Future is bright for the socially savvy
Your social media skills could get you a job — but it takes more than the ability to chat on Twitter and Facebook.
rasa Jusionyte, 22, says: ‘I was working in the head office of oriental restaurant group Alan Yau when I went to a street food event and started tweeting and posting pictures of it on Instagram.
‘Everyone in the office was impressed and I was invited to sit in on marketing meetings, where I proposed we set up Facebook pages and a Twitter account.’
Soon, she was appointed social media assistant to the creative director, analysing the number of people who had looked at the company pages and Twitter followers and noting comments for use in strategic decisions.
‘You can make your own job in social media marketing, but it’s not like doing social media for yourself,’ says rasa.
‘Your messages must be useful and communicate the brand values, but also personal to others.’
Demand for digital managers, heads of e- commerce, community managers and digital marketing assistants is high. ‘Employers look for people who can use social media channels effectively to generate revenue,’ says Mike Taylor of jobs board
digitalmediajobs.com.
‘If you can show a solid presence on Facebook and Twitter, good copywriting skills and an understanding of marketing, some employers may offer entry jobs with training.’
Simon Collister, senior lecturer at the London College of Communication (LCC) and former consultancy director at social media agency We Are Social, says: ‘There is no definable career path into social media marketing.
‘Qualifications help you climb the career ladder faster, but more important is the combination of online humour and deference that makes you socially savvy.’
There are social media marketing courses at LCC, De Montfort university, university College Birmingham and the Chartered Institute of Marketing ( cim.co.uk).
Exhibitions such as Internet world ( internet world.
co.uk) offer the chance to meet employers and have sessions in digital marketing.