{"id":10900,"date":"2017-10-19T12:32:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T12:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=10900"},"modified":"2025-10-21T15:32:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:32:21","slug":"become-a-social-media-specialist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1876\" height=\"418\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop\" class=\"wp-image-10913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop.png 1876w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop-300x67.png 300w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop-768x171.png 768w, https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop-1024x228.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1876px) 100vw, 1876px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There are currently 13 million South Africans on Facebook, 2.68 million on Instagram and 7.4 million users on Twitter &#8211; verifiable proof that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-social-media-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> is a key marketing tool for businesses and brands looking to reach new audiences and boost sales.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-social-media\"><strong>What is social media?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media is a collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Input<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interaction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content-sharing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collaboration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media marketing takes advantage of social networking to help a company increase brand exposure and broaden customer reach. The goal is to create content compelling enough that users will share it with their social networks.<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With 90% of people between 18-29 years old using social media, and a third of millennials using social media as a preferred method of communicating with brands and businesses,<sup>3<\/sup> companies are reexamining their traditional marketing strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enter into the world of inbound marketing, a technique used by companies to drive customers to their products and services combining the use of the following three tactics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Social media marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search engine optimisation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does this mean for you and your social media marketing skills?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe social media landscape is evolving daily, and businesses and brands need to ensure they have strategy and staff that can evolve with it.\u201d says Kiara Havenga, Head tutor for the University of Cape Town Social Media Marketing online short course. &#8220;This has led to an increase in job openings for social media marketing professionals who are flexible and adaptable in an ever-changing digital landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop_Kiara.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Mobile_Kiara.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Mobile_Kiara\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-key-responsibilities-of-a-social-media-marketing-specialist\"><strong>What are the key responsibilities of a Social Media Marketing Specialist?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Your ability to navigate the social media landscape is the key to understanding the role of social media in marketing brands and businesses. The responsibilities of a Social Media Marketing Specialist can be divided into the following six key areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\"><strong>Social media strategy<\/strong><\/span> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>A Social Media Marketing Specialist is responsible for defining, developing and incorporating a social media marketing strategy for a business or brand. They accomplish this by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identifying the elements of a social media audit and competitor analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Articulating and aligning social media goals with broader marketing objectives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distinguishing content pillars that will guide the social marketing strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determining which social media platforms will be optimal to specific strategies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <strong><span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">Social media advertising<\/span> <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Desktop_Quote.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Mobile_Quote.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Mobile_Quote\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cSocial media has now become a \u2018pay-to-play\u2019 arena, if you\u2019re not paying, you\u2019re not playing,\u201d Kiara says. \u201cIt\u2019s crucial for a business to have a social media advertising budget in place, and an expert with the know-how to put it to use on various platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Social Media Specialist is the informed and reliable expert that a company can rely on to draw up and allocate a budget across a content distribution plan by using various tools best suited to the overarching marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <strong><span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">Social media platform and tools management<\/span> <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Kiara says, \u201cDue to the fact that social media platforms and tools change constantly, Social Media Marketing Specialists need to have an agile awareness of how trending features can best be used to communicate a brand\u2019s principles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you decide to use for Instagram stories, Twitter scratchpads or Facebook LIVE! today, will not be relevant or effective in six months time when new updates are released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How can you stay ahead of social media marketing trends and developments of platform tools?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can complete a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-social-media-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media marketing course<\/a> designed to equip you with foundational communication strategies that are not platform-specific and can be applied to serve a variety of marketing objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <strong><span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">Content creation and distribution<\/span> <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Content is key to creating a social media presence, and a Social Media Marketing Specialist is able to ensure that the right content is distributed to drive engagement. They\u2019re able to lead content creation strategies to serve a range of company objectives and marketing priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <strong><span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">Community management<\/span> <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNews travels fastest on social media &#8211; the good and the bad,\u201d says Kiara. \u201cKnowing how to proactively develop and manage an online reputation is how a Social Media Marketing Specialist is able to stay on top of what is being said about a brand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Quote_Desktop.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Quote_Mobile.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Quote_Mobile\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p>A Social Media Marketing Specialist looks to serve both the community and company by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Advocating the business or brand on a variety of social networks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Actively engaging with the online community and potential customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using brand-aligned messaging to maintain a prompt response time and service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Developing, executing and re-evaluating community management strategies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assisting with market research using crowdsourcing to gain consumer insights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> <strong><span style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; font-weight: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">Social media reporting<\/span> <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Kiara notes how \u201canyone can use social media for marketing. Not everyone can use social media for marketing effectively. In order for a business or brand to understand the effectiveness of their social media marketing they need to be able to measure it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the role of the Social Media Marketing Strategist is key. The ability to measure, report and optimise your social media ROI is paramount for an effective performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-career-path-of-a-social-media-specialist\"><strong>What is the career path of a Social Media Specialist?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media marketing management is pervasive across all businesses with a marketing function. The scope of career paths and diverse range of roles mean that whether you\u2019re a Community Manager, Content Marketer or Media Coordinator, social media marketing is a transferable skill that can make an impact on your career or business goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other relevant roles that the career path of a Social Media Marketing Specialists can combine with include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-sales-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sales Manager<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-public-relations-pr-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Public Relations Manager<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-professional-communication-and-office-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Office Manager<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-small-business-growth-and-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Small Business Owner<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Payscale, most people with the role of Social Media Marketing Specialist move on to other positions after 10 years in this field.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-career-paths-related-to-a-social-media-marketing-specialist\">Career paths related to a Social Media Marketing Specialist:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-chief-marketing-officer-cmo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chief Marketing Officer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/brand-manager-career-path-profile\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brand Manager<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/digital-marketing-strategist-career-path-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital Marketing Strategist <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-marketing-analyst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marketing Analyst<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-creative-director\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creative Director<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-entrepreneur\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Entrepreneur<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-potential-salary-for-a-social-media-marketing-specialist\"><strong>What is the potential salary for a Social Media Marketing Specialist?