraph should include your experience, previous jobs or social campaigns (if you have any), and the social engagement skills that make you the best hire.

9) Do Lots Of Networking

Nowadays, networking is a crucial traditional route for building a career in all freelance fields.

Waiting for clients to find you instead of going after them on a daily basis is a mistake you dont want to make.

Take some time to find your community:

Connect with other social media managers and establish relationships with them. Both LinkedIn and Facebook Groups will help you achieve that.

Earlier in this article about how to become a social media manager, I mentioned that the social media landscape evolves constantly.

Naturally, your social media management skills on different platforms have to keep improving, too:

Dont hesitate to test a fresh content strategy and try new things. Becoming an in-demand social media manager is a never-ending process:

Be the best person for available jobs, and potential clients wont have a reason to skip hiring you.

How Much Can You Make As A Social Media Manager? (Social Media Manager Median Salary)

To sum up, your average salary as a social media manager will depend on a few factors. Such factors are your geographical location, experience level, whether you manage social media as aside hustle or full-time employment, etc.

USA-based full-time social media managers earn $45,000-$85,000 annually, including benefits (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

However, freelance social media managers should expect different earnings. Again, your hourly pay rate as a social media manager will largely depend on your experience.

Newbie social media managers can charge between $25-$35 an hour, while expert specialists (over ten years of experience) can ask for $150-$250 an hour.

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How To Get Your First Social Media Manager Job?

Now that you knowhow to become a social media manager, its time to see how you can score your first job.

My advice is to start looking for entry-level positions on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with potential employers, businesses, and brands hiring social media specialists. Facebook Groups are also an option you should look into:

Consider investing in an ad campaign to spread the word about your social media management services.

How To Become A Social Media Manager FAQs

How Do I Become A Social Media Manager With No Experience?

• Learn as much as you can about social media marketing
• Build a portfolio
• Network
• Get an entry-level social media specialist job

Is It Hard To Become A Social Media Manager?

If you dont mind spending time developing communication skills and immersing yourself in the social media industry, becoming a social media manager wont be hard.

More often than not, people think that managing social media is easy.

However, becoming a professional social media specialist requires much more than replying to messages, answering questions, and completing daily tasks .

Working as a social media manager might not be the most stressful job, but it can be tiring.

Social media managers have many responsibilities, and completing them might be exhausting for some people.

According to Payscale , the average social media managers salary in the USA is over $58,000 annually.

My Closing

What else is there to say?

You already know what it takes to be a social media specialist.

Instead of discussing it, maybe you should start working on your portfolio and learning to use social media management tools.

If you have any questions, use the comment section below.

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