How To Start A Social Media Career in 2023
Reading Time: ~3 Mins | Written By: Sydney Vardja
It’s 2023. You’ve been thinking about starting your social media career for a while now—or maybe since this morning. Either way, it’s understandable if you’re fearful of taking that first leap.
Influencer marketing has been around for over a decade, meaning creators have long been vying for the most competitive brand partnerships, and devoting their lives to growing their accounts. But don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!
The reason that social media work is so saturated and competitive is because of the incredible opportunities it grants those who succeed.
Read on for our top five tips for starting a social media career in 2023.
1. Find your space
It’s important that you establish your brand once you decide to start your social media career. As a creator, you are literally your brand. This means that your content and messaging should consistently reflect your values and career goals. Not only will competitive partnerships be more frequent since your content is aligned with a particular space, your followers will also resonate with your content more. After all, what’s more impactful? Someone who is undeniably passionate about a topic or someone who tries too hard to be something they’re not?
Find your space, but be true to yourself during the process! Authenticity will always beat a facade.
2. Leverage the content that works
Being a creator often means balancing a myriad of social media content. On Instagram, this means perfecting your feed, stories, and reels. Complimenting this balance is important data to enlighten you on which content results in the most engagement. If your feed posts result in mediocre engagement, but your reels constantly exceed your expectations, it’s clear where you should be allocating your efforts.
3. Educate yourself
Just because a career in social media doesn’t require a bachelor's degree doesn’t mean you should forego learning about the industry. Consider short courses, and attending relevant social media conferences and networking events to gain new insights. The industry is constantly evolving and creators must be adaptable. The best way to ensure you’re ready to pivot? Being prepared for industry changes.
4. Grow your network
A career in social media is heavily dependent on the connections you make. By connecting with other experts and influencers, you increase your credibility by showcasing an impressive network, while also adding value to your content by learning from others. Networking isn’t confined to just other creators though. Those hoping to build a social media career should also put in the time and effort to establish and nurture relationships with brands, PR agencies, and whoever else they get the opportunity to connect with.
There’s no such thing as too many connections!
5. Treat it like your full-time job
We understand if you plan to start social media on the side because your “real” job helps you pay the bills. We all need money! That said, it’s really important that if you’re going to commit to social media—you really commit. Audiences and brands can easily sense inconsistency, and this can result in poor account growth and reach. By treating social media like it’s your full-time job—even if it isn’t—your commitment will shine through and increase your chances of success.
If you can’t get the thought of starting a social media career off your mind, there’s a good chance it’s there for a reason. Social media is an incredible career that offers creators the opportunity to express themselves, promote their all-time favourite brands, and connect with incredible humans they would never meet otherwise.
2023 is the year to start your social media career. Consistently utilize these five tactics to improve your chances of succeeding in the industry!
