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Job outlook for marketing/social media managers in the United States
Marketing/social media manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected marketing/social media manager job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 33,700 new jobs for marketing/social media managers are projected over the next decade.
Marketing/social media manager salaries have increased 8% for marketing/social media managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 61,443 marketing/social media managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 133,416 active marketing/social media manager job openings in the US.
The average marketing/social media manager salary is $52,613.
Are marketing/social media manager jobs in demand?
Marketing/Social Media Manager job and salary trends over time
Marketing/Social Media Manager jobs over time
Marketing/Social Media Manager job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61,443 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 59,738 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 58,396 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 53,934 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 49,326 | 0.01% |
Average marketing/social media manager salary over time
Marketing/Social Media Manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,613 | $25.29 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $50,644 | $24.35 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $49,697 | $23.89 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $48,934 | $23.53 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $48,546 | $23.34 | +1.9% |
Marketing/Social Media Manager jobs by state
Most common states for marketing/social media managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 365 | 53% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,112 | 31% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 389 | 29% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 183 | 29% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 274 | 28% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 343 | 26% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 762 | 25% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 269 | 25% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 188 | 25% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 145 | 25% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 213 | 24% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,705 | 23% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,278 | 23% |
| 14 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 923 | 22% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,161 | 21% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 407 | 21% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 216 | 21% |
| 18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 152 | 21% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,235 | 20% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 338 | 20% |
Most common cities for marketing/social media managers
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeLand | 1 | 3% | $48,155 |
| 2 | Long Branch | 1 | 3% | $56,576 |
| 3 | New York | 1 | 0% | $58,545 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $68,070 |
| 5 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $53,616 |
Marketing/Social Media Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of marketing/social media manager experts
Cabrini University
Eastern University
Maryville University of Saint Louis
City University of Seattle
Huntington University
North Dakota State University
Siena College
Siena College
Siena College
University of North Georgia
Idaho State University
Webster University
University of Scranton
University of Houston - Downtown
Dominican University of California
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Rich Johnson: Most job titles have a similar salary. Sometimes the salary is better in urban spaces where the cost of living is higher as well. Before I would assess salary, I would look at the cost of living and your monthly budget to build your personal requirements. You usually need to begin work in a starting salary position, but that doesn't mean that you need to stay there for long. When you get into a role, go all in. Master everything that is asked of you and start providing ideas to solve problems. Your value isn't just your ability to complete a task, it is your ability to provide value and creative solutions. Make sure that you retain credit for your contributions and stay positive. Building value in your role is key for job security and growth. Another part of the ladder of salary growth is self advocating for raises and knowing when you have hit the ceiling in your present position. If you do hit a plateau, the options are to pursue a new role or consider taking your skills to another business. One of the most effective growth tools that I have had in my career has been through freelance. If you have the bandwidth, consider taking on some freelance work. This will build skills and new connections that can lead to your next opportunity.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rich Johnson: One of the most difficult positions can be the beginning. But, the most potential starts there as well. Once you start down a path, inertia and career trajectory could keep you on that path for a while. Choose wisely... Always be curious and have an open mind. Try something for a while. Learn new skills, gain perspective and let the path unfold before you. A lot of jobs ask for a student to have work experience before they are willing to hire. This creates a dilemma too. One piece of advice that I give to my students is to do volunteer work in the direction that they would like their career to go. If you like the music industry, volunteer to create designs for the musicians and stages. Replace your college portfolio with work that involves collaboration and connects you to the community. Maybe your HR team might have seen that show and was impressed with your work. It can be hard to know when doors will open. The most important thing is to keep going. Don't let setbacks stop you.