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The skills you\u2019ll need to advance and increase your earning potential?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-search-engine-optimisation-seo-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search engine optimisation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-copywriting-for-digital-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Copywriting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-digital-photography-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Digital photography<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-graphic-design-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Graphic design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-click-on-a-country-to-see-what-you-can-expect-to-get-paid-as-a-social-media-marketing-specialist-in-either-south-africa-the-united-kingdom-or-the-united-states-of-america\"><strong>Click on a country<\/strong> to see what you can expect to get paid as a Social Media Marketing Specialist in either South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"show-for-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/graphics.getsmarter.com\/Blog+Post\/Interactive+Graphs\/SM+Specialist\/SM+Specialist\/web\/SM+Specialist+Line+graph.html\" width=\"970\" height=\"580\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"show-for-small-only\">\n<ul class=\"accordion\" data-accordion=\"\" data-allow-all-closed=\"true\">\n<li class=\"accordion-item is-active\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">RSA<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>R132,628<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>R140,543<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>R290,000<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">UK<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a317,000<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a325,349<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>\u00a354,000<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a class=\"accordion-title\" href=\"#\">USA<\/a>\n<div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content=\"\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Entry-Level<\/td>\n<td><strong>$48,453<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mid-Career<\/td>\n<td><strong>$64,087<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15 Years Experience<\/td>\n<td><strong>$78,857<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.payscale.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">payscale<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-education-and-training-requirements-for-a-social-media-marketing-specialist\"><strong>What are the education and training requirements for a Social Media Marketing Specialist?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Social Media doesn\u2019t require a specific degree or diploma, favouring experience above anything else, but there are different avenues if you\u2019re interested in this career path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Experience in social media marketing, regardless of industry:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often organisations want a Social Media Specialist who has hands-on experience conversing, engaging and working with different social media channels and can exhibit strategic thinking across a variety of social media platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An online course:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can become an asset to any business by becoming an expert in social media marketing. Completing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-social-media-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media Marketing course<\/a> will equip you with the ability to become more than your job description and expose your career path to a wider variety of roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll be able to increase your earning potential and career trajectory by getting your skills recognised with a certificate from a world-leading university. You\u2019ll also have the opportunity to grow your professional influence and network by expanding your expertise with related online short courses in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/subject-matter\/marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marketing industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Which skills do you need to advance in your career as a Social Media Marketing Specialist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-social-media-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Social_Media.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Social_Media\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-user-experience-design-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_UX_Design.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_UX_Design\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-digital-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Digital_Marketing.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Digital_Marketing\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-web-design-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Web_Design.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Web_Design\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-copywriting-for-digital-marketing-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Copywriting.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Copywriting\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-brand-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Brand_Management.png\" alt=\"Social_Media_Specialist_Brand_Management\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>1<sup>&nbsp;<\/sup><\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldwideworx.com\/socialsa2016\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Worldwideworx<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>2<sup>&nbsp;<\/sup><\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/social-media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TechTarget<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>3<sup>&nbsp;<\/sup><\/sup><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pewinternet.org\/2016\/11\/11\/social-media-update-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pew<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>4<\/sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.payscale.com\/research\/ZA\/Job=Social_Media_Manager\/Salary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Payscale<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Find out which skills and expertise you need to become a Social Media Marketing Specialist. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":17499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[127,125],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-10900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","tag-career-advice","tag-marketing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist - Career Advice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read this career path profile to find out which skills and expertise you need to make an impact as a Social Media Marketing Specialist in this industry.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read this career path profile to find out which skills and expertise you need to make an impact as a Social Media Marketing Specialist in this industry.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GetSmarter Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-19T12:32:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-21T13:32:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1001\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1001\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shameel Mohanlal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"GetSmarter Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shameel Mohanlal\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/527df7e5676f2bfa7c943e1653764bff\"},\"headline\":\"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-19T12:32:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-21T13:32:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1241,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/10\\\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Career advice\",\"Marketing\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Career Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/10\\\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/10\\\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png\",\"width\":1001,\"height\":1001},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\\\/become-a-social-media-specialist\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.getsmarter.com\\\/blog\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist - Career Advice","description":"Read this career path profile to find out which skills and expertise you need to make an impact as a Social Media Marketing Specialist in this industry.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist","og_description":"Read this career path profile to find out which skills and expertise you need to make an impact as a Social Media Marketing Specialist in this industry.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/","og_site_name":"GetSmarter Blog","article_published_time":"2017-10-19T12:32:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-21T13:32:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1001,"height":1001,"url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Shameel Mohanlal","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"GetSmarter Staff","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/"},"author":{"name":"Shameel Mohanlal","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/527df7e5676f2bfa7c943e1653764bff"},"headline":"How to Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist","datePublished":"2017-10-19T12:32:57+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-21T13:32:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/"},"wordCount":1241,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png","keywords":["Career advice","Marketing"],"articleSection":["Career Advice"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Social_Media_Specialist_Thumbnail.png","width":1001,"height":1001},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/become-a-social-media-specialist\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10900"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52453,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10900\/revisions\/52453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10900"},{"taxonomy":"article-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-format?post=10900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}