Social Media Manager Apprenticeship

Social Media Manager Apprenticeship

Apprentice social media managers help guide a company’s strategy to enhance visibility and contact with customers and clients.

As a social media manager, you will be in charge of an organisation’s online presence by developing a strategy, producing high-quality content, analysing user data, providing customer service, and managing projects and campaigns.

Social media management is also known as social media coordination in larger organisations. The job may be combined with other marketing and communications activities in small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, the term “social media account manager” is often used in advertising companies.

Responsibilities

Throughout your apprenticeship, you may help:

  • update social media sites
  • write blogs, articles and posts
  • respond to social media posts and discussions
  • check online for company mentions and customer feedback
  • oversee competitions and campaigns promoting your company
  • promote social media use within your company
  • develop strategies to increase your audience
  • use social media tools to manage multiple sites
  • use web tracking tools to check how effective your campaigns are.

Salary

  • As an apprentice social media manager your starting salary is likely to be between £19,000 and £25,000, depending on your experience.
  • More experienced social media managers typically earn between £30,000 and £40,000.
  • With substantial experience, your salary can increase to £60,000 or more.

Working hours

You’ll usually work normal office hours, 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. However, you may work longer hours, including evening and weekend work, if working to a campaign deadline.

Working environment

You could work in an office.

Qualifications

Qualifications you can achieve as an apprentice social media manager include:

  • Level 3 Digital Marketer – Entry requirements for this level include 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. This qualification will take 18 months to complete.

Skills

On a social media manager apprenticeship, you’ll learn:

  • knowledge of media production and communication
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • business management skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently.

Employers

Working entirely for one organisation, in-house opportunities are often accessible in medium to large corporations, governments, and non-profit organisations. In addition, opportunities exist in various industries, including retail, higher education, and even government-sponsored independent investigations.

You might also work for a firm that administers social media for many clients. Agencies may specialise in social media or provide a broader range of services such as digital marketing or public relations. With expertise, you can work as a freelancer.

Professional development

It is vital to keep your skills and knowledge up to date throughout your career as communication platforms evolve and new and updated technology emerge. Keeping up with technological advances will allow you to stay current and best suited to deal with your consumers.

Professional qualifications are available via authorised professional organisations such as the:

Although several of these courses may help with professional development, the IDM Professional Certificate in Social Media is particularly valuable.

Joining a professional group may help you advance as an industry expert and give you various benefits. These often include attending events, engaging in mentoring programmes, and having access to webinars to remain up to date on significant trends.

You might also seek postgraduate degrees to further your knowledge and abilities.

Career prospects

Social media management is a newer job with no clear career path. Nonetheless, in the first ten years, you may rise to manage social media for larger companies or to more senior management roles such as social media director. You might also strive to advance to senior positions with more responsibility in digital communications.

Predicting what will happen to social media professions in the future may take time due to the fast-changing and developing nature of the social media and digital marketing industries. However, grasping how to use the increasingly complex analytical tools used by social media platforms and a thorough understanding of both organic and paid social media marketing approaches may benefit your advancement.

Updated on November 16, 2022

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