As a Public Relations major, I’ve become really interested in incorporating Social Media Management into my future career. During my junior year, I began managing the Instagram account for a humane society in my area, and I absolutely love it. Getting to interact with people interested in what I’m publishing while helping an organization continue to grow  and establishing a reputation for them is a great feeling.

I researched the basic qualities that a Social Media Manager must have, and thunderactive.com lists them as: Passionate, authentic, communicative, connected, personable, and being able to multitask. A pivotal thing to remember when managing social media for clients is to stay connected with all aspects of social media. You must be up-to-date with trends and the hot topics of the moment. When it comes to multitasking, a lot of Social Media Managers use account managing programs, like Hootsuite as well as collaboration tools, like Basecamp. But, personality and interaction with your audience are arguably the most important parts of Social Media Management.  People involved in digital management have huge personalities, and are required to convey a positive message to their viewers.

Postplanner.com outlines the steps that need to be taken to become a Social Media Manager.  First, you often must establish a social media presence of your own and gain a relatively large following. This includes scheduling posts, writing often, and interacting with followers. You must also have a firm knowledge of marketing skills, find clients through networking events and your online presence (website, business card, etc.), and learn to manage your time efficiently over several different social media platforms.

A lot of people try to enter into this field, and most will fail. It’s extremely difficult to make a name for yourself in the social media industry, and I need to start thinking about how to kickstart my future in Social Media Management. This could be by learning how to use each social media platform most efficiently and more actively keeping up with the top topics of interest.