13 answers
Clifta
Student
Layton, Utah
3
Questions
Asked
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Is Social media marketing a good idea for a job?
Can one honestly make a living and travel by doing social media marketing? Is being an influencer on instagram a legit way to travel? #marketing #media #social-media #business
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13 answers
Angie Thomsen
Supervisor
5
Answers
Alpharetta, Georgia
Updated
Angie’s Answer
Social media is a great field to enter because there are more and more businesses getting on board with digital services. The key to any position is to not get stuck in just one social media platform or process. Marketing grows and changes all the time and if you don't stay up to date, you could struggle with getting a new job. I recommend studying the marketing side of social media platforms, such as how information is presented or what is presented, to see the differences. Get a head start by looking more into marketing tactics all around you and see how physical marketing and digital marketing go together. This should help you decide if you would like marketing, traditional marketing, or if digital marketing is what you are interested in.
Look through social media sites and pay attention to what businesses do to promote their company/brand.
Angie recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much for your advice!
Clifta
Virginette Acacio
Social Media Manager
2
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Virginette’s Answer
There are two types of marketing: B2B and B2C.
B2B means business to business -which means you're selling to other companies.
B2C means that you're selling to customers.
Let's take the Starbucks app as an example: Starbucks could work with a cloud provider (B2B) to make sure their app is always up and running. But the eventual customer is the individual person who's consuming the coffee (B2C).
The type of marketing you're talking about is B2C, and as people have said here, it's pretty tough to make it as an influencer. You'd have to really build your personal brand and connect with a bunch of well-known brands to really have that influencer status. To make it an actual full-time job with travel benefits - you'd have to have build millions of followers and establish those brand connections. More often than not - people do this as a side hustle to make extra money, not as their main thing. I have a friend who travels a lot and she's had hospitality brands reach out to her to write captions for Instagram posts. But again, it's not her main gig - she's a lawyer in her 9-5! She doesn't make a lot of money out of it, but it's more something that she enjoys. I have another friend who eats at a lot of restaurants (she's Yelp elite) and she takes professional photos for restaurants to post on their handles or on their site. Again, she doesn't make a lot of money - she just likes to do it.
All that being said, you can totally do this for B2B and act as the company corporate handle. I've done it for nearly 10 years now and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's not as glamorous.. yes. But if you're really passionate about social media - it's the way to get your feet wet and learn the tricks of the trade. And who knows - you can hustle and become an influencer on the side :)
Hope that helps!
B2B means business to business -which means you're selling to other companies.
B2C means that you're selling to customers.
Let's take the Starbucks app as an example: Starbucks could work with a cloud provider (B2B) to make sure their app is always up and running. But the eventual customer is the individual person who's consuming the coffee (B2C).
The type of marketing you're talking about is B2C, and as people have said here, it's pretty tough to make it as an influencer. You'd have to really build your personal brand and connect with a bunch of well-known brands to really have that influencer status. To make it an actual full-time job with travel benefits - you'd have to have build millions of followers and establish those brand connections. More often than not - people do this as a side hustle to make extra money, not as their main thing. I have a friend who travels a lot and she's had hospitality brands reach out to her to write captions for Instagram posts. But again, it's not her main gig - she's a lawyer in her 9-5! She doesn't make a lot of money out of it, but it's more something that she enjoys. I have another friend who eats at a lot of restaurants (she's Yelp elite) and she takes professional photos for restaurants to post on their handles or on their site. Again, she doesn't make a lot of money - she just likes to do it.
All that being said, you can totally do this for B2B and act as the company corporate handle. I've done it for nearly 10 years now and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's not as glamorous.. yes. But if you're really passionate about social media - it's the way to get your feet wet and learn the tricks of the trade. And who knows - you can hustle and become an influencer on the side :)
Hope that helps!
Cathi Bert-Roussel
Finance
2
Answers
Durham, North Carolina
Updated
Cathi’s Answer
Being an Instagramer or YouTube-er is a legit way to travel and earn a living, but keep in mind your earnings depends greatly on how many followers you have and if you can convince a company to pay you to travel and publicize them or their services. It can be very difficult to grow your audience. And companies are more willing to pay influencers or give them products if they already have a large following. Often companies will want you to write posts or make youtube videos about them to promote their product but pay you with product, not money. The average rate a company will pay for an "influencer" with a small following (10,000+ followers) to write a post or youtube video is about $25 - $100 per post. Depending on your travel lifestyle, you would have to write about 200 to 1,000 posts a year to sustain a life on the road.
Many legitimate social media managers or strategists will supplement their "influencer" income by freelancing for companies or small businesses.
Hope this helps.
Many legitimate social media managers or strategists will supplement their "influencer" income by freelancing for companies or small businesses.
Hope this helps.
Lewis Hagerman
Senior Retail Operations Manager
13
Answers
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Lewis’s Answer
Social Media Marketing is a great field to explore for a college focus and one that has serious growth opportunity in any career path.
