Did you know that one of the most currently in-demand jobs requires no formal education and no experience other than being able to use social media? Best of all, it’s a work-from-home job that would allow you to work remotely from anywhere.
Sound too good to be true?
Well, I’m not saying you don’t have to put in time and effort to make money with it, because that’s true of this job just like anything else, but what I want to help you understand in this article is how you could have a career making good money working in social media.
And no, I’m not talking about becoming an influencer. Certainly you can make good money as a social media influencer, but that’s a path that depends much more on factors beyond one’s control and the majority of people who head down that path do not end up making the kind of money they’re hoping for. I’m talking about jobs that pay a regular salary or hourly wage, and all the work is done online using social media.
What Kinds of Social Media Jobs Are There?
As we all know, most people spend hours per day on social media, and this makes the social media feed some of the most prized real estate in advertising. There are two ways someone who wants you to buy something, whether it’s a local business, a big brand, or an influencer can get their content to show up in your feed:
- They can run a paid advertising campaign.
- They can post enough interesting content that “the algorithm” will show it in people’s feeds.
Now let’s imagine you’re a business owner who wants to advertise your products or services. You know social media can bring you new business, but you don’t have the time or expertise to run ads or create content, so what do you do? You hire someone else to do it for you.
A small business might hire just one individual to take complete charge of their social media. Different businesses use different language to describe someone in this role, but commonly used terms for a job like this include “Social Media Manager,” “Social Media Coordinator,” or “Social Media Assistant.” This person would be in charge of creating and posting content on a regular basis, replying to comments and messages, and maybe even running paid ad campaigns. They might follow a process created by the business owner, or if the business owner doesn’t know much about social media, they might be responsible for developing their own process.
At a larger companies, these roles would be handled by a team rather than just one person. One or more people would be responsible for the following tasks:
- designing graphics
- filming and editing video content
- setting up the web pages people will go to when they click a post
- setting up automated emails to go out when people sign up
- writing the copy for post captions, web pages, and emails
Additionally, people would be needed to develop the strategy, manage the team, and measure the results. These jobs are typically the highest paid social media related jobs as they require the most expertise.
Depending on your personality, skills, interests, and experience, you could get a job doing any of the jobs I’ve outlined above.
Examples of Real Social Media Jobs
I’ve already told you about what kinds of jobs exist. Now I’m going to go into a bit more detail about some of the specific jobs that are out there and what they would entail.
Entry Level Remote Social Media Jobs
Content Creation Jobs
One of the easiest jobs to find is that of a content creator, with short form video content being prized above all else (for example, TikTok videos, Instagram and Facebook reels, and YouTube shorts).
These 90-second videos are time consuming to create and require some creativity in order for people to want to watch them, and most business owners don’t want to make them and are happy to pay someone else to do it for them. Smaller businesses might hire someone to create the content from start to finish, but larger teams may employ one person to come up with the ideas and other people to film and edit the videos.
Here’s an example of a remote job like this I recently saw posted on UpWork.com:
Here’s another one:
Not all content creation involves video editing. Here’s one that only requires writing:
All of the content creation jobs I shared above are freelance jobs, and none of them are full time…most are probably only a few hours per week. These jobs could be a side hustle that could eventually become a full-time job if you get enough of them on an ongoing basis, or if you use them as a stepping stone to a full-time job in social media. I’ll discuss this more later.
Social Media Management Jobs
As I already mentioned, smaller businesses might hire someone to completely take over and run their social media. Often the business owner will provide content (such as photos, video, and blog posts) for the social media manager to turn into posts on Instagram or Facebook. Here’s an ad for that type of job:
Later in this article I’ll talk about how to acquire the skills needed for a job like that, but for now just know that anyone who is motivated to learn and has some experience using social media to market anything at all could do it.
Ad Campaign Manager Jobs
I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried running ads on Facebook, but it’s actually pretty complicated. Not only is the software itself difficult to set up, it’s also not unusual to spend a lot of money on ads without getting anything in return due to a minor mistake in how the ads are set up. For that reason, businesses often hire people to set up and manage social media ad campaigns.
Here’s an ad for that type of job:
Remote Social Media Careers
So far I’ve only given examples of part-time and freelance jobs, but as I mentioned, those jobs can be stepping stones leading to a full-time remote job with a good salary and benefits.
If a job like that is your end goal, it’s important to think about it like you would any other career. If you wanted to be a chef, you wouldn’t start out by applying for a head chef position at a fancy restaurant; first you’d work as a line cook and/or attend culinary school, and through experience you would become qualified to manage a kitchen. Or, you could open your own restaurant and learn as you went, which is what I’m going to talk about next.