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Rich Johnson: Digital media covers a lot of mediums and requires many skill sets (print, static online, animation, interactive). The print arm is a lesser component although still valuable in the scope of marketing. Smartphones, tablets and gaming have moved a lot of digital into a customer expectation of interactive and customizable content. The present model of career specialization in a certain aspect of this spectrum of skills is changing. The age of the generalist is becoming more of a reality as design tools are becoming more accessible and A.I. is assisting in the more complex tasks. I would say that someone working in digital media will need to focus more on the big picture of design, predicting trends and developing solutions from a point of view with perspective. It will be even more important to understand the needs of a system from the top down and provide solutions that enhance that system. This might be through partnering with marketing and sales to conceptualize solutions, pitching product ideas and other functions related to creative and art direction. And be curious, all of the time. Keep up to date with everything that is happening. Take classes, watch tutorials, read articles and be obsessed with the breakneck rate of change. Digital media is constantly changing and possibilities are always expanding. It can be near impossible to be a master of all of these trajectories, but you can understand them well enough to bring in a specialist when the challenge requires it. This is where I predict that A.I. will be a major paradigm shift. There will be a time when you will ask the system to solve a problem, and you can choose what parts of the process that you want to control. So to boil it down... Develop a well rounded set of skills Further develop specialist level skills where you excel Keep on top of change and keep a thirst for learning Strengthen your connection to problem solving and creative innovation Keep an eye on the future predicting what might be around the bend
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Dr. Kaley Martin M.A. '16: For Digital Media degree graduates whether that’s in my field, Mass Communication, or other fields such as Communication Studies, Digital Filmmaking, Marketing, Social Media, etc. graduates need to have strong work portfolios entering the field. To gain that experience and portfolio work, I encourage students to join academic organizations that align with those interests and also turn every class assignment into an opportunity to gather portfolio work! I think at times students think “this is for a class only”, but really these are great opportunities to double-dip and get portfolio pieces while also completing your course work. Additionally, as much as you can, outside of the classroom create content in whatever medium fits your field of interest. Keep growing and practicing your craft so that your skills are continually worked like building muscle in a sense. Finally, entering the field, do not think your learning stops when you graduate. Our field is changing rapidly and constantly so you need to be plugged in to reputable organizations and resources that help you consistently grow in your chosen digital medium area to always be forward-thinking and able to move forward with our digital media ecosystem.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kaley Martin M.A. '16: As much as it pains me to say, artificial intelligence will be something to not only be familiar with, but something you need to take time to learn in whatever way that fleshes out for your area in the industry. AI content generation is NOT something I think we should be leaning in to because true creativity and talent is something uniquely human and what you are trained to do through your education, but knowledge of how AI affects your area is very important. For instance, be able to spot AI-generated content, be able to notice misinformation among AI-generated content, and be familiar with the processes and players in this space. Eventually, you’ll be hiring and you want to be able to spot a fake portfolio as well. Learning trends, developing that creative eye, and finding new, unique ways to create content is not going to come from AI any time soon, so I encourage new entrants to the industry to be trained professionals that can recognize when these technologies are in use and abused. Like a tool, they have their place, but a hammer did not build the house for the architect. The architect designed the house and the hammer helped execute that design plan so is AI as a tool for our field.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kaley Martin M.A. '16: The most important thing when negotiating salary in Digital Media fields is knowing your worth and pricing accordingly. So many freelance artists and newcomers tend to take lower salaries and rates due to creative work being culturally underpriced, but knowing you own worth and doing research will help you have those negotiation conversations. Additionally, knowing your worth means providing true value to those hiring you by showing you are bringing true skill, strategy, and artistry to the table — not just a degree. How are you using that degree to advance and innovate the field? My degree from the University of Montevallo, for instance, taught me as an undergraduate to be a consistent learner and be watchful of the changing tides of my field due to my university’s foundation in the liberal arts. Liberal arts foundations immerse students in not only their given area, but also expose them to diverse areas in the arts, sciences, humanities, business, and more. That allowed me to always examine how these areas intersect with my own and has made me a dynamic, sought-after, and decorated professional now. So, even if you are not coming from a liberal arts background, have that mindset about you on how I can show my true value to the employer and what I bring to the table that’s unique, different, and worth the money you are asking for. Also, if you are considering a degree in Digital Media, I strongly encourage you to research the paths we have for you here at the University of Montevallo.
Professor Cheryl Pilchik
Marketing at Cabrini U.Cabrini University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Dress to impress for interviews. Consider the benefits offered by the company, not just the compensation. Use the position as a steppingstone in your field to a second job in the future.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Look at all the benefits offered by the company, such as medical, holidays, 401K, etc. Also, consider using the position as a steppingstone in your field to a second job in the near future.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Professor Cheryl Pilchik: Within Marketing, social media is still huge. There are many types of jobs within social media, including being an expert social media guru at an ad agency. I advise all students to be prepared and sign up for online courses if needed.
