March 13, 2012 Your Social Media Job is Dead: Now What?

Ana Andjelic – Droga5 Sonny Gill – US Cellular Natalie Rodic Marsan - VaynerMedia Angeline Vuong - Huge

Sorry. I normally don’t sound like this.

It’s actually more like this…

#SXSMJOBS

@angelineasaurus @sonnygill

@andjelicaaa @rodicka

Why

we’re here.

+75% social media-related

job postings in 2011. #SXSMJOBS Source: Monster.com

Social Media

Managers Coordinators

Strategists Editors

Evangelists Directors

VPs

Developers Experts

Gurus

Ninjas

Mavens

etc…

But…

How much room is there

for specialization? And is it

sustainable?

#SXSMJOBS

Everyone was dying to have a

Flash guru. Now, interest is dying…

Source: Google Insights

Digital strategist. Planner.

Marketing analyst. Account

director. Communications

director. Marketing manager.

Product manager. Customer

insights manager.

User experience lead.

Content strategist.

#SXSMJOBS

2

years as OMMA’s

social media agency

of the year #SXSMJOBS

0

strategists with the

words “social media”

in their titles

Re-thinking

social media

as a profession.

#SXSMJOBS

Good digital professionals

develop amazing experiences

that meet brand objectives

and make customers happy.

That’s it.

#SXSMJOBS

So, is this industry really

obsolete?

Sonny. @sonnygill

Yes. (well, sort of…)

#SXSMJOBS

My social roots:

Digital Jack of all Trades

Social Media Career Development –  Infancy > Working Knowledge > Adoption

Business acumen evolution – Understand internal functions – Bridge social & business

#SXSMJOBS

•  Tactical

•  Platform dependent

•  Siloed in community management

Social career plateaus & pitfalls:

#SXSMJOBS

Depends on… Willingness to Evolve

Change in Organizational DNA – Culture – Innovation

Accepting Greater Responsibility – Business decision maker – Leadership – Governance

#SXSMJOBS

Ana. @andjelicaaa

Yes. (definitely)

#SXSMJOBS

#SXSMJOBS

#SXSMJOBS

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Focus on digital behaviors.!

Natalie. @rodicka

No. (simply evolving)

#SXSMJOBS

Social media is just an extension

of building community.

#SXSMJOBS

2 major aspects:

Campaigns are marketing.

Community management

is a lifetime.

#SXSMJOBS

•  Strategists: What’s the point we’re trying to convey? What’s the right thing to do?

•  Community Managers: Real-time interaction & analysis; amplification

•  Analysts: Deeper analysis of efforts & how they tie back into business goals

•  Supervisors / Directors: Someone who has deep experience in one of the other roles, a general knowledge of all the roles, can ensure it all happens, and ties back to business objectives

Some role specialization is necessary

(this isn’t unique to social media)

#SXSMJOBS

Community

Managers

Strategists

Analysts

Roles spread across organization

Becoming intelligence collectors

Work with all business units to help fuel product development

In short…

Your social media job may not

be dead (yet), but it must evolve.

Social media is a toolset.

Customer service, PR,

marketing and consumer

insights existed way before

Facebook brand pages,

sponsored tweets and

Pin It buttons.

#SMJOBS

Social media strategy is a myth.

It’s really about best

understanding

tactics & execution.

#SMJOBS

Social media strategy is a myth.

Specialization strategy is

valuable as technologies

emerge, but good social

strategists & managers

understand how to go beyond

the silo.

#SMJOBS

Accept greater responsibility.

As digital becomes inherently

social & businesses become

inherently digital, expertise on

digital behavior must also

adapt accordingly.

#SMJOBS

Resources.

#SXSMJOBS

http://bit.ly/sxsmjobs

#SXSMJOBS

Questions.

#SXSMJOBS

What will the career growth

opportunities be? Which roles

will go away? Which stay?

#SMJOBS

What is the future of social media

within organizations? How will

these roles be structured?

#SMJOBS

How do people who have

social media jobs avoid

being pigeonholed?

#SMJOBS

What do you think will happen

to social media agencies?

#SMJOBS

What social media-related skills

will continue to be valuable to

employers?

#SMJOBS