The project that I was asked to undertake was to research a career that I want to peruse after university comes to an end. Since the beginning of my communication and media degree, I have always wanted to peruse a career in a social media management career. Through conducting secondary research and comparing different sources together in order to find out if this career is for me.

What is social media?

Social media can be thought of in a few different ways. In a practical sense, it is a collection of software-based digital technologies—usually presented as apps and websites—that provide users with digital environments in which they can send and receive digital content or information over some type of online social network. In this sense, we can think of social media as the major platforms and their features, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We can also in practical terms of social media as another type of digital marketing channel that marketers can use to communicate with consumers through advertising.

In Hesmondhalgh and Baker’s book the Creative Labour Media work in 3 cultural industries breaks down the objective goals and attributes in deciding what good work is.

Self-Esteem/Self Realisation

Samuels’s ‘9 skills every social media manager must have’ illustrates the skill and technical abilities that are needed to succeed in this industry to become more employable, and also recommends additional sources to improve in the areas that the reader may need to improve on. The skills involve “communication, writing, creativity, efficiency, traditional and digital, customer care, making connections, agility, data analysis.  

Job Security

Appel’s ‘The future of social media in marketing. Which breaks down the future of social media marketing into three different predictions of the consumer, business, and public policy as well as looking at the immediate and long-term futures in these areas.

The Immediate future:

There are many interesting future research avenues to consider when thinking about the role of influencers on social media. First, determining what traits and qualities (e.g., authenticity, trust, credibility, and likability) make sponsored posts by a traditional celebrity influencer, versus a micro-influencer, or even compared to a CGI influencer, successful is important to determine for marketers. Understanding whether success has to do with the actual influencer’s characteristics, the type of content being posted, whether the content is sponsored or not, and so on, are all relevant concerns for companies and social media platforms when determining partnerships and where to invest effort in influencers. In addition, research can focus on understanding the appeal of live influencer content, and how to successfully blend influencer content with more traditional marketing mix approaches.

The Far Future:

There are early indications that social media might feel different in the future. As mobile phones are held in one’s hands and wearable technology is strapped onto one’s skin, companies and brands are exploring opportunities to communicate to users through touch. Indeed, haptic feedback (technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user; Brave et al. 2001) is increasingly being integrated into interfaces and applications, with purposes that go beyond the mere call or message notifications.

Current Issues in social media management

Covid 19

Mountifield, C & Sharpe’s paper ‘Managing Social Media Content During a Global Crisis: Interview With Ben Read, Social Media Manager at World in Motion’ explains how Covid 19 has affected social media content which is integral to learn about as it is most likely to affect my employment in the future and I need to stay up to date with the new techniques of social media marketing strategies to remain employable in the future.

Conclusion

Through conducting secondary research and comparing different sources together I have concluded that a career in social media management has succeeded in multiple areas that are portrayed in Hesmondhalgh and Baker’s book the “Creative Labour Media work in 3 cultural industries” and resulting is a job that I want to peruse after my studies at university.

References:

Appel, G, Grewal, L, Hadi, R & Stephen, AT 2020, ‘The future of social media in marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 79–95, viewed 1 July 2021, <https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=141133003&site=ehost-live&gt;.

Samuels, R 2021, ‘9 skills every social media manager must have’ Sprout Social, weblog post, 26 March, viewed 25 April 2021  

Hesmondhalgh, D & Baker, S 2011, Creative Labour: Media Work in Three Cultural Industries, Routledge, London.

Mountifield, C & Sharpe, S 2020, ‘Managing Social Media Content During a Global Crisis: Interview With Ben Read, Social Media Manager at World in Motion’, International Journal of Sport Communication, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 300–306, viewed 1 July 2021, <https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=145727424&site=ehost-live&gt;.