Social Media Entrepreneurship
One way to make the leap from side hustle to full-time employment is to create your own job. There are many ways you could make this happen, but here are a couple of ideas:
- Working as a contractor, collect multiple long-term clients at a few hours per week each so that put together they provide the amount of income you need.
- Identify one or more local businesses who could benefit from your services, and pitch them. I recently offered technology services to our trash company because of my experience as a frustrated customer, and was surprised when they were actually interested.
- Create a business that specializes in a single service (for example, “Pinterest account management”) or serves a single type of client (for example, “social media marketing for real estate agents”), then advertise your services to your ideal client. This path requires you to learn how to effectively market your services, but also provides a path to working fewer hours if you employ a team to help fulfill the services.
Specialized Content Creation
Another way to increase your pay rate and land a full time job is to get really good at one specific aspect of social media content creation.
When you first start out as an entry-level freelancer, you’re competing with people all over the world who are just as good as you or better, many of whom live in countries with economies that allow them to charge less than you. The way to stand out is by being the best at something.
Here’s a job ad I saw recently for a video editing job with a pay range of up to $60 per hour. Notice the skill requirements are much more specialized, but the end goal is still to create 90-second videos (reels) for social media.
Social Media Advertising Specialist
As I mentioned earlier, setting up a Facebook ad campaign is not easy, but getting the technology set up is only the beginning of the job of advertising on social media. The real work is monitoring the campaign and testing variations in graphics and ad copy to improve the results over time.
If you can develop a proven track record in not only setting up and managing Facebook ad campaigns but also making the ads profitable enough that they cover not only the ad spend but also your salary, you will not have a hard time finding a business owner who will be glad to pay you for this expertise.
Even though this job ad says “Social Media Manager,” they’re actually looking for someone who can create and manage social media ads:
Not all ad campaigns are run through Facebook. Here’s an ad for a LinkedIn advertising specialist with a starting rate of $50 per hour:
Social Media Marketing Strategists
Effective social media marketing involves coming up with a strategy, setting up the technology, creating content, monitoring the campaign, measuring the results, and making decisions about what to change in order to achieve the desired outcome.
The thinking parts of that process are more difficult roles to fill, and therefore more highly paid. The content creation is the easiest to outsource and therefore pays the least. If you can get good at the strategy parts of the job as well as the content creation, you’ll be able to command a higher pay rate and eventually lead a team instead of doing all the work yourself.
Here’s an example of a job that requires the ability to work independently and strategically as well as having technical expertise:
How to Aquire the Skills to Get An Entry-Level Work-From-Home Social Media Job
It can be overwhelming to look at a list of skill requirements for a job and see many unfamiliar words, but all of the jobs I’ve shared in this article require only skills which can be learned for free online.
There’s no reason you can’t develop the skills needed for any job that you’re interested in if you’re willing to put in the effort, but some jobs might be more suited to certain personality types than others. For example, if you already enjoy creating reels and editing video, you might be drawn to content creation, whereas if you are more analytical don’t want anything to do with video, you might do better as an ad campaign manager.
Once you’ve decided which path to pursue, the next step is to familiarize yourself with the social media platforms, software, and other tools of the trade you’ll need to do your job. Looking at job ads is a good way to know which specific softwares and skills you’ll need.
Here are some ideas for developing the skills and experience to feel ready to apply for a job:
- Practice creating and posting content and even running ads using your own social media accounts.
- To gain experience with a specific software, sign up for a free trial of the software and experiment with using it.
- Find a business owner who will let you practice on them for free. My husband and I recently ran a Facebook ad campaign for the martial arts gym where we both train at no charge in order to develop our Facebook advertising and lead follow-up skills. It was a win-win: the gym got new members, and we now have real experience to put on our resume.
- Utilize YouTube. On YouTube, you can learn everything from how to create an Instagram reel to how to make a Facebook ad campaign more profitable.
Frequently Used Softwares
I wanted to mention a few softwares that are common to a lot of social media jobs, even though they won’t necessarily apply to everyone. You can get a head start on the learning curve by familiarizing yourself with these softwares.
Canva
One software that comes in really handy for creating any type of content for social media (especially graphics) is Canva. Canva is a design software that’s free to use that doesn’t require as much expertise as something like Adobe Photoshop, which makes it the number one choice for creating social media graphics. It can be used on a laptop/desktop computer or a phone, but for learning I would suggest using a computer.
Social Media Schedulers
If your job includes posting to social media on a regular basis, you’ll want to use a social media scheduling software that will allow you to create posts in advance and schedule them in bulk instead of having to post multiple times per day.
