What Can I Do with a Social Media Marketing Degree?

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic and online attention for an organization or company through its social media sites. This entails many different social interactions, often specific to the type of social media site. With that in mind, social media marketing degrees teach their students general marketing concepts and specific techniques specific to social media. Most social media marketing degrees cover how to implement and assess social media strategies in order to create effective social media marketing campaigns across multiple platforms.

Job Prospects for Social Media Marketing Degree-Holders

Many social media marketing degree holders eventually progress into managerial positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers will see a 9% employment increase between now and 2026. The steady increase in the need for marketing managers, especially ones who understand social media marketing, is largely due to the rapid changes technology has made to the field of marketing. The growing reliance on technology and the internet to convey marketing materials to consumers means that social media marketers will continue to be in need for years to come. Many social media marketing degree holders start their careers as social media specialists or social media coordinators. Depending on the type of degree they hold, and any additional specializations they may have, some social media marketing degree holders might start their careers in digital marketing or branding. After gaining additional experience and potentially completing a marketing master’s degree program, many social media specialists move up into positions as social media managers, marketing directors, or marketing communications managers.

5 Social Media Marketing Jobs that a Degree Prepares You For

• Social Media Specialist
• Communicate with the public through social media platforms, including posting content to spark interest in brand-related topics and interact with customers via social media avenues
• Median Salary: $46,000
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Create effective digital advertising to promote products and services through advanced understanding of e-commerce, internet regulations, SEO, and maintaining brand recognition.
• Median Salary:$48,890
• Social Media Manager
• Responsible for developing social media strategy and communicating with customers through social media pages, profiles, and sites. Manage all electronic correspondence and track analytics according to company’s needs.
• Median Salary: $48,150
• Communications Planner
• Work to improve their organization’s internal communication strategy and external reputation with multiple audiences
• Median Salary:$47,000
• Brand Manager
• Focuses on the promotion and protection of their client’s public image across communication platforms
• Median Salary:$90,000

3 Common Specializations for a Social Media Marketing Degree

A general social media marketing degree will often include coursework in communications, business, and marketing. Often, social media marketing degrees also include classes on strategic communications, social media measurement, public relations, interactive advertising, and computer mediated information, as well as certifications for Google Analytics and Hootsuite. A general social media marketing degree will prepare you to start your career as a social media specialist, to work for small business as their digital marketing coordinator, and to work across multiple industries like entertainment, journalism, politics, and business. At the bachelor’s level, social media marketing degrees often come in the form of specializations within general marketing degrees. This might be the path for you if you know you want to have a wider range of career options, including as a marketing analyst or digital marketer. Typically this programs include a focus on more marketing classes, like marketing research, strategic marketing planning, and consumer behavior. From there students electing to take the social media marketing concentration would take courses in social media marketing strategy and social media marketing management. Sometimes at the bachelor’s level social media marketing is folded under digital marketing. In this case, students would again take general courses in marketing, but then take additional courses in digital branding, digital advertising, and digital promotions. Often digital marketing specializations include courses on social media marketing, and prepare students to gain certification in social media marketing tools like Google Analytics and Hootsuite. You might elect to take this path if you want career options outside of social media marketing or are interested in all online marketing tools in addition to social media.

Earn Professional Certifications and Specialized Graduate Certificates

Perhaps the most significant change to the field of marketing in recent years has been how companies use social media to connect with its audience. These changes are reflected in the type of skills and specializations social media marketers are expected to hold. The following skills are in the highest demand for new employees in social media marketing jobs:

• Implement consistent marketing strategies across social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram
• Knowledge of Google Analytics, SEO, and other web analytics
• Proficient in social media analytics platforms like Hootsuite
• Viral marketing strategies and mobile technologies
• Write and develop online content production and scheduling
• Respond quickly to crisis and negative news
• Develop outreach and partner programs with relevant individuals and communities
• Work collaboratively to identify social media content, topics, and information flow

Because the above skills are in high demand, many Online Digital Marketing Certification Programs have increased in availability that professionals with social media marketing degrees can make use of to further increase their skill set. Recent graduates can also help boost their careers by taking part in an increasing number of online marketing internships that reflect the relationship between remote work and social media marekting jobs, as well as the way customers often engage with companies online. Want more job security? Bachelor degree holders might think about enrolling in an online Master’s in Social Media Marketing, or an online Master’s in Communication degree program or even an online Master’s in Public Relations .