As social media continues to play a significant role in our daily lives, the demand for a highly skilled Social Media Manager in companies has increased, with the role looking to grow by over 11% in the next 5 years. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in social media management, we’ll provide you with the essential skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to succeed in this field.
If you’re starting a new and exciting career in this industry, it’s important to know exactly what a Social Media Manager does. The role of a Social Media Manager is to create and execute social media strategies that will help businesses achieve their marketing goals.
Social Media Managers might work for a single brand, building up their content and audience and implementing the social media aspect of the overall marketing strategy of a business. Some SMM’s also work for themselves, taking on a range of clients to create content plans, strategies, and posts on their clients’ behalf.
Whether you decide to work in-house or freelance will determine your workload, responsibilities, and overall salary. However, common Social Media Manager responsibilities include:
For a successful career in this field, you need to have a deep understanding of the various platforms, functionalities, and their audiences. You should be well-versed in creating and curating engaging content, understanding analytics, and identifying trends. With the right qualification, you can learn how to map out and develop strategies along your buyer’s journey, and generate interest within your brand on social media and drive potential customers to your website.
Along with the technical skills, you’ll also need a range of interpersonal and soft skills to find success in this role. Firstly, excellent communication skills are essential for Social Media Managers as they need to effectively convey brand messaging and interact with customers and audiences on different platforms. Time management and organisation skills are also vital to maintaining social media schedules and keeping track of the various content across all platforms.
To become a Social Media Manager, you need at least 1-2 years experience in the marketing field before you take on this role. It is not necessary to have specific social media marketing experience, but you must understand how marketing strategies are developed and implemented, as well as being across social media platforms, having an understanding of content and eventually developing your own portfolio.
The internet is constantly evolving, and it’s crucial for social media managers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, algorithms, features, platforms, and best practices. This includes staying informed about new features and updates on various platforms, as well as keeping an eye on emerging trends in the industry. Following industry leaders and attending conferences and webinars can also help you stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your social media strategy is always up-to-date.
As a Social Media Manager, you’ll also need to stay organised and efficient in order to effectively manage multiple accounts. That’s where management tools come in handy. These tools can help you schedule posts in advance, monitor mentions and engagement, track analytics, and more. Some popular social media management tools include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Later. You’ll also need to be across certain design apps and tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite and Capcut. Experiment with different tools to find the ones that work best for you and your brand.
The salary for a Social Media Manager can vary depending on marketing expertise and education level, as well as previous social media experience. However, the average salary for a Social Media Manager in Australia is $88,000 a year.*
*Seek
Your social media marketing salary will grow as your qualifications and experience in the industry do. It’s also an industry that allows you to grow, with multiple career pathways into this role and beyond. With a projected job growth of 11.4% over the next 5 years*, social media marketing is a smart choice for those looking for longevity in the changing and uncertain job market.
You can start in an entry-level social media marketing job, like the Social Media Assistant role, where you can earn an average of $55,000* a year. You don’t always need experience for this position, but having a Certificate IV in Marketing & Communications (BSB40820) will help you understand the fundamentals of marketing and prepare you for this job.
If you’re after a senior position beyond Social Media Manager, becoming a Head of Social Media is a smart choice for the next step in your career. In this role, you can earn on average $150,000 a year^, and be in charge of developing and executing social media campaigns, analysing performance metrics, and often managing teams. For this position, you’ll need at least a few years of social media management under your belt, and a Double Diploma of Social Media Marketing (10904NAT) + Marketing & Communication (BSB50620).
^Glassdoor
A social media marketing online course is a smart choice for anyone who wants to start a career in digital marketing. The College for Adult Learning offers flexible, cost-effective, comprehensive learning and access to industry experts to allow you to prepare you for this exciting career. The added benefit of studying a social media course online at CAL is to allow you to study at your own pace, gaining experience while you complete your nationally recognised qualification.
We are proud to partner with Social Media College (SMC) to deliver the Diploma of Social Media Marketing (10904NAT). This Diploma is the only Australian Government Recognised Training in Social Media Marketing.
Our social media marketing diploma will teach you the digital skills to build your social media marketing portfolio, and organic and paid social media strategies to develop your online brand identity. You’ll also learn key social media marketing skills to generate website traffic from social channels, and convert them into paying customers.
Social media marketing has become an essential component of any successful marketing campaign. With over 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, it’s safe to say that your customers are on social media. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, your target audience is likely spending a significant amount of time on these platforms. By having a strong social media presence, you can reach your customers where they are and engage with them in a way that’s convenient and familiar to them. This can lead to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and ultimately, business success.
A great Social Media Manager understands the ability to gain valuable insights into customers through social media. By monitoring engagement and other metrics, you can learn more about the target audience’s preferences, behaviours, and needs. This information can then be used to tailor marketing efforts and improve overall business strategies.
Additionally, social media advertising allows you to target specific audiences and drive traffic to specific landing pages or product pages. By tracking conversions and analysing data, you can optimize your social media marketing strategy to maximize website traffic and sales.
At CAL, we’re committed to delivering high-quality education that prepares you for the careers of tomorrow. That’s why we’re proud to have our Dual Diploma of Social Media Marketing and Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business (BSB40320) recommended by training.com.au. With this program, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in the world of marketing and business.