I personally tried at least a dozen of these softwares before deciding that my two personal favorites are Later and SmarterQueue, but you may end up working for someone who prefers a different one. Here are some other popular ones:
All of them work in pretty much the same way, and so I would recommend signing up for one that offers a free version to practice scheduling social media posts, and then if you end up applying for a job that requires expertise in one you haven’t used, sign up for a free trial of that specific software at that point to learn how it works so you can honestly say you have experience with that software.
AI Content Generators
Many content creators are leaning into AI because it is a huge time saver. Of course you’ll want to be up front with an employer before using AI to generate content, but some jobs may actually require you to do this. Read this article to get an idea of some of the AI software you might use as as social media manager.
Meta Business Suite
A free way to develop a marketable skill is to practice setting up a business Facebook page and creating ad campaigns (you don’t even have to switch on the ads). Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) offers free online courses and certifications to help you learn.
Intangible Qualifications
I hinted at this earlier, but the biggest factors that will determine how much money you can make with a job in social media are intangible qualities such as:
- Problem-solving abilities – Can you Google to find the solution to a problem instead of needing to ask your employer for help?
- Being a self-directed learner – You can learn just about anything for free online, if you know where to look. Being able to find the information you need on your own makes anything possible.
- Ability to work independently to achieve a goal – The more input and oversight you require from an employer or manager, the less money you’ll be able to make.
- Organization and time management skills – Working remotely, especially as a freelancer, requires you be very organized.
- Attention to detail – Your employer or manager should not feel that they need to check over your work before it can be made public.
- “An eye for design” – This is especially important for creating visual content. Even if you are artistic by nature, you should also familiarize yourself with the principles of graphic design. Following these principles (some of which you may already know intuitively) will make your design work look more professional.
- Proactivity – It’s unlikely that there’s a perfect job out there just waiting for you to come along. Focus first on making yourself the perfect candidate for the kind of job you want.
Where to Find Social Media Jobs
Most of the screenshots of job ads I’ve shared in this article were found on UpWork.com. UpWork is a good place to find freelance and contractor positions, and every time I look I see new job ads similar to the ones I’ve shared.
If you get a job through UpWork, all communication and payment will be handled through their website, and UpWork takes a small fee out of your income. (You can easily see exactly how much you’ll make when bidding on a job or setting your hourly rate.) Remember that as a contractor, you’ll also need to save part of what you earn for taxes.
If you’re more interested in a more traditional job where you’re employed by a company, I’ve found more of that type of job on LinkedIn, as well as job boards like FlexJobs and WeWorkRemotely. Typically these jobs require marketing experience, so unless you already have a background in marketing, as someone just starting out you might have more success finding work that will allow you to gain experience through UpWork.
As I mentioned earlier, another approach to getting social media work is to look locally and within your own network. Tell your friends and family about the services you’re offering. Attend business networking meetups and hand out business cards. Set up a website with information about your services, portfolio work, testimonials, and contact information. This approach to finding work is what I would describe as “hustling” and it can work but might be a better fit for some personality types than others.
Tips for Applying for a Social Media Job
I’m writing this from my perspective as someone who has hired and trained multiple social media managers.
When a potential employer or client is evaluating you as a candidate, the number one question on their mind is “Can you do the job.”
Therefore, everything you share with them–your resume, your UpWork profile, your LinkedIn profile, your cover letter, your website–should serve to show that yes, you can do the job.
Resume & Profile Tips
In the past, I was guilty of thinking that my resume needed to list every single job I’d ever had in chronological order, and that to omit anything would be dishonest. In actuality, your resume needs to list only your MOST RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, whether or not you were paid for that experience.
Which information do you think would be most relevant to someone looking to hire someone to market their business on social media?
- The duties you had as restaurant server over a decade ago
- A link to your personal Instagram account where you regularly post cute and fun content as a hobby
Hopefully you answered #2 and will not fail to consider all types of relevant experience that will show your ability to do the job you’re applying for!
Additionally, most employers and hiring managers will not take the time to read two dozen resumes and LinkedIn profiles in detail, so it’s important that the first information they see makes them want to interview you. If you bury the relevant information on the third page of a lengthy resume, it will never be seen.
Here’s a resume I recently created for myself; notice it is just ONE PAGE. It doesn’t list every single job I’ve ever had, but if someone really wants to know where I worked while I was in college, they can ask me during the interview. (Feel free to copy the format if you want; I made it in Canva using a template.)
Also, don’t neglect to fill out your profile as thoroughly as possible on the platform where you’re applying for jobs, because it’s likely that a potential employer will base their first impression on that alone before deciding whether or not to even look at your resume.