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Kara Alaimo PhD: The communication landscape is always changing. The social media platforms that are popular right now may not even exist by the time my students graduate, and of course they're always changing their algorithms and the kinds of content they prioritize, so professional communicators can never get too comfortable in their work. Therefore, one of the most important skills to acquire is how to stay on top of all these changes, keep learning how different platforms work, and come up with creative ideas to use on them.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kara Alaimo PhD: A lot of my former communication students who are commanding the highest salaries are working in social media management. This is because often senior communication executives who have been working in the field for decades feel like they don't know how TikTok and emerging platforms work and think people who grew up as digital natives hold the secrets of the universe, so they empower them at earlier stages in their careers to run organizations' social channels. It's not uncommon for me to see a former student who manages social media accounts on behalf of an organization get multiple promotions and raises within their first few years of graduation.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Kara Alaimo PhD: I strongly recommend that students consider jobs managing social media accounts on behalf of people and organizations. There's a lot of demand among employers to hire people for these positions right now, and a lot of my students are thrilled to discover that they can make a good living creating social media content - which many of them consider to be more like fun than work. This is why at Fairleigh Dickinson University we just created new academic programs in social media to give students the skills and credentials to go after these kinds of exciting jobs with significant labor market demand that often have particularly attractive starting salaries.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Jeff James: Most marketers love the thrill of seeing the results of their work. It's a lot of fun to release a campaign and see how the customers respond, whether that is immediately (such as in most digital marketing categories) or longer-term (such as in customer satisfaction or relationship marketing). Marketing is typically fast-paced, so you are rarely bored. Some of the downsides of the role may also involve the pace of work; it can get overwhelming at times! Also, it can be frustrating to convince upper management, including the CFO, to invest at the right levels in marketing so you can achieve tangible results. Make sure you work for an organization where upper management understands the value of marketing and holds the marketing team accountable for results.
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD
Assistant Professor of MarketingWhat will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: A marketing manager is often responsible for planning and implementing a marketing plan. What this marketing plan encompasses can vary, as marketing involves many different things such as branding, product development, sales, advertising, digital and social media, and retailing.
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: The ever-changing landscape of consumer trends and technological advancements in how to market to consumers often makes the job exciting and fast-paced. However, with the increased emphasis on results, marketers must be conscious of how to measure and demonstrate the value of their work.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer D'Angelo PhD: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.
Director of Graduate and Undergraduate Communication and Associate Professor of Strategic Communication and LeadershipMaryville University of Saint Louis
Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: People hire people who they know, like, and are competent. So, how do you become known, liked, and competent? Beyond college, some unexpected ways to a successful career are 1) Internships 2) Informational Interviews, and 3) earning certifications.
Internships: Getting an internship is not a new idea but it is a very important one. Some organizations now only hire people who intern for them first. The internship now becomes a trial before hire. For example, Fleishman Hillard, ranked the fourth best PR agency in the World, offers many full-time Internships, 40 hours a week. Recent grads who want to work for Fleishman Hillard should see getting an Internship as the best avenue towards getting a job at Fleishman Hillard. Many organizations use their internship pools as potential hiring pools so do not be afraid to do a paid internship after graduation for a premier organization.
Informational Interviews: This is a wonderful way for people within an organization to get to know you and for you to learn from others with experience. Informational interviews are short interviews where you connect with someone in our field, research them, and their company and prepare questions to ask for advice. These interviews expand your network and also help you learn. These are a wonder source of networking.
Earn Certifications: Besides going to class and doing well, it is also important to be able to show what you know through certifications. For example, Hubspot has free certifications that you can take and link to your LinkedIn account. One I recommend is their Social Media Marketing Certification at https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/social-media?library=true&= This is yet another way to show your knowledge and expertise in our field. Showing through certifications is always preferable to telling someone you have the skillset.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: Many of my students get hired to do social media for organizations because organizations need help in this area. Knowing how to create engaging and creative content, produce quality videos, manage and understand data analytics, and respond to crises are some of the most important skills. Additionally, utilizing AI to do more with less will also become more and more important.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon Ph.D.: The first thing is to do your research so that you know the market and what the salary range is for your job in your city. This article has a list of free salary calculators.
Then, you wait until an offer is made. Once an offer is made you can negotiate (but never before).
Then, you ask politely. The amount is usually around 5- 10% of the salary. I encourage you to ask for 10% because they will likely try to meet you in the middle.
For a script, you could say something like...
Thank you so much for this offer. I am very excited to work at Company X. I know my internship experiences and degree from X University will help me be able to bring value to this organization.
Regarding salary, I was looking for something closer to $_________. Is this possible?
(Then be quiet).
It is beneficial to ask. The worst thing they can say is no. Also realize that you can negotiate vacation days, working from home, a 4-day work week, and other benefits that may be important to you if they cannot offer you more money. Once when I worked for a non-profit, I maxed out their salary but I negotiated another week of paid vacation because I asked. Asking after research and with respect is always a win.
