How To Become A Social Media Manager | College of Adult Education (2023)

FAQs

What education do you need to become a social media manager? ›

As far as degree requirements go, many employers prefer a bachelor's degree to start. But the good news is: because social media is still a newer field, you have options for what you can study. Typically employers require a degree in journalism, communications, marketing, or public relations.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Social Media Marketing

Most people who start a website and open some social media accounts can pick up social media marketing in three to six months. Classes are the most efficient and economical way to acquire the skills you need to switch to a career as a Social Media Marketer.

No, being a social media manager isn't a hard job.

While being a social media manager isn't necessarily a demanding or tough job, it requires a specific set of skills and someone motivated by their work. As a social media manager, you are responsible for the company's media presence.

On any given day, a social media manager might be responsible for setting the strategy for an upcoming product launch, creating a video, analyzing data across platforms, designing viral GIFs, creating graphics, coordinating messaging with PR & Communications, runnings paid advertisements and lots more.

What Are Social Media Skills? Social media skills are traits and abilities to create and convey marketing material on social media platforms to achieve a business goal. People who thrive in these positions normally understand how social media platforms work, are creative, and enjoy creating written or visual content.

Take a Course To Refine Your Skills

Free social media courses can help you build up your basic social media skills. But to gain the advanced skills you will need to become a social media manager with no experience, you will likely need to at least consider taking a paid social media course.

Individuals without a degree can pursue a social media management career, but typically begin with entry-level positions such as a social media specialist.

Can an introvert become a social media manager? ›

Not everyone has to be out there beating their chest and bragging about how amazing they are either. You can be as shy as a mouse being an introvert, and still find success through social media marketing.

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to charge anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per month for social media management services.

It can be very stressful.

Probably the worst part about being a social media manager is the pressure that comes from the business owners to deliver. If you happen to work with someone who doesn't understand the intricacies of online marketing and how it works, you're in for a ride.

Even though it seems glamorous from the outside, the job can be exhausting. Social media managers are often alone in their role depending on the company and are expected to wear many hats.

TIP: Many social media managers take on freelance work as a side hustle first. This can be a great way to earn additional income and test the waters to see if you enjoy the freelance lifestyle before jumping right in.

🌟 How much should I charge to manage a Facebook Page? Your charges totally depend on your level of expertise and the budget and the needs of your clients. If you are a beginner then you can charge around $20-$30/per hour. You can also charge monthly based on the number of hours you work.

$50-$100 per hour is often charged by intermediate social media managers and creators, whereas advanced creators can go all the way up to $250! The good thing about working hourly is that you will always know how long a project will take, but the advantages kind of stop there.

Interact with others. A big part of social media is being social, so don't be afraid to connect with people. Don't just click the “like” button, start conversations. Comment on content you find interesting, reply to people that comment on your content and ask your audience for opinions.

What are the 5 C's of social media? ›

Most of those answers fit into one of the five categories we're going to go over in this post: Content, Community, Conversation, Collaboration, and Conversion. Using the 5 Cs together will ensure you're building the foundation to a solid social strategy.

Key Points

Specifically, social media features a rich user experience, dynamic content, scalability, openness and collective intelligence. Different types of social media include social networks, weblogs, microblogging, content communities, podcasts and wikis.

The most effective way to become a manager without a higher education degree is to put yourself in a position to gain more experience. Try strategies such as volunteering, dressing like a leader, offering to help your manager with their responsibilities, and joining a committee.

Social media managers typically hold a bachelor's degree, according to the BLS. Majoring in a field that will build your communication or business skills—like marketing, journalism, or communications—can prepare you for the role.

Introverts thrive in professions that offer them plenty of space and independence. Most introverts perform better in workplaces with fewer external distractions. Good jobs for introverts include accounting, engineering, and technical writing.

A "social butterfly" describes someone who's socially oriented, outgoing, and often very charismatic and charming. If someone's called you a social butterfly before, it's probably because you've always got plans lined up and/or you have a way with people that others notice.

Focus on professional development and credentials

If you've completed some college credits but haven't gotten a degree, you can keep the education section at the bottom of the resume. “Put down the school that you've attended, the years that you attended there or how many credit hours you completed,” says Owens.

What degree is social media marketing? ›

Working as a social media manager or marketer usually involves getting at least a bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communication, or Public Relations. There are bachelor's in Marketing degrees that have specializations in Social Media Marketing in particular.

Becoming a social media manager offers future opportunities for professional development, too. The transferable skills gained in the role lead to many different career paths—including chief marketing officer and social media executive.

Bachelor's in social media programs tend be highly focused on social media tactics, writing and multimedia development for social media platforms, and social media analytics and how they can be leveraged to help a business succeed.

' However, the best thing about Digital Marketing as a career is that there's no linear entry path into this field and, although it can make things more straightforward, you don't need a degree in marketing to get a job in this industry.

The Bachelor of Arts in Social Media prepares students to design, write and produce content for social media campaigns, blogs, websites, email marketing and other digital media activities.

Social media manager salaries typically range between $50,000 and $98,000 a year. The average hourly rate for social media managers is $33.79 per hour.

Digital marketing managers oversee all aspects of internet-based marketing including content, email, social media, mobile apps, and SEO. This means that they are directly above content marketing managers and social media managers.

It might be typical 9-to-5 working hours, or it could include some weekend hours.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $37.02 and as low as $7.93, the majority of wages within the Social Media Marketing jobs category currently range between $15.87 (25th percentile) to $23.08 (75th percentile) across the United States.