Social media has penetrated every sector of the economy. Many companies want to use this tool to build their brands and remain relevant. However, they can’t achieve these goals without professional help.
Several misconceptions surround social media careers. For instance, some people might tell you that job boards are unreliable. This is far from the truth because many people have used it to land their dream job.
More so, you can always find if you do your due diligence. Here are other social media career misconceptions you should debunk.
1. You earn a living by scrolling on social media
People who understand how the social media landscape works think that pros mess around on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter all day. This myth keeps holding some business owners back from exploiting the potential of social media.
Social media managers operate at the intersection of traditional and online marketing. It’s serious work, and beginners can get frustrated easily if care isn’t taken. Your roles will include designing and implementing strategies. It doesn’t stop there; you’ll also analyze the results of each campaign.
2. Having a basic online presence is better than nothing
Some organizations are skeptical about investing in social media marketing because of the bitter experiences they had in their past. However, that doesn’t mean they should ditch their online presence altogether.
A boring or inactive social media presence won’t cut it in this era. Failing to take the right approach can ruin a brand’s reputation for years. Such a brand will likely lose customers and ultimately sales.
3. Social media management is super-easy
Things would have been easy if social media management involves sharing content and responding to comments or messages alone. However, brands expect managers to dig for information about their clients, the industry, competitors, and target audience before crafting content.
At times, they may need to create visuals that complement each caption while focusing on relevant .
It’s hard to become an excellent social media manager without creativity, analytical skills, and paying attention to details. You need strong research skills too.
4. You need a marketing degree
It’s high time to throw away this myth out of the window because there is no iota of truth in it. Even though having a marketing degree isn’t compulsory, you must be ready to enroll in professional courses and undergo rigorous training.
Don’t be in a hurry to fine-tune your skill set. Study mentors in the industry and remain passionate about learning new concepts.
5. It’s not time-consuming
Social media careers are demanding. You can’t do shoddy work and exipect impressive results; it doesn’t work that way.
Many individuals usually entrust their social media management needs to the hands of experts because it’s stressful. Now imagine managing multiple platforms for different brands. Handling tasks from creating engaging content to tracking performance takes time.
Given that, you must possess good time management skills.
6. Social media management is a game of chance
Contrary to popular belief, the success of social media campaigns isn’t based on luck. It’s risky to engage in trial and error, so be ready to do the work. Besides, recruiters will only hire you if they are convinced you to know your onions.
Your work won’t end after creating a strategy. You’ll need to tweak it as you study relevant and track the campaign performance.
The future of social media careers looks promising. Defining your why will keep you going whenever you encounter challenges in your career.