A Look into the Ever-Evolving World of the Social Media Industry and the People within it
Social media. A concept that would have been foreign to the world in the recent past has now become a staple in our daily lives (45% of the global population to be more specific) (Hootsuite and We Are Social, 2019). This is encompassing the idea of both personal and corporate branding. When we trace the evolution of social media over the years there is a definite increase in both the complexity and range of the grasp of social media. With this social media evolution, there has also been a large jump in the daily requirements of what someone would classify as a social media manager.
Going back to the beginning, social media jobs were seen as trivial, and straightforward. Now, more than ever, holding a position within this industry has a laundry list of a variety of pertinent “soft and technical skills.” In the infographic below from Meltwater, it is overwhelming at first to take in the multitude of tasks asked of one person. When you get down into the grit of it all, social media is the voice of a corporation to the public, and the tone and message of that corporate voice sits on the shoulders of sometimes a singular position.
Technology has progressed throughout the years with a sharp learning curve, with no true peak in sight. No matter how much time a person chooses to pour into their social media skill set, there may always be something to improve upon. According to another blog by Rachael Samuels, there are nine top skills to hold to begin to scratch the surface of being given this type of communicative responsibility.
1. Communication
2. Writing
3. Creativity
4. Efficiency & top-notch organization
5. Traditional & digital marketing
6. Customer care
7. Making connections
8. Agility
9. Data Analysis
A list such as above differs greatly among distinct sectors and professions. And for that reason, it is easy to see how this massive growth in the social media industry proves to be both a positive and negative reconfiguration.
The positive outcomes from this progression are seen in how many more resources, funding, and education are being dedicated to individuals looking to become a part of this industry. More time is being taken to fully understand the analytics and audience differentiations behind the multitude of platforms. And as the predictions for social media marketing in 2021 continue to expand into such things as storefronts and virtual realities, the requirements under the position of a social media manager will in turn continue to swell.
With this predicted growth, coupled with the state of the world recently, it is relatively easy to visualize how this position may become too big for a singular individual to chew.
Often someone is hired for a specific reason, with a specific goal in mind. When the list of what is required to accomplish the tasks and goals of a social media manager is listed, it becomes more closely aligned with what someone would assume as the CEO of a company. This statement may seem ambitious, but as was mentioned earlier, social platforms have continued to become the controlling force in the growth or decline of a company. And to a majority of the world, who still believe that social media is as straightforward as it seemed when it first originated, they make this position appear to be thankless.
The social media industry is no longer simply posting content into the world. It is a continuous conversation that is grounded in analytics and data. To properly learn and obtain those skills, both hard and soft, it takes time and dedication. On the flip side, the other individuals not holding these types of positions should hold a great deal of respect not knowing how much background work has been put into every Copywrite and detail of a post.
In time, this industry will be held with much higher regard, while at the same time the exponential growth and responsibilities of the positions will have also stretched. Furthermore, we are presented with an almost Alice in Wonderland state. No matter how fast we try to run and keep up with each update, and new algorithm, it will feel as if we are sprinting to stay simply in the same place.
