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Just a few short years ago, the idea of a professional social media coordinator would have seemed unnecessary. Today, social media coordinators are at the center of many of our largest corporations, leading the way with innovative marketing strategies and solving PR problems. As the role has become increasingly important, we have seen an explosion of job opportunities for social media experts to flex their skills and help companies rise to the top.

What Does a Social Media Specialist Do?

At it’s simplest level, the social media coordinator job description is to utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to reach both current and new customers. However, the job is more complex than writing social posts. It involves implementing a long-term social media brand strategy that encompasses curating new content, forming strong relationships with followers, and encouraging users to voluntarily share the brand’s content.

In fact, more often than not, the job is more about analyzing trends, creating personas for the company, and ensuring that the brand’s social posts align with both. This task is also tied directly to the coordinator’s ability to respond and interact with other social media users in a way that builds trust and camaraderie.

Social Media Specialist Salary Range

Due to the sudden demand for social media experts in the job market, there are relatively few hard statistics about social media coordinator jobs. However, we do know that most companies consider social media coordinators a part of their PR umbrella. Salary data is hard to come by, but we do know that the median pay of similarly situated marketing experts is around $57,000 per year according to CNN Money. However, it is not uncommon to find smaller companies hiring social media interns in the $24-30,000/year range. For social media coordinators throughout much of the US, the average salary is between $40-60,000/year, while major cities may support salaries up to $120,000/year.

Work Environment

The work environment of a social media coordinator is typically that of a formal office or digital marketing agency. However, if you are tasked with curating video and photo content, you may find that you spend a lot of time out in the field. We know that videos and photos increase engagement, so most social media coordinators do use studios for filming and photo shoots, as well as a mix of candid shots that are taken in public.

Career Requirements

The job of social media coordinator requires strong skills in communication and technology. You must also have the ability to see trends in the marketplace and come up with creative ideas for fresh content. Most social media coordinators have an educational background in production, broadcasting, communications, or marketing.

Job Outlook – Social Media Careers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for social media specialists is expected to grow more than 9 percent in the next ten years as more companies solidify their need for a continuous social media strategy. The job outlook is strong, and more startups are making these jobs available right away, rather than waiting to build a marketing team.

How to Become a Social Media Coordinator

The best place to get started with your career as a social media coordinator is to get online and begin exploring how other companies are using social media effectively to share their message. Become familiar with each platform and its strengths and weaknesses, then create some strong social media profiles of your own.

To learn more about becoming a social media expert and working with marketing departments to formulate social media content, consider Colorado, Illinois, Ohio and Miami Media School’s Media Sales & Marketing program today. This program will teach you the ins and outs of analyzing social media trends and curating viral content that will live on through likes, shares, and hashtags for years to come. With so much demand for social media experts in nearly every industry, now is the best time to explore this exciting trend as a career.