There are 6,000 Twitter interactions every second. The average person spends nearly an hour on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger every day (and growing). The stats are in and showing that social media consumption plays an enormous part in the lives of billions of people across the globe. In fact, Facebook recently celebrated their 2 billion user mark with no signs of slowing. What Facebook is actually celebrating is the fact that more than 1/4 of the globe uses their applications – regularly. With all of those people spending all of that time on social media, keeping tabs on user habits accounts for some Big Data. Astronomically huge. User behavior over time creates trends, reveals patterns, and unveils some essence about humanity that business owners want to be privy to. In fact, measuring the impact is part of the job. Businesses still don’t fully understand how social media impacts their business and the converse, how to wield social media to make business better. Metrics used to measure impact or marketing success change based off of the needs of a business and the goals that business sets for itself. That knowledge also helps brands to know when and how to adjust. This highly valuable data analysis is used to predict, and track consumer behavior and adjust and improve business behavior accordingly. The cost of ignoring these user patterns may be the cost of the business.
This is why today, businesses can’t afford to ignore the importance of social media, and why they in turn need professionals to tackle this rapidly growing need. A social media MBA is designed to train individuals to take part in this new media movement. In just 3 years the demand for social media professionals grew 1450%. A MBA in social media equips individuals to handle these trends and includes all of the core components found in an MBA. This means that graduating with an MBA in Social Media opens multiple doors at once. The versatility of this degree leads to a job as a social media marketing manager, social media coordinator, social media strategist or consultant, SEO strategist, or an online community manager or marketing analyst. With so many job opportunities and a growing need for specialists, obtaining an MBA in social media is your ticket to a successful career that pays well.
Salary of a Social Media Marketer
A Social Media Marketing and Communications manager makes an average of $95,137 annually. There is a range from $66,500- $134,252 depending on company and geography.
Here is a list of other social media careers and their medium annual salaries.
- Social Media Marketing and Communications Manager: $95,137
- Media Production Manager: $78,520
- Marketing Manager: $95,123
- Social Media Analyst: $59,785
- Database Marketing manager: $101,526
- Senior Social Media Analyst: $76,671
- eCommerce Marketing Manager: $87,486
- Social Media Communications Specialist: $59,810
What does a Social Media Marketing and Communications Manager Do?
The social media manager and marketer is supposed to “be the brand” in the presence of users on social media. That means having in-depth brand awareness so that content developed will reach your company’s targeted consumers. Materials developed on social media are than curated, managed, and published. However, unlike print material, social media content is editable, changeable and continuous. Meaning that the social media marketing manager ensures that the curated content evolves and changes along with social media user behavior. If a brand selling apparel to women suddenly sees a phase change either indicated by season or trends of the day, the social media marketer is the individuals who becomes aware of the change in trends, why they occurred (for future predictive purposes) and pivots this approach to match that change. That change will take a different shape depending on the platform, so a social media manager must fully understand the difference between writing 140 characters on twitter and creating a eye-catching image for Instagram. The social media marketing and communication manager must also be aware of consumer behavior. Does this brand attract a specific gender? What time are consumers more likely to be online looking for your product? What is the age of the consumer? All of these details make for better tailored content that appears at the right time.
In short, a social media marketing manager, is a well-researched individuals with high levels of brand awareness and platform awareness. This individual maximizes their air space and curtates that space with catchy images that support the brand of their business and continuously engage the user. In a case like Facebook which is a social media platform, the brand is the platform and so the aim is to continuously increase user engagement.
Ready to jump back in and start afresh with your social media marketing campaign? We recommend you ask the following questions:
- Do I understand the scope of social media?
- What are the specific language, symbols, channels and tools necessary for engaging with this platform?
- What are the main purposes and differences of each platform?
- What has been traditionally challenging for our brand? Is there a platform that can tackle this challenge better/ smarter?
- What are my social marketing goals?
What Should I expect from a Social Media MBA?
Getting In:
Admission requirements will vary depending on the university. We recommend taking a look at our ranking Best Online Social Media MBA Programs to ensure that you have the appropriate prerequisite courses and exams before entering. Most programs require an application. Along with that application include supplemental documents such as transcripts and letters of recommendations. Some schools will require a GRE or GMAT. Take a look at the “admission requirements” section from our ranking to see which schools do not require those. More of them don’t than you may think.
Once accepted expect to engage with a core MBA program plus the course material relative to your area of concentration. In many cases, this will include foundational or prerequisite materials. Prerequisites may be completed during your bachelor’s degree, in a post-baccalaureate program or in tandem with your MBA. Common prerequisite requirements include a course on statistics for business, economics, finance, business law, and organization behavior.
Core MBA requirements include accounting, leading an organization, marketing and strategy, ethics and social responsibility, human resources management, decision making, operations management and technology.
The social media portion of your degree will examine the history, theory, technology, and impact of social media. You will learn about the potential as well as the limitations of a variety of platforms. A social media MBA also includes strategies for marketing. You will learn how to create social marketing materials as well as analyze their success and how those materials match to your “target audience.” Many social media MBAs will include a hands-on project.
Think an online Social Media MBA might be a good fit for you? Check out our ranking of the Best Online Social Media MBA Programs today!