Social media marketing is one of the hottest, most in-demand fields today. With the ever-growing importance of digital marketing, businesses are scrambling to find qualified social media marketers to help them grow their online presence.
But what does it take to be a successful social media marketer? Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top five skills and certifications you’ll need to have under your belt if you want to excel in this field.
1. A firm understanding of social media platforms and their algorithms.
If you’re going to be working as a social media marketer, it’s crucial that you have a strong understanding of how each platform works.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn… Each operates differently and has its own algorithm that determines what content users see. As a social media marketer, it will be your job to create content that not only looks good and catches users’ attention but also optimized content that appears at the top of each platform’s feed.
2. Strong copywriting skills.
A considerable part of social media marketing is creating compelling copy that entices users to take action – whether that’s clicking on a link, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase.
As a social media marketer, you’ll need to be able to write persuasive copy that accurately represents the voice of your brand while also resonating with your target audience.
3. Graphic design skills.
Another critical aspect of social media marketing is creating eye-catching visuals to accompany your copy. Whether designing simple graphics or more complex GIFs and videos, your visuals must be high quality and on brand. If graphic design isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry – plenty of free online tools (like Canva or Picmaker) make creating visuals easy and fun!
4. Basic coding skills.
While you don’t need to be a developer to work in social media marketing, basic coding skills will definitely come in handy. Coding skills will allow you to perform simple tasks like setting up tracking pixels and troubleshooting issues with embedded links. And if you want to really impress potential employers, learning HTML can give you the ability to create custom landing pages and email blasts – without having to outsource those tasks to someone else.
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge.
Last but not least, SEO knowledge is essential for any social media marketer worth their salt. SEO helps your content appear at the top of search engine results pages, leading to more website visitors (and conversions!). Understanding how SEO works and implementing strategies like keyword research and backlinking into your content strategy can help ensure that your brand’s content appears front and center when users search for related topics online.
Conclusion:
So there you have it – the top five skills/certifications every social media marketer should have! While this list may seem daunting at first, remember that all of these skills can be learned with time and practice.
And if you’re feeling extra motivated, there are plenty of online courses (like Hootsuite Academy) and certification programs (such as Google AdWords) available that can teach you everything you need to know about social media marketing (and more!).
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below:
