A Guide to Social Media Marketing Jobs

Social media is still relatively new within the business landscape. Yet, as digital marketers realize its growing impact and importance, social media marketing jobs are everywhere.

Of course, careers in social media have evolved — a breadth of new titles makes the job search somewhat confusing. As such, determining how to find the right social media position requires a bit of legwork. In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know to launch a successful social media marketing career.

The Job Market for Social Media Marketing

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10% job growth in marketing by 2031 — much of which comprises digital marketing specialists, including social media managers. This is good news for tech-savvy folks, as all companies rely on a solid social media presence to thrive. 

Nearly 4.48 billion people use social media globally — up from 2.07 billion in 2015. Additionally, one user typically engages with around six social media platforms daily. 

Managing multiple platforms simultaneously takes up time most workers don’t have — a core reason companies need a designated person to handle engagement. Social media is one of the most effective ways to interact with your target audience and gain loyal followers of your brand — particularly younger consumers.

Top Skills of a Social Media Marketer

A social media marketer wears several hats — marketer, copywriter, content creator, strategist and customer service representative. As a result, they must possess wide-ranging skills to run effective campaigns and build brand awareness.

Those in social media marketing jobs must have the following skill sets:

• Effective communication
• Writing and creativity
• Graphic design
• Project management skills
• Strategic thinking
• Customer service and “people skills”
• Research capabilities — such as determining the target audience
• Flexibility
• Data analysis and reporting, with an understanding of analytics insights
• Budget management — for paid social media marketing

As social media rapidly evolves, digital marketers must have expertise in growing trends. For instance, paid social has grown increasingly popular as organic reach declines. About 51.4% of marketers will increase paid social spending to improve targeting and marketing efficiency. 

Social media specialists must also adapt to changes within their industry. Aside from emerging platforms, honing in on old and new skills and learning about technological advances is essential. This is especially true as artificial intelligence may cause upheaval in the digital world. 

Where to Search for Social Media Marketing Jobs

Social media marketing jobs are listed just about everywhere online. While you can find many of these roles on Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter and CareerBuilder, several freelance and remote work job boards also advertise them. 

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is one of the most extensive job and resource databases for telecommuting roles, including part-time, full-time and temporary. To access the website, you must buy a subscription ranging from $9.95 to $59.95, depending on whether you subscribe for one week, a month, three months or a year. However, new enrollees get a discount.

Virtual Vocations

Virtual Vocations works similarly to FlexJobs, guaranteeing screened telecommute listings you can filter in search. Although you can view the social media marketing jobs on the website, you must pay for unlimited access to view company names and other details. 

Jobspresso

Upload your resume to Jobspresso so employers can find you. In the meantime, you can browse various marketing opportunities for social media roles — Jobspresso vets companies and job listings to eliminate scams.

Home With the Kids

Nearly 400,000 more women than men left the workforce during COVID-19 — many have yet to return, facing bias or lacking child care. Home With the Kids is a remote work database for stay-at-home moms with occasional social media marketing listings.

Freelancer.com

Head over to Freelancer.com — the largest freelancing job marketplace on the internet. Freelancer.com connects more than 67 million employers and freelancers from 247 countries. It’s an excellent place to start your solo career in social media.

Job Search: Common Keywords and Titles

A strategic job search for social media marketing jobs isn’t as straightforward as typing “social media opportunities” in the search bar. Companies use different titles when listing available positions — sometimes with varying job descriptions. Standard job titles for social media include the following:

• Social media manager: Oversees all aspects of the social media department, ensuring the message and aesthetics align with the brand
• Social media specialist: Strategizes new social media campaigns and develops content for posts, including images and writing — then schedules posts and reports insights
• Social media coordinator: Develops an active social media presence to boost brand awareness and reputation, engaging followers and monitoring operations
• Social media community manager: Engages followers across all platforms, moderates comments and fosters brand loyalty and personalization
• Social media intern: Gains foundational experience in social media management, focusing on basic tasks, such as writing captions, scheduling or researching trends

Aside from internships, companies may not fully comprehend the differences between social media roles. As such, your job duties may evolve or cross over into related tasks over time.

Related Jobs for Social Media

Social media marketing professionals may also be interested in corresponding jobs to broaden their search. Similar positions often include:

• Blogger: Writes and optimizes engaging SEO articles to improve search engine rankings and share on social media
• Content curator: Stays abreast of social media trends and curates appropriate content — images, articles and videos — to share across the brand’s social media platforms
• Brand manager: Generates messaging to build brand awareness and integrity across all traditional marketing methods and social media platforms
• Digital strategist: Develops multi-channel campaigns using paid media and SEO strategies to build brand awareness and boost sales
• Content strategist: Recognizes digital marketing trends and prepares content to share across all platforms, including social media, blogs and the company website
• Data analyst: Analyzes insights from social media campaigns, reports findings and strategizes areas of improvement
• Digital project manager: Ensures the completion of digital campaigns on time and on budget for client satisfaction
• Creative director: Manages entire creative department of social media professionals, copywriters, graphic designers and others

You may discover you can apply your social media skills to one of these related opportunities for increased pay or job growth.

Social Media Marketing Salaries

Social media marketers earn an average total of $63,757 annually, with a base salary of $58,802. Of course, wages vary depending on experience, industry, education and location.

Conversely, freelancers must determine their own rate for client projects — often a difficult task. Freelancers make an average of $52,613 at an hourly rate of $25.29. However, top earners could earn over $80,000. Other pay factors include charging a monthly retainer or a percentage of revenue for lead generation.

Find Your Next Social Media Marketing Job

Job seekers have thousands of opportunities for social media marketing jobs. They simply need an effective search strategy to discover the right one. Try using different keyword search queries across various job boards — you don’t want to miss out on finding your dream career.