A Discussion With Our Social Media Expert, Jess Hughes
We sit-down with our very own Senior Digital Marketing Executive, Jess Hughes, to discover the best course-of-action to start your career in Social Media Marketing.
She’s not only worked in the industry for multiple (successful) years but has also helped lead numerous hiring processes for new starts, meaning she understands what businesses and agencies will be looking for when considering new talent at the start of their career.
Throughout this article, we’ll touch on a range of elements to consider, such as practicing content creation, staying up to date with current trends, learning from experts within the field, and internships.
Practicing Content Creation in Your Own Time
The general rule for most digital careers is to spend time improving and expanding your skillset. By doing this, it not only makes you more employable, but it also shows any future employer that you’re dedicated to self-improvement and succeeding in your chosen field.
Social Media Marketing is no exception. Unlike some other digital careers, there is very little barriers-to-entry for self-improvement. There is no cost to creating a new social media account, utilising free versions of tools commonly used within the industry, and working to build an audience for your personal brand.
Our resident Social Media expert, Jess, has said:
“Anyone can create a social media account from scratch, so get practising content, keep an eye on other brands/influencers/anyone to spot trends and how others are building their business or personal brand - this really is the best way to learn. I would say it’s important to practice what TYPE of content works for different companies, you never want to see a piece of content and think “Why has this brand done that?“ - the aim is to be wowed, so it’s important to know what works where to get the best outcome.
Along with this, practice makes perfect. Practice making Reels with your own content (you can even post this on a private IG account if you don’t want anyone to see!), make graphics, and create engaging content.
There is SO much free software, platforms, and tools you can access that are used by the industry’s best - so get playing around! Some examples are IG Reel templates on the Instagram App, Canva for creating graphics and CapCut for creating videos.”
If you want a lot of great personal experience to include in your next Cover Letter, you now know where to start!
Start Following Influencers & Experts
Social Media Marketing is one of the few careers in which every piece of work is public and available for free. The vast majority of people in the UK spend hours of their days scrolling through Social Media – reading, liking, commenting, and posting – but how many of them actually take the time to consider why they chose to like that post, why they left that comment and why that post received 200% more engagement than their previous ones?
If your goal is to enter into the world of Social Media Marketing, you need to shift your mindset when interacting with your chosen platforms.
Analyse your favourite influencer’s accounts, consider how they’ve managed to build an audience and try to mimic their strategies and techniques.
On top of analysing successful influencers, you can spend time reading informative articles (like this one!) and listening to industry experts on podcasts to find out how they’ve found success as a Social Media marketers.
Jess had this to say:
“This one’s important in terms of growing your personal brand & networking, while also gaining knowledge in the industry. This could be individuals who own their own brand, for example, Grace Beverley, who utilises her LinkedIn to promote her podcast while also offering free industry knowledge and advice! Or you can follow/interact with companies who are offering advice for those starting out in the marketing industry.
Listen to podcasts and read blogs relevant to marketing or Social Media Marketing. These are hugely important to gain insight, knowledge and keeping up with trends! I’ve found later.com to be really informative and help to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the marketing world. Their content is also very digestible and easy to read, which always helps and motivates me to read the blog from their email marketing.”
Like any industry, it’s important to be aware of how people are succeeding. Follow Jess’ advice and you’ll be on the right track to landing that dream job!
Internships
We all know how competitive the current job market is, and Social Media Marketing is no different. Employers expect much more than just a University Degree, they want experience. Trust us, starting your career in marketing will require experience… but how?
Internships are a great way to learn on the job. University is great, but there’s no better way to improve in Social Media Marketing than to get a bit of real-life experience under your belt.
Jess spent four months working as an intern before landing her first job in marketing. This is what she had to say about internships:
“Another good tip is to try and get an internship during University. It’s worth having a list of companies you’d like to work with (potentially who are well-known for their Social Media presence) and work towards getting the chance to intern for them.
Your University degree may even offer a placement or a semester to gain an internship. This is truly invaluable experience having real workplace experience especially in a Social Media role. Make sure to be following these companies across LinkedIn as this is where a lot of the roles will be posted. It also looks great on your CV and can position you higher than other candidates from the get-go.”
Most employers look for some level of experience before hiring. We highly recommend using Jess’ advice and finding an internship that best suits you and your goals.
Time to Start Your Career in Social Media!
We hope that information provided here is useful to you. Some of the most successful people in the industry will have, at one point, been in the same position as yourself.
If you take our advice and put it to practice, we’re sure that you’ll also find success!
We are always happy to give work experience placements or Summer Internships to students looking to further their knowledge and gains some real life experience so please send your CV and a bit about yourself to hello@gradigital.com to be considered.
