Career Opportunities in Social Media Marketing!

Image by Nicci Chicago

How hot is social media marketing (SMM)? According to the CMO Survey, sponsored by the Duke University Fuqua School of Business and American Marketing Association, social media spending is expected to grow by a  whopping 300 percent in the next 5 years!

What does the rapid growth in social media spending mean for jobs in the field? The Social Media Influence report, The State of Social Media Jobs 2010, found that, “The number of social media job postings has increased by more than 600 percent to over 21,000 in the past five years.” Moreover, the demand for social media marketers is expected to continue and expand rapidly, as more corporations embrace social media as viable marketing strategy. Admittedly, in relative terms, the number of SMM jobs is still small compared to traditional PR, marketing, and advertising positions. Despite the diminutive size, social media jobs are where the rapid growth is occurring, while the conventional positions are shrinking or stagnant.

To learn more about the career opportunities in social media marketing, check out the following resources:

• Emerging Jobs in Social Media
• Social media careers: Education and experience are a winning combination
• Careers in Social Media Marketing
• The 9 Types Of "Social Media Experts" - Which One Are You?
• What Kind Of Social Media Positions Could You Create In Your Company?
• Social Media Jobs (Career Trends & Salary Information)
• How Much Do Top Tier Bloggers and Social Media Consultants Get Paid? We Asked Them!

Using Wikipedia to Promote Yourself!

 

Given the effort required to contribute to Wikipedia and follow the many rules and restrictions, why would anyone (especially a business) take the time to become a respected member of the Wikipedia community? The answer is simple--it is establishes you as an online authority and helps endow you with credibility in specific subject categories.

To achieve this status, however, you should keep in mind that the bottom line is to contribute, don't spam.  

The following resources offer tips, guidelines, and suggestions how to become an accomplished Wikipedian, along some words of caution:

• The Art Of SEO For Wikipedia & 16 Tips To Gain Respect
• How to Promote Your Company in Wikipedia
• Anyone Use Wikipedia to Market Their Product?
• How to use Wikipedia to Promote Yourself
• Wikipedia: An article about yourself is nothing to be proud of
• Wikipedia shows signs of stalling as number of volunteers falls sharply

Social Media vs Marketing

                                                Image by davefleet

Joe sat in the meeting, dreaming wistfully of the days when he job as marketing director consisted entirely of identifying a market segment with unmet needs and organizing his company's marketing mix (products, distribution, pricing, and promotion) to satisfy those unmet needs better than his competitors. In other words, the good-old-days. Now this
twenty-something social media marketing consultant was telling him how his company's reputation and carefully crafted brand image were being threatened by something called the blogosphere. 

With each additional word from her, the last wisps of Joe's illusion of control over medium and message evaporated, leaving him only with the cold reality of the new order--the social Web. However, all is not lost for the Joe's of the world--if they realize and capitalize on the fundamental differences between traditional marketing and social media marketing. The very definition of conventional marketing screams the word control. In the past, the marketer control everything from the decisions of who to target and how to distribute to which mediums and messages to push out. But social media is like the Wild West, where the will of the crowd rules, with mob deciding what to discuss, where to discuss it, what to say, and when to say it. 

Nonetheless, by understanding the shift from control to influence, marketers like Joe can gain a foothold in a new dream--one where he can defend and possibly even enhance his company's reputation and brand image by contributing to the social Web with transparency, honesty, and a willingness to listen to the negative comments and address them in a timely manner. By relying on participation instead of interruption (i.e., advertising), Joe might be able to gain a far deeper respect for his company and its products that through conventional promotional methods.

But first, Joe must come to grips with the differences between traditional marketing and social media marketing. To help Joe (and other marketers), I have gathered together a collection of resources that explain in detail these differences. I look forward to hearing your comments about these differences and your own views of how social media and traditional marketing differ.

• 17 Key Differences Between Social Media and Traditional Marketing
• Traditional Marketing Vs Social Media
  
• The Dichotomy Issue: "Social Media Marketing" vs. Classic Marketing
• Social Media Vs. Traditional Marketing = Interruption Vs. Participation
  
• Marketing Tactics vs. Social Media Strategy
• What’s the difference between Social Media Marketing and Traditional Marketing?
  
• Integrating Social Media into Traditional Marketing Communications
• Social Media vs Traditional Media FAQs