Getting Started in a Social Media Career – Part II

So you’ve asked yourself all of the tough questions and decided that you are definitely cut out for a career in social media. That’s great! Social media is a field that is on the rise, so there should be plenty of job opportunities for years to come.  Now the question you have to ask yourself is, how will you break into the industry? The fact that social media is relatively new makes it hard to know just where to begin. Well here are 5 ideas to get you started in a career in social media marketing.

1. Test the Waters

Is there anyone you know who owns a business and could use help with their social media marketing? Or does your employer need help starting their social media presence? Extend a friendly offer to help with a social media initiative, and I guarantee it will be a win-win situation for yourself and the company you’re helping. You will get experience starting a social media marketing campaign from the ground up, and the business will benefit from the social media presence you create for them.

2. Learn By Doing

Social media is definitely a hands-on learning experience. You can read all the literature on social media you want, but unless you’re actually following along in real life that information is bound to go in one ear and out the other. When you’re reading about ways to implement the different features on social networks, actually go to the network and find out for yourself what it’s all about.

3. Know your Stuff

As I mentioned in Part I of this series, there’s a lot more to a social media management job than your casual Facebooking and Tweeting routines. In order for people to trust you with their online presence, you need to prove to them that you know a thing or two about social media. Demonstrate that you are a social media smarty pants by starting a blog, sending out a weekly e-newsletter, or putting on a series of webinars. These are all great ways to establish yourself as a knowledgable person in the field of social media and will give you the street cred you need to take on clients of your own.

4. Network in Person

Sometimes we spend so much time on social networks that we forget how important it is to go out into the community and network in person. There’s a good chance you can find regularly scheduled networking events right in your own community, where professionals and entrepreneurs like yourself meet to talk business and make connections. Networking events are a great way to get your name out there and let people know what you do. After all, nobody can hire you if they don’t know you exist.

5. Reach out to Agencies

Often marketing agencies and PR agencies will contract out work that they can’t or don’t do in house. Get in contact with some agencies in the area and let them know that you offer social media services and would be willing to take on some projects if they ever contract out social media work.

There are so many ways to get your foot in the door in social media marketing. It could be tough getting started, but once you get the ball rolling you should be able to keep fairly busy with client work and referrals. All you social media marketers out there, what are your suggestions for getting started in a social media career?