Be sure to showcase any portfolio work that gives an idea of your capabilities, even if it’s something you create just for the purpose of putting on your profile and not something you actually did for a client (of course, don’t lie about that either!).
If you feel you are having trouble landing jobs because you have no previous work experience, you could take some short-term jobs to get some positive reviews, but keep in mind that your pay rate may show on your portfolio, so you won’t want to undercharge too much.
Application Tips
If a job on a site like UpWork receives dozens of applicants, you will be more likely to be considered if you are one of the first few applicants. The best way to do this is to check every day for jobs posted within the past few hours. It’s tedious, but allows you to be one of the first to apply.
Another tip that can help you stand out is to record a video of yourself and upload it to your application. The video should just introduce yourself and share your interest in the job and confidence that you would do well–basically the same as what you would say in a cover letter. Not all platforms allow this, but my husband has used that technique to secure many jobs on UpWork.
Writing an application message that’s clearly tailored to that specific job will also go a long way. Mention the specific requirements and skills they said they’re looking for and explain how you meet those requirements. Be honest about any experience you lack and how you plan to make up for that. For example, “Even though I’ve never done X before, I have done X similar thing, so I’m confident I’ll be able to learn quickly.”
Lastly, be sure to follow all instructions in the job ad. If you overlook an instruction that was given in the job listing, how can you be trusted to do well at the job? Some job ads will even say something like, “Mention X to show that you read this,” as a way to weed out copy-and-paste applications.
How to Earn a Six Figure Salary As a Social Media Strategist
This article has become super long, but if you’re still with me, I want to share how it would be possible to have a lucrative career in the field of social media after starting out with no formal marketing education or prior experience. Let me explain.
This is a Social Media job I saw advertised on LinkedIn last week:
Here are the job qualifications:
Let’s consider those in detail:
- Manage influencer and affiliate relationships, platforms, usage rights, payments, and reporting.
That may sound overwhelming, but these are experiences you could gain working for a company that is interested in partnering with influencers and to promote their products. Here’s a job I found on UpWork that would give you this experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field.
It’s possible that a company could make this a hard requirement. It’s equally possible that if you met every other requirement and seemed like the most qualified candidate, they would waive this requirement. My husband’s first six figure job was advertised as requiring a college degree, and he got the job in spite of not having a degree because he had the skills the company was looking for and was a good culture fit.
- Experience with creating all content types, e.g. portrait, landscape, in-feed, reels, stories, influencer, UGC, CGC, static, videos, motion design, GIFs.
Basically, you need to have experience as a social media content creator, so that you can oversee content creation even if you’re not the one creating it yourself. These are skills you can learn from YouTube and practice on your own personal account.
UGC, CGC, and influencer content refers to generating content for a brand by getting other people to create it: Influencer content is created by influencers, User Generated Content (UGC) is content created by other people that you get permission to repost, and Customer Generated Content (CGC) is content you get a brand’s customers to post (for example, by inviting them to post a picture of themselves using the product). You could gain experience with all these types of content as a social media manager for a small business.
- 4+ years of experience in social media marketing; experience in healthcare or pharma highly preferred.
Pretty straightforward. Having experience with a certain niche is a bonus, but not all jobs would have this requirement.
Here’s an example of a job that could give you ample experience with content creation and social media management:
- Advanced experience with buying media, setting objectives, defining audiences, and managing campaigns on Meta Ads Manager and TikTok Ads Manager.
- Proficient with Google Ads Manager and G4.
- Understanding of Media Metrics and Attribution.
- Ability to transform creative and campaign performance into consumer insights that can be leveraged across the organization.
These qualifications all have to do with running social media ad campaigns. This, too, is something you could work up to. One way to start would be to offer ad campaign management for free, like my husband and I did. Once you have learned the basics, then you would need to show that you could implement your skills to help a company grow. A way to do that might be with a job like this:
This person doesn’t necessarily have specific requirements; they just want results. If you can deliver results, they will be happy, and you can learn along the way.
Clearly, each of these “stepping stone” jobs would require a lot of time and learning, and you might find a job along the way that you’re happy to keep doing for the rest of your life. My point is to help you look at a job you aren’t currently qualified for, that offers a salary you’d like to make, and to think about a way that you could eventually be qualified for that job, if that’s what you wanted.
I hope this article has helped you become aware of some of the opportunities for remote work that are available, and given you some new ideas to implement yourself or share with loved ones who may be searching for a job.
If you would be interested in having me help you work toward a job or career in social media, I offer online coaching calls where I can help you clarify your goals, outline a plan of action, and achieve your desired outcome. Click here for more information about my consulting and coaching services.