The organization I work for has a digital marketing department, which focuses on the website, online content & social media. 8 years ago, this was a 3 person department for a professional sports organization and now, it has 6 regular, full-time employees, not including part-time and intern staff members working with them. That is only managing the main team accounts, not including sub-accounts for different departments, such as public relations, community relations, youth camps and retail.
I actually manage and create content for the retail side of our business, which was something I've had to learn on the fly. In addition to the coursework your university will offer, I would highly suggest keeping yourself on top of trends in the social media realm, with regards to content creation, promotion management, analytics and service/interaction.
- Not only would you need to make a cool picture, but what does it accomplish?
- Where should you spend dollars on advertising?
- Creating a schedule to make regular content and interaction with your followers?
- Would you share content between platforms (ie Facebook, Instagram) or have some unique content for each?
So Yes, explore social media as a focus, but make sure you consider all aspects of marketing and make yourself a well-rounded candidate for any business. Additionally, better understanding of your field and continued learning can show your bosses potential for upward mobility in your career.
The organization I work for has a digital marketing department, which focuses on the website, online content & social media. 8 years ago, this was a 3 person department for a professional sports organization and now, it has 6 regular, full-time employees, not including part-time and intern staff members working with them. That is only managing the main team accounts, not including sub-accounts for different departments, such as public relations, community relations, youth camps and retail.
I actually manage and create content for the retail side of our business, which was something I've had to learn on the fly. In addition to the coursework your university will offer, I would highly suggest keeping yourself on top of trends in the social media realm, with regards to content creation, promotion management, analytics and service/interaction.
- Not only would you need to make a cool picture, but what does it accomplish?
- Where should you spend dollars on advertising?
- Creating a schedule to make regular content and interaction with your followers?
- Would you share content between platforms (ie Facebook, Instagram) or have some unique content for each?
So Yes, explore social media as a focus, but make sure you consider all aspects of marketing and make yourself a well-rounded candidate for any business. Additionally, better understanding of your field and continued learning can show your bosses potential for upward mobility in your career.
Rebecca Merrigan
Sales
4
Answers
Dublin, County Dublin
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
While many have found great success doing this, it's very precarious to base your entire income off of a social media platform - anyone on youtube can tell you what happened following the Adpocalypse! While social media can be a perfectly good way to start out, I would advise against making it your only plan going forward.
I'd say definitely look into learning more about marketing in general, as well as specifically digital marketing, graphic design and brand building. Keep an eye on the industry by following relevant companies & outlets, or listening to podcasts! If you build skills by doing some sort of internship or position in marketing at an agency or company, this gives you an edge as it helps you build a more rounded, professional skillset. That way, if your social media endeavours don't flourish as quickly as you'd hoped, you always have a plan B in the same industry, if that's what you're really interested in!
Even those who are successful on Instagram/Youtube usually have some sort of side hustle that helps their income - for example, a merch line, clothing line, professional modelling, video editing for other people, etc. A lot of them also have day-jobs in marketing/social media marketing for a brand outside of what they do personally! Either way - best of luck!
I'd say definitely look into learning more about marketing in general, as well as specifically digital marketing, graphic design and brand building. Keep an eye on the industry by following relevant companies & outlets, or listening to podcasts! If you build skills by doing some sort of internship or position in marketing at an agency or company, this gives you an edge as it helps you build a more rounded, professional skillset. That way, if your social media endeavours don't flourish as quickly as you'd hoped, you always have a plan B in the same industry, if that's what you're really interested in!
Even those who are successful on Instagram/Youtube usually have some sort of side hustle that helps their income - for example, a merch line, clothing line, professional modelling, video editing for other people, etc. A lot of them also have day-jobs in marketing/social media marketing for a brand outside of what they do personally! Either way - best of luck!
Anne Gattoni
7
Answers
Updated
Anne’s Answer
Yes, social media marketing is a great career. If you are interested in pursuing this career, I suggest taking college courses on this subject or attending seminars on the subject. If you are already proficient as a social media user, this is one step in the right direction. Social media marketing analytics is hot right now. Companies of all types and sizes are looking for professionals who can formulate social media strategies, prepare posts and analyze results.
Jen Kincaid
Marketing Manager
10
Answers
Charlotte, North Carolina
Updated
Jen’s Answer
If you're really passionate about social media, it's a cool gig to get into. A lot of big brands need help in this area. I'd consider attending some virtual events or webinars to learn all of the opportunities in the field. Social media includes a lot of pieces from developing the strategy and metrics you're going to measure to making the content and responding to comments. You might not be an influencer that travels but you can be a marketing manager that runs an influencer program for a big brand and have the PTO to travel on your own. :)
Tabitha Artis
Retail Sales
5
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Tabitha’s Answer
Social media marketing is great. The field is changing rapidly so it's important to stay abreast of the ever changing news, trends, and features. Finding your niche is helpful. Don't get married to one platform over another. Learn them all. Each one serves a different purpose for each business need. Social media marketing gives you a foot in the door to work with larger companies (as well as grow your own)
Influencer culture is tough. You get paid based on follower count and it takes time to grow that count. One of my SMM clients is a beauty influencer, but still ensures that she's generating multiple streams of income while she's growing. Her payout in comparison to her other income is very small. Also, influencer marketing doesn't always have the longevity and sustainability to build a career from.
