What Is a Social Media Marketer? And How to Become One

Key takeaways

Social media marketers are marketing specialists who use social media platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, to promote a company’s offerings.

• According to Glassdoor, the median total pay is $86,000 per year, with job growth projected to be faster than average [1, 2].

• Social media marketers can benefit from staying on top of emerging trends and feeling comfortable using data to gauge how their content performs.

• You can start your journey into the field by learning relevant skills, seeking entry-level opportunities, and expanding your network.

Learn more about what it takes to be a social media marketer. Then consider starting your path into the field by earning your Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate. In under five months, you can develop job‑ready and AI‑driven skills in under five months, all without needing a degree or prior experience.

What is a social media marketer?

A social media marketer is a marketing professional who contributes anything from strategy to content to a company's social media channels. The role will differ depending on company size. For instance, a smaller company may use a social media marketer to oversee more aspects of its social media marketing, while a larger company may have a bigger team dedicated to this work. In this case, a marketer plays a smaller part and focuses on one area, such as social listening or content creation.

Social media marketers need to be trend-savvy professionals who are comfortable analyzing data to understand the success of their social media efforts. They often also need to be strong writers and communicators and have some familiarity (or expertise) with social media production.

Social media manager vs. social media marketer: What’s the difference?

• Social media marketers: Often work as freelancers or contractors, focusing on specific projects or short-term goals

• Social media managers: Typically in-house roles with broader responsibilities, managing entire social media strategies

Learn more: 14 Freelancer Jobs and How to Get Started

What do social media marketers do?

A social media marketer uses different social media platforms to promote a company’s offerings using text, graphics, and videos. Here are some tasks you might do as a social media marketer:

• Oversee an organization’s overall social media strategy

• Work with copywriters and designers to create and publish social media posts

• Monitor social media analytics to optimize future performance

• Stay up-to-date with social media trends, technologies, laws, and best practices

• Respond to and engage with user comments and messages

• Use social listening tools to understand what people are saying on social media about a company

Do social media marketers put out paid ads for companies?

Generally, the paid ads you might see on Facebook or Twitter/X are not orchestrated by social media marketers. Other marketing roles, like advertising specialists, paid media specialists, and marketing coordinators, typically oversee paid ad efforts. However, you may see smaller companies blend the usually distinct roles.

How much do social media marketers make?

Jobs in social media are projected to grow as social media usage for individuals and businesses continues to increase. According to Sprout Social, there were an estimated 5.42 billion social media users in 2025 [3].

According to Glassdoor, social media marketers in the US make a median total pay of $86,000 per year [1]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates jobs for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will grow by 6 percent from 2024 to 2034, which is faster than average [2].

How to become a social media marketer

Follow the tips below to begin your career in social media marketing.

1. Learn social media marketing skills.

You’ll want to polish certain social media skills as you begin your job search. These include:

• Social media knowledge: It’s crucial to know a variety of social media platforms well. The most commonly used platforms include Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram, but companies may also want WhatsApp, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, and others, depending on their audience. You’ll want to know what kinds of posts do well on each platform, as well as the differences in audiences for each, and how to capitalize on trends.

• Analytical tools: Social media analytics tools are used to track performance, analyze trends, and mitigate digital risk. Commonly used tools include Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and HubSpot.

• Content creation: Creating content for social media can look different depending on the platform, but you’ll generally need some design sensibility and a good grasp of writing skills.

Advance your social media analytics skills with the Johns Hopkins Social Media Analytics Specialization. Over four courses, you'll learn how to conduct sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion on social media, informing brand positioning and messaging.

2. Look for entry-level opportunities.

Entry-level opportunities can include marketing jobs, freelancing, or volunteering. Explore different options to see what fits your needs.

• Entry-level jobs: An entry-level position generally requires less relevant experience and can provide you with the opportunity to learn about social media marketing on the job. In your job search, keep an eye out for entry-level titles such as:

  • Marketing intern or social media intern

  • Social media coordinator

  • Social media specialist

  • Social media associate

  • Social media analyst

• Freelance: Consider freelancing to build up your experience. You can build a portfolio on a freelance website such as Fiverr or Upwork.

• Volunteer: Volunteer opportunities may have less stringent requirements. Look for local or remote opportunities through volunteer search sites like Idealist, formerly VolunteerMatch.

• Build your own social media pages: Sometimes jumping in and doing it yourself is the best way to learn. Create your own Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, or Facebook business page to learn the ropes of how each works and best practices in content creation. You can also point to these accounts in job applications as well.

3. Expand your professional network.

Networking can be a good way to learn more about job opportunities, get job-search advice, and gain knowledge about the field. Your network can include friends, family, alumni of your alma mater, or former coworkers.

If you don’t know where to start, join groups for social media professionals on LinkedIn or Facebook. This can expose you to different job postings, make you more familiar with the job landscape, and help you research how people landed the jobs they have. For more advice on networking, check out Coursera’s guide on networking.

Build your professional growth with our free resources 

Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat, for industry updates, tips, and trends. Then, explore our free digital marketing resources to optimize your professional growth:

• Watch on YouTube: The Content Creator Revolution: Is This High-Demand Career Right For You?

• Bookmark for later: Digital Marketing Terms Every Marketer Should Know

• Hear from an expert: Marketing Career Path: How I Became a Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera

Drive your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

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