{"id":14640,"date":"2022-08-30T18:28:54","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T16:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=14640"},"modified":"2022-09-02T10:20:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T08:20:36","slug":"social-media-manager-no-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/digital-marketing\/social-media-manager-no-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Become A Social Media Manager With No Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most effective ways for brands to build trust and promote their products and services is through social media. Engaging with existing and potential customers, future business partners, influencers, and even other brands can have a powerful impact on an organization\u2019s marketing efforts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to DataReportal\u2019s Digital Global Overview Report, there were an estimated<\/span> 4.62 billion active social media users<\/span><\/a> worldwide in January 2022. While not all these billions of users are on social media on a daily basis, many are. And this is no small factor in why social media management is one of the fastest growing areas of digital marketing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since social media management requires many professional skills, you may wonder how to become a social media manager with no experience. In this post, we\u2019ll explore this in depth, looking at the steps you can take, and the skills you\u2019ll need to learn. We\u2019ll cover:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Is it possible to become a social media manager with no previous experience?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. How to become a social media manager with no experience: a step-by-step guide<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Know your transferable skills<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Develop your digital marketing skills<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Network and meet others in the industry<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Next steps<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you\u2019re new to the topic, we recommend starting with this post:<\/span> what does a social media manager actually do<\/span><\/a>? But if you\u2019re ready to learn how to become a social media manager with no experience, let\u2019s go!<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Is it possible to become a social media manager with no previous experience?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Let\u2019s cut to the chase: can you become a social media manager without prior experience? The answer is yes! However, a word of caution: there\u2019s a common misconception that anyone can \u2018do\u2019 social media, simply because we all use it. And although a passion for social media is a must-have, using social media in a professional context is quite different from how we use it in our personal lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Nevertheless, while more senior social media management positions may require on-the-job expertise, it\u2019s rarely a requirement for entry-level roles. Employers might expect new hires to have a degree, but this doesn\u2019t necessarily need to be in a field directly related to social media management (or even digital marketing). So long as you\u2019re a self-starter, love learning new things, and are willing to put in the effort to develop the skills needed to get going, then you\u2019re covered. Developing the skills could mean taking a course or carrying out some other kind of training. With that in mind, how should you prepare for a new role in social media management? Let\u2019s take a look.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. How to become a social media manager with no experience: a step-by-step guide<\/span><\/h2>\n

    As we\u2019ve established, on-the-job experience isn\u2019t strictly necessary to become a social media manager. However, no experience is not the same as having no plan! To succeed, you\u2019ll need a solid roadmap for developing your skill set, building connections, and keeping up to date with the latest techniques and trends.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s our practical step-by-step guide on how to become a social media manager with no experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to become a social media manager with no experience:\u00a0 <\/span>Learn the basics\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    First and foremost, ensure that you know what social media management involves. We can all be seduced by influencers lying on sun loungers sipping cocktails, but this is just one small subsection of social media marketing: showing the glamor without the hard work! In reality, social media management is hard graft, and a lot goes on behind the scenes. So, where to get started?<\/span><\/p>\n

    First, it helps to understand that not all social media platforms are created equal. While you may already use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, or Pinterest, you should learn more about each platform to understand how businesses use them. A clothing brand, for example, will likely be better suited to a platform like Instagram (which is more visual) than one like LinkedIn (which could be better suited to a business-to-business software company). Each brand will also cater to audiences that use different social media platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On top of these fundamentals, familiarize yourself with social media marketing techniques, from customer research, influencer marketing, and content development, to competitor analysis and organic social media marketing. You\u2019ll also need to know the metrics you can use to measure engagement and return on investment. We\u2019ll cover some of these digital skills in more detail in section 4.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Further reading: \u200b\u200b<\/span>What Does a Digital Marketing Analyst Do?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

    How to become a social media manager with no experience: <\/span>Freelance or full-time?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    While you don\u2019t have to make a decision immediately, it helps to determine your career objectives. This might mean choosing a sector you want to work in or a platform you are most keen on using. For many, however, the first question is deciding whether to go it alone as a freelance social media manager or to secure a full-time job.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re a complete beginner, prefer working in teams, or have always aspired to work for your dream brand, securing a full-time role can be a great start. It\u2019ll allow you to build your expertise surrounded by other experienced professionals before using this as a launchpad for the rest of your career.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Meanwhile, if you already have a business or digital marketing background and enjoy the hustle of a new challenge, diving straight in as a freelance social media manager is also an option. Although it poses different challenges, it provides the option of choosing your client base, setting your rates, and being your own boss.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We can\u2019t decide for you\u2014it\u2019s down to your personal preference and circumstances. But whichever you choose, you aren\u2019t committing to it forever. Many full-time employees go on to work for themselves, while freelancers will sometimes take on full-time positions. Nevertheless, when career planning, it helps to have a rough idea of where you want to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    How to become a social media manager with no experience: Learn the tools<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Whether you want to work full-time or prefer the idea of going freelance, you\u2019ll need to learn the more common social media management tools. There\u2019s quite a broad array available, from smaller tools that cater to different aspects of the role, to comprehensive suites that cover everything. The various social media management tasks will become clear as you conduct your initial research into social media marketing. However, it includes scheduling posts, managing multiple accounts, measuring engagement, and social listening.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Hootsuite<\/span><\/a> was once the most popular free social media management tool. It offered basic scheduling, social media replies, direct messaging, and analytics across numerous platforms. While no longer free, it remains one of the more cost-effective tools on the market but faces stiff competition from similar providers such as <\/span>Buffer<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Sprout Social<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>HubSpot<\/span><\/a>. While we think the best way to learn the tools is to get hands-on with them, you can read more about the different tools and their features by checking out the<\/span> top social media management tools<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to become a social media manager with no experience: <\/span>Grow your social media presence<\/span><\/h3>\n

    If you want to land a social media manager role with no experience, it helps to have some social media accounts of your own. Aim to create a unified presence (otherwise known as your <\/span>personal brand<\/span><\/a>) across numerous platforms, ideally, those that your hoped-for clients or eventual employer currently use. Unless you have a particular niche in mind, a good place to start is with the major platforms, namely: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Developing your social media presence has several benefits. Firstly, it allows you to practice different content strategies and social media techniques in a safe environment. Using several platforms also lets you practice using various social media management tools. Most importantly, it shows potential employers or clients what you are capable of, perfecting your skills and helping you figure out where your strengths and weaknesses lie.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Think of it as part of your <\/span>digital marketing portfolio<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n