Internet Marketing Digital_marketing_for_dummies | Page 362

Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is one of the most in-demand skill sets for organizations seeking
to implement digital marketing strategies. Since skyrocketing to popularity in the early
2000s, social media has evolved into an unstoppable force that companies have harnessed
to drive brand awareness and website traffic, generate leads and sales, and connect directly
with their audience and community. Although social media powerhouses can rise and fall
(sorry, Myspace), you’ll be hard pressed to find any reasonable person who doesn’t think
that social media is here to stay, which means that social media marketing strategies are
here to stay, too.
Competent social media marketers know the best way to position content, no matter the
platform; that is, they know the right piece to put in front of the right audience. They are
also typically in charge of curating short lists and using social media channels to network
with other industry leaders who can move the needle for the company. As skilled listeners,
social media managers route customer needs and pain points to the people who can create
relevant content and products that meet those needs. They often create offer awareness,
taking care that it doesn’t feel intrusive or too much like a hyped sales pitch. Working to
create a strong presence on the social web, social media managers dynamically connect
with their audience and work to build a tribe around the brand.
Social media marketing is all about listening, networking, influencing, and yes, selling. It’s
about taking a company’s content assets and making sure that the message is accessible,
engaging, and translates across different social media channels.
Social media manager is a likely job title in this area, and people who fill this job are data-
driven content curators who serve as a voice of the company on sites like Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, or wherever else the business has an online presence. They keep
channels running smoothly by creating and scheduling content such as photos, videos, and
graphics. They measure ROI by likes and follows, reach, engagement, leads gathered, and
sales made.
Personal attributes of a great social media manager include an imaginative approach to
content. A social media marketer creates a lot of content for multiple platforms, so the
ability to adapt the same information to different content types is essential. The ability to
write conversationally is equally important. You don’t want all your messages to sound
like advertising. Social media managers know how to mix it up. Their creative side is
balanced by a healthy dose of analytics know-how. Successful social media marketers can
look at raw data and calculate their next move. They can expect an annual salary between
$30,000 and $76,312.