Social media manager

Some employers may expect you to have a degree in a relevant subject, like: 

• advertising
• marketing and public relations
• digital and social media marketing
• internet design
• journalism
• business management

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

You could do a digital marketer advanced or degree apprenticeship, or a digital community manager higher apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

You could start work with a social media or marketing company as an assistant or digital content writer. As you get more experience, you could work your way up into a management position.

You could also do qualifications through professional bodies like the Institute of Data and Marketing and The Chartered Institute of Marketing to help improve your prospects.

You could get experience by volunteering to manage a charity's social media channels.

You could also show that you understand and know how to use social media by:

• managing your own social media profiles
• setting up and writing your own blog, and tracking its use and popularity
• getting involved in social media for the company you already work for

You could also keep up to date by joining webinars about social media trends.

Further information

You can find out more about social media marketing careers through The Chartered Institute of Marketing.

You'll need:

• knowledge of media production and communication
• knowledge of English language
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to sell products and services
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• the ability to use your initiative
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Your duties may include:

• updating social media sites
• writing blogs, articles and posts
• responding to social media posts and developing discussions
• checking online for company mentions and customer feedback
• searching for interesting posts, news and articles to attract site visitors
• overseeing competitions and campaigns promoting your company
• taking part in conferences and group chat relevant to your industry or company
• educating other staff on social media use
• promoting social media use within your company
• developing strategies to increase your audience
• using social media tools like Hootsuite, TweetDeck or Buffer to manage multiple sites
• using web tracking tools like Google Analytics, Social Report or Bitly

You could work in an office.