Social media marketing jobs continue to rise in importance

Social media plays a vital role in the success of businesses around the world. Whether it is using Facebook or Twitter to directly engage and communicate with consumers or having a presence on LinkedIn in order to build a professional network, the trend may be here to stay.

Industries that, in the past, were resistant to accepting social media as a valuable addition to a marketing department have begun to recant their initial beliefs. Over the past year, the hiring demand for social media skills has almost doubled, with more than 11,000 new job ads posted online during August 2011, according to Wanted Analytics.

The majority of these reported jobs were placed by corporate recruiters who have been a saving grace for many corporations. Since social media marketing is such a new industry, many business owners are unaware of what to look for in a potential new hire. Using a recruiter is a successful way to assure marketing departments that the new staff members will make a positive impact within the company.

Social media is much more than understanding how to use the popular outlets. Some of the skills required are programming, graphic design, marketing and public relations. Over all, social media encompasses many aspects of several creative fields. With such a high demand nowadays for an online presence, the social media job market has increased by 94 percent overall, according to Wanted Analytics.

Businesses have struggled for years to actively engage with customers and create a sense of transparency. There once was a time when companies wanted to remain closed-off, but as consumerism evolves, many individuals are coming to enjoy purchasing items from businesses that exude characteristics similar to their own.

However, social media goes beyond providing a platform for customers to voice their opinions about products and business practices. It is an affordable way for companies to promote their brand image. Unlike print and broadcast advertising, Facebook and Twitter are free to use. Having a successful social media marketing campaign not only creates discussion among consumers, but it is a cost-cutting tactic that helps businesses make the most of their funding.

A business that wants to stay current needs to embrace social media as a necessary component to a marketing department. Brushing it off as a fad will prove to be costly down the road as more industry leaders begin to realize the value of making themselves known on the online frontier.