The undoubtedly glamourous, aesthetically pleasing appeal of a career in social media makes it a very attractive prospect to many.

This is especially true if you are passionate about creating and posting content on your social media profiles. But, how can you turn your social media skills into a career? Just keep reading!

Learning about social media marketing: Tertiary education courses

If you’re interested in building a career in social media, you may already have considered the option of becoming a social media marketer.

If this is the case, you’re likely also already aware that you will need to complete tertiary studies to acquire both the technical skills, as well as learning the theoretical foundations that are involved in social media marketing.

The great news is that you can develop all of these capabilities and acquire this essential knowledge by completing a Master of Marketing RMIT. When completing a Master of Marketing at RMIT, some of the learnings you will focus on will include core units such as Marketing Management, Consumer Behaviour, Marketing Communication Strategy, and Marketing Research. You will then also be asked to choose from several elective units. Some of these electives can include areas of study focusing on Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Brand Design, Customer Experience Design, and Product Innovation – just to name a few.

The best thing about this particular course is that you can complete it online. Indeed, the flexibility of remote study is more than just convenient, it also makes completing a qualification in social media more attainable for many people.

If you are already employed, for instance, and looking to upskill and move to a professional career in social media, the online study of a social media degree is for you.

Importantly, when studying online – regardless of the study discipline – you can complete your coursework at any time that suits you best. Whether you prefer early morning or late night study sessions, you just need to be able to access the course material digitally.

Further, many universities will also offer flexible learning options such as part-time study. Although this will admittedly extend the duration of your study period, it makes it even easier to complete a course while working at the same time.

Of course, you may need to give up your weekends, or even some of your downtime before and after work. However, once you have completed your social media qualification, the results will be worth it. A lucrative, exciting career in social media management could be yours.

A career in social media: What does it look like?

Building a successful career in social media can be very rewarding.

As well as having the option of being a social media manager or content creator, you could also aspire to become a social media influencer. Importantly, the concept of social media influencer marketing is rapidly growing in its impact, and many brands are noticing this.

But what exactly is influencer marketing? And, perhaps more importantly, how do you become a social media influencer? Being a successful influencer is more than just having a large follower count on Instagram. Although, admittedly, having the numbers does have an influence.

Brands and companies are more likely to use you to endorse, review and promote their products if you have a large social media following. This is because they will be able to use your platform to reach a larger audience than an influencer who has, say, a minimal amount of followers.

As a social media influencer, brand and product endorsements are perhaps the most important element of your role. This is because influencers are usually paid to advertise and promote products on their social media platforms. How does this work?

Generally, brands will send the social media influencer a ‘PR package‘ to review and display in their social media content. Usually, the PR package will contain a brand’s hero products, as well as several other in-theme, fun and eye-catching novelty items. The package will most often be sent to an influencer for free and will contain several complimentary items.

Of course, this practice is not without controversy. Many influencers have been shamed for falsely endorsing products with positive reviews that do not reflect their actual opinions which raises ethical issues. Despite this, it can be argued that influencers are simply doing their job: marketing and advertising products that they are being paid to promote.

A career in social media can be lucrative, flexible and exciting. While it is admittedly not for everyone, if you have skills in social media, you should certainly look into this career path.

By developing your own online brand and follower count, you can engage with other brands and promote their products for remuneration. And, if you enjoy posting this type of content on your socials, this could be the career for you.