Influencer culture is tough. You get paid based on follower count and it takes time to grow that count. One of my SMM clients is a beauty influencer, but still ensures that she's generating multiple streams of income while she's growing. Her payout in comparison to her other income is very small. Also, influencer marketing doesn't always have the longevity and sustainability to build a career from.
Tim Duranleau
VP Marketing & Sales Productivity
1
Answer
Livermore, California
Updated
Tim’s Answer
Social Media is great skill to understand and it can be a very valuable area to become an expert on within an organization. If you're looking into a focus on social media, I would not recommend the influencer route as a long term step in your career, however joining a corporate marketing function is a great way to get involved in many areas of a business.
I would also recommend involving yourself in as much of the digital paid advertising side tied to social media as that will truly tie your role to a revenue generating part of the business.
I would also recommend involving yourself in as much of the digital paid advertising side tied to social media as that will truly tie your role to a revenue generating part of the business.
Tamanna Godara
Community Manager
2
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Tamanna’s Answer
Hi!!
Totally Social Media is where I started my career. The most interesting part is, it is ever-evolving, you learn new things every day. So you definitely will never get bored with your job. Just start reading Neil Patel's blog: https://neilpatel.com/ ; Follow Gary Vee on LinkedIn. These two are my favorites when it comes to what is hot in Social Media marketing.
You can start off as an associate Digital Marketer with a company or an agency. The good thing is one year of agency experience would help you learn a lot and you can then easily pivot to bigger roles. There is huge scope and this field is great for learning and experimenting with new ideas!
Totally Social Media is where I started my career. The most interesting part is, it is ever-evolving, you learn new things every day. So you definitely will never get bored with your job. Just start reading Neil Patel's blog: https://neilpatel.com/ ; Follow Gary Vee on LinkedIn. These two are my favorites when it comes to what is hot in Social Media marketing.
You can start off as an associate Digital Marketer with a company or an agency. The good thing is one year of agency experience would help you learn a lot and you can then easily pivot to bigger roles. There is huge scope and this field is great for learning and experimenting with new ideas!
Kevin Ho
Sales
8
Answers
Tempe, Arizona
Updated
Kevin’s Answer
Hey!
So, first things first: social media marketing and influencer marketing are two very different types of marketing.
Social media marketing is a type of advertising strategy that brands utilize to engage with their audience through different social media platforms. This means that you would be using the brand's voice to promote different products or services, or engage in community conversations, or answer any questions or concerns customers may have. There's often strategy involved in social media marketing, from what type of posts would have better engagement to creating a content calendar that would best make sense for when posts should go live to determining what type of voice would work best on social media.
Influencer marketing is when brands utilize an influencer, whether it is a micro or macro influencer, to promote a product or service to their follower base. This does not guarantee that you get to travel for free, or make a living from it. Often times, brands will have influencers promote their product or service on social media under a set of guidelines. This typically also means that you are limited in what type of product you can be seen using because brands don't want to get in trouble if you are seen using a competitor's product, or if you are not genuine in your promotion.
Hope this clears that up!
So, first things first: social media marketing and influencer marketing are two very different types of marketing.
Social media marketing is a type of advertising strategy that brands utilize to engage with their audience through different social media platforms. This means that you would be using the brand's voice to promote different products or services, or engage in community conversations, or answer any questions or concerns customers may have. There's often strategy involved in social media marketing, from what type of posts would have better engagement to creating a content calendar that would best make sense for when posts should go live to determining what type of voice would work best on social media.
Influencer marketing is when brands utilize an influencer, whether it is a micro or macro influencer, to promote a product or service to their follower base. This does not guarantee that you get to travel for free, or make a living from it. Often times, brands will have influencers promote their product or service on social media under a set of guidelines. This typically also means that you are limited in what type of product you can be seen using because brands don't want to get in trouble if you are seen using a competitor's product, or if you are not genuine in your promotion.
Hope this clears that up!
David Weight, MS
Digital Marketing
24
Answers
Lansing, Michigan
Updated
David’s Answer
If the point of your question is to whether or not pursuing a career as an influencer is a good one, I would say this; it's a high risk / high reward scenario. Unless your last name is Kardashian, or something similar, this path requires a ridiculous amount of work. the influencers you see online spend hours each day shooting videos, editing them, engaging with followers, etc.. The learn multiple tools and platforms, research their audiences and work tirelessly to build their audience.
It is certainly possible if you're willing to put in the work and build your skills.
It is certainly possible if you're willing to put in the work and build your skills.
Stacy Sutton
VP of Marketing
1
Answer
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Stacy’s Answer
Very few people who want to be influencers (self-employed) make it. It can be done, but it's tough. An easier way to get started, in my opinion, would be to manage social media for a company or for an agency. At the agency, you may handle social media for a variety of brands. You can be growing your own personal social channels at the same time you're getting paid for doing it for someone else.