Navigating ways to advance your career can be tough. With a newer industry like social media and community management, it's often unclear how to progress in your role. Maggie Malek started at MMI Agency in Houston as an Account Executive and is now the Head of PR and Social Media. In this week's #SproutChat Maggie joined us and offered some practical advice on how to keep movin' on up!
Prove Your Credibility by Showcasing Your Expertise
In today's market, social media experts and influencers are in demand. In order to prove you've got chops, develop your skills in as many platforms as possible and get to know the business side well. Look for hard problems to solve, ask probing questions and always follow through on projects.
Awesome first question… A1: You have to walk the walk! To have credibility, you have to show expertise on every channel. #sproutchat
- Maggie (McD) Malek (@MagsMac) April 27, 2016
A1: It's a 2-step process. Say what you're going to do. Then, do what you said you're going to do. #SproutChat
- Matt LaCasse (@MattLaCasse) April 27, 2016
A1. The best way to prove your credibility is to solve a problem for someone. #SproutChat https://t.co/vJKN1aDwZG
- Robyn Gamboa (@RobynGamboa) April 27, 2016
A1: Add value to your communities… and the proof will be in the analytics! #SproutChat https://t.co/yEPfKC1ivq
- Jade Beckett (@JadeKirrie) April 27, 2016
Stand out by Being Fearless
The best of the best aren't afraid to try and fail. With your professional reputation at stake, it's often a challenge to muster up the courage to test and try new ideas. But being fearless is the best route to achieving new levels of success. In today's market, there are so many opportunities for social media professionals to experiment with new ideas and discover effective tactics, so why not dive in?
A3: But seriously… Show that you are an explorer at heart. Hop on new channels. Be curious and willing to fail. #sproutchat
- Maggie (McD) Malek (@MagsMac) April 27, 2016
A3 and on a personal level, give back what you've learned through twitter chats like this, blog posts, and training. #SproutChat
- Erika Heald (@SFerika) April 27, 2016
A3) Staying informed about changes in the industry – be an early adopter when it makes sense #sproutchat
- Sarah Kenny (@SarahelKenny) April 27, 2016
A3. Be yourself and be social. Treat every opportunity as a learning experience. Learn from your mentors. #sproutchat
- Nikki Fica (@NikkiFica) April 27, 2016
A3 Never say anything that sounds like your peers. Only say what sounds like you. Tweet less, edit more. #sproutchat
- Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) April 27, 2016
Strive to Get Diverse Experiences
Working with brands in different industries will help make you more marketable to potential employers. When you're required to think of ways to promote different brands and companies, you'll naturally acquire more skills. On the other hand, building up credibility in a single industry will make you more marketable in that category, so if you've found an industry that you'd like to pursue for your entire career, stick with it!
A2: Having diverse experience & working on a bunch of different projects also enables you to see trends before your peers… #sproutchat
- Maggie (McD) Malek (@MagsMac) April 27, 2016
On the other hand:
Niches are important
Many benefits to "commanding" a niche on #socialmedia#sproutchat https://t.co/ax14x655IE
- Susannah the Geek (@greatergoodgeek) April 27, 2016
A2) Yes. Each org has different goals for social & their customers want different things & will be on different platforms #SproutChat
- Jesse Teske (@JesseTeske) April 27, 2016
A2b: Focusing on one specific niche is great as well. That experience will definitely help in your field. #SproutChat
- Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 27, 2016
A2 Diverse experience is good. But the core skill is universal, right? An ability to engage your community. #SproutChat
- Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) April 27, 2016
A2: When you're working on multiple campaigns, it gives you the ability to think smarter/more efficiently. So, yes – it helps! #sproutchat
- Ryan Eisenacher (@ImAGirl_YouKnow) April 27, 2016
Live by the Quotes
Social media professionals are fans of motivational quotes and sayings. Our #SproutChat community wanted to share some of their favorites. Add your favorite quotes to your workspace and remember to stay motivated and challenge yourself.
A5: “Why do you do what you do? Because you're the luckiest person alive.” – @GapingVoid #sproutchat
- Maggie (McD) Malek (@MagsMac) April 27, 2016
A5 Diamonds are made under pressure. Work until you're proud. Follow the data. Always be asking "Why?" #sproutchat
- Katy Elle (@KatyElleBlake) April 27, 2016
A5: "You can never cross the ocean until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." #SproutChat
- Yelling Mule (@YellingMule) April 27, 2016
A5. Have a mindset that's focused on making an impact + telling a story. It's not always about me, it's about the msg. #SproutChat
- Melissa Kimble (@Melissa_Kimble) April 27, 2016
A5) Keep it lean.
Only the essentials are routine, everything else is adaptation to circumstance#SproutChat
- Ross Hall (@rossahall) April 27, 2016
Hone These Traits for Success
The world of social media management isn't the easiest to tackle, but here are some words of wisdom on the top skills to focus on to have a successful career as a social media professional.
A6: Honesty, patience and a willingness to fail. #sproutchat
- Maggie (McD) Malek (@MagsMac) April 27, 2016
A6: Social media pro – great listener, humble, optimistic. #SproutChat
- Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) April 27, 2016
A6 – Always upgrade your skills and be willing to learn. Be willing to try new things, and ask questions. #SproutChat
- Canada Site Design (@Canada_Website) April 27, 2016
A6: The ability to multi-task, interpersonal skills, and patience #SproutChat
- Andrew Wasyluk (@socialeyze) April 27, 2016
A6) Solid copywriting skills, great at building/maintaining relationships, can take criticism/customer service oriented. #sproutchat
- Kyle Murray (@TheKyleMurray) April 27, 2016
Join us for #SproutChat next week on Wednesday, May 4 at 2 p.m. CDT with special guest Sprout All Star Kayla Chatkiewicz to discuss Pinterest Marketing. Get notified of the chat weekly via our Facebook community.
This post #SproutChat Recap: Advancing Your Career in Social Media originally appeared on Sprout Social.
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