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Earning a fair salary is important, although what exactly is fair might vary based on individual perceptions. More important, think of a job as offering a combination of financial and other non-monetary benefits such as perks (e.g., work culture, work-life balance, self-fulfillment, good colleagues, networking). Try to optimize your benefits across this multi-dimensional perspective rather than by simply focusing on salary. That stated, some job opportunities have scope for negotiation on salary. First, identify if the job that you are applying for has scope for negotiation, in which case, there's no harm in negotiating if done ethically, professionally, and reasonably. If the job is not one in which there's scope for negotiation, don't worry. Instead, focus on performance and making a case for yourself at the time of annual evaluations and/or salary hikes (which should be done even if there were salary negotiations before joining). Similar suggestions apply if you are thinking of switching roles/organizations.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Everyone is talking about AI these days, so I will start off by joining the bandwagon, but with some nuance. It's important to know how to use artificial intelligence tools in order to be better or more effective at one's job. This doesn't mean that everyone needs to become an AI expert, but that we should be able to harness the power of AI tools to improve the quality and efficiency of our work. This requires being fluent enough with AI tools to understand, discuss, and make decisions involving AI or about AI output (even if we don't actually use those tools in a hands-on manner). This should be done while also being able to bridge the gap for those who are less fluent (perhaps those in more senior-level roles who are even less hands-on with these tools). That apart, as more of the workforce focuses more of their time on technical and similar skills, "softer" skills such as integrity, professionalism, self-awareness, and team-orientation will become even more important as differentiators.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Ajay Abraham Ph. D.: Earning a fair salary is important, although what exactly is fair might vary based on individual perceptions. More important, think of a job as offering a combination of financial and other non-monetary benefits such as perks (e.g., work culture, work-life balance, self-fulfillment, good colleagues, networking). Try to optimize your benefits across this multi-dimensional perspective rather than by simply focusing on salary. That stated, some job opportunities have scope for negotiation on salary. First, identify if the job that you are applying for has scope for negotiation, in which case, there’s no harm in negotiating if done ethically, professionally, and reasonably. If the job is not one in which there’s scope for negotiation, don’t worry. Instead, focus on performance and making a case for yourself at the time of annual evaluations and/or salary hikes (which should be done even if there were salary negotiations before joining). Similar suggestions apply if you are thinking of switching roles/organizations.
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: The ever-changing landscape of consumer trends and technological advancements in how to market to consumers often makes the job exciting and fast-paced. However, with the increased emphasis on results, marketers must be conscious of how to measure and demonstrate the value of their work.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer D'Angelo Ph.D.: Brands across many product categories are facing an increasing level of competition. Brands may struggle with rising brand parity, where brands and their competitors are seen as similar to one another. Therefore, to stand out from competitors, it has become increasingly important for brands to have marketing managers that create value for consumers and communicate that value to consumers.
Brock Zehr
Associate Professor of Business & Economics and MBA DirectorHuntington University
Religion/Religious Studies
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Brock Zehr: Social media content development, data analytics, and quality video content generation will all be in greater demand. Employers tell me that the "soft skills" of being a team player, excellent communication skills, integrity, and a strong work ethic are still valued skills.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brock Zehr: Do your homework. Research salaries for the position, geographic location, and your experience level on sites like salary.com and zippia.com to determine the salary range for the position. Know the numbers. Let the employer provide the first salary number and decide how much to negotiate from there. Also, look at the entire compensation package and not the salary alone. Benefit packages vary and can encompass and large portion of compensation.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Brock Zehr: Become a solution to an employer's problem. During the application and interview process, identify the needs of the employer and propose ways you can fulfill those needs. Every job, person, project, and client can lead to greater opportunities. So even if your first job is not ideal; do it well because it can be the impetus to propel your career forward. A positive, can-do attitude and quality work can take you wherever you want to go.
Ahmad Asady
Assistant Professor of Management Faculty Scholar, Challey Institute for Global Innovation and GrowthNorth Dakota State University
Marketing
What general advice would you give to a Marketing/Social Media Manager?
Ahmad Asady: The role of a Marketing professional is as rewarding as it is demanding. On one hand, it offers the chance to unleash creativity, see the direct impact of your work, and enjoy a variety of experiences across different projects and industries. On the other hand, it comes with its fair share of challenges, such as the pressure to perform under tight deadlines and budgets, the constant need to stay ahead in a fast-evolving field, and the stress of quantifying the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Despite these challenges, the role remains appealing for those drawn to a career that demands both strategic thinking and creative innovation, underscored by the powerful tool of persuasion to shape consumer behavior and drive business success.
What Marketing/Social Media Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ahmad Asady: Now is an exciting time to enter the field of marketing. The digital age has transformed how brands connect with consumers, opening up a plethora of channels and tools for innovative engagement strategies. This digital expansion, coupled with the shift towards a more consumer-centric marketing approach, has made the role of a Marketing professional more crucial and impactful than ever. