Social marketers are the CMOs of the future. That’s what our founder Ryan Holmes believes. And he said that back in 2018.
“Social media managers, community managers, online marketing managers – these people understand where the customer relationship lives,” he told Tech in Asia.
While we are still a long way from this reality, social media management has gone from being a young title awarded to interns and new graduates to a profession that deserves its own place at the marketing leadership table.
That feeling has moved from being whispered in the back corners of the marketing department to being the focus of attention on Twitter.
Twitter’s main character is now a master in social media
– Nathan Allebach (@nathanallebach) July 26, 2021
And it’s a conversation that has started to become mainstream. In July 2021, the Wall Street Journal published an article about the maturation of the social media management profession that caused a sensation in marketing circles. In particular, when a Master’s degree in Social Media Management was mentioned at the School of Journalism and Communications at USC Annenberg, marketers raised their eyebrows.
Jon Stansel, a leading voice in the social marketing profession and longtime advocate of social media marketers, quipped that rather than a master’s degree for entry-level marketers, executives and industry leaders were more likely to need the education.
Perhaps, instead of requiring social media managers to have a masters degree in this subject, perhaps we should require higher-level executives to educate themselves on social media?
Just a thought.
– Jon-Stephen Stansel (@jsstansel) July 27, 2021
Behind all this discourse lies a fundamental truth: Social media marketing has established itself as a profession over the past ten years. And as the range of skills expected of social media managers grows, social media management education and training is more important than ever. Let’s take a look at how the role of the social media manager is changing, why the training is lagging behind and whether a master’s degree in social media management is ultimately worthwhile.
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The social media manager’s area of responsibility is expanding
Social media managers have been in their role for more than 10 years and over that time the range of skills expected of them has increased.
A decade ago, when social social media was first emerging, many aspiring social media managers were putting together their roles and titles to fill in any gaps they saw in any organization they happened to be in. Since then, they have been at the forefront of many marketing organizations. You manage people, develop a brand strategy and nip organizational crises in the bud.
Amanda Wood, Social Media Marketing Manager at Hootsuite, leads our social marketing team and has weathered every change in the industry over the past decade – including some major changes in responsibilities.
“Social media managers have to be specialists in crisis communication,” she says. “
Not only reactive communication has found its way into the social marketing portfolio. Social marketers also often lead the development and implementation of a proactive branding strategy.
Nick Martin, Social Media Marketing Specialist at Hootsuite, takes care of everything from content creation and engagement to advanced social listening – so he knows the impact social media can have on a brand.
“Social media managers are brand strategists,” he explains. “It’s our job to build the brand. It’s not like we’re running free here again. Every time a new network or even a new feature comes out, we have to develop a strategy for it. And to make sure it aligns with the brand’s overall goals. “
These expanding roles are reflected in the marketing budgets. Data suggests that leaders in many companies take social media management seriously.
From the start of the pandemic to June 2020, the percentage of total marketing budget spent on social media increased by 13.3% to 23.2%, according to The CMO Survey. That spending has since fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. However, now that CMOs have seen their value, they expect spending on social media to climb back to – and stay – 23.4% of the marketing budget over the next 5 years.
So feel free to make your jokes about how social media management positions are for interns. Social marketers are professionals who are asked to manage an expensive, highly effective, and growing portion of the marketing budget.
Despite rising expectations, training and education opportunities are lagging behind
Even as their roles continue to grow, social media marketers are often left to their own devices when it comes to training and education. Many top institutions, from MIT to NYU to USC Annenberg, offer programs in social media marketing. However, with the industry changing so rapidly, curricula have struggled to keep up.
As someone who started (and recently quit) a Masters program in Global Marketing, I can honestly say that I haven’t learned anything about digital marketing, social media marketing, lead / demand generation, but I have learned how to “do” email marketing. Campaign on a platform from 2000 🙂
– Victor 🧸🤸🏽♂️ (@ just4victor) July 27, 2021
Amanda says many social managers share this opinion.
“Even seasoned social media managers get stuck and turn to colleagues to develop their skills,” she says. “At the beginning of my career, I worked among well-meaning managers who didn’t really understand the social. . . they couldn’t teach me more than I already knew. “
According to Brayden Cohen, Social Marketing and Advocacy Lead at Hootsuite, many social marketers tend to rely on each other.
I’m still so amazed at how much there is to learn on social media – even in a place like Hootsuite, where our team is literally at the forefront of the industry, ”he reflected. “There are five of us, which is so much bigger than most social teams. And there is still so much that we are constantly learning from each other. “
Find the balance between peer-to-peer learning and private education
Even if training and further education opportunities lag behind the innovation, the bottom line is that professional marketing training is hardly * unnecessary *. In fact, the rejection of professional training in marketing circles may be one of the main reasons marketing effectiveness continues to decline.
As with any discipline, higher education can help social media managers build a solid foundation. Because social media marketing as a discipline is changing so rapidly, working social media managers inevitably have to fill gaps in their skills over the course of their careers. To achieve this, it is important to rely on colleagues and mentors.
Or as Eileen Kwok, Social Marketing Coordinator at Hootsuite, puts it: “The most important thing for social marketers is to remain adaptable and attentive. . . adaptable to changes in the industry. And paying close attention to what leading social marketing companies are doing to stay ahead of the curve. “
Do Social Media Managers Really Need a Masters? That’s up to each and every marketer. The better question for social media managers is what skills do I need to build now and where can I build them?
Where we go to learn from our colleagues
It can be difficult to know exactly who to turn to for training. Especially if you work as a solo marketer or on a social media team – which is known to be common. Here are some of our favorite places to find support and get real, tested, and professional advice.
Twitter lists
Twitter lists are used for more than just organizing your feed. You can use them to keep up with some of the brightest minds in social media and marketing. If you’re just starting out with Twitter lists, check out this blog. Even if you are a seasoned expert, remember that you can create and view multiple lists at the same time right from within Hootsuite. And if you want insider tips on who to follow, check out the threads below.
Who Should Every Marketer Follow On Twitter? 🧐
– Hootsuite (@hootsuite) February 20, 2020
Who Has The Best Twitter List For Social Media Marketing Tweets? Thought leaders, people who share great topics, etc. Please send it to me my way 🙏
– Nick (@AtNickMartin) August 17, 2021
Trustworthy Online Marketing Courses
Are you seeking advice from industry experts who have earned themselves at the forefront? Look no further. There are many phenomenal hands-on courses to choose from.
For social media marketers looking to gain a deeper understanding of brand strategy, check out Hoala’s Professional Master Course in Brand Strategy. Or, if you’re curious about what British and Australian accents sound like when paired with crisp wit, check out Mark Ritson’s Mini MBA in Brand Strategy. If crisis management is the biggest gap in your skills, LinkedIn offers a phenomenal course in crisis communication.
There are many programs out there where you can learn key business skills directly from people who actually use them every day.
Hootsuite training and services
For social media marketers who are building critical skills specifically for social marketing or who want to take the next step in their career, we offer training and certification no matter where you are in your career development. Whether you’re a starry newbie looking to lay a foundation in the basics of social media marketing, or a seasoned professional trying to adapt to the demands of a new job, we have it for you.
Hootsuite Business and Enterprise customers also get access to Hootsuite Services, which include hands-on training and 1: 1 coaching. Not only do you get the best social media management tool, but you also get a partner who strengthens your skills and supports your development.
Find out more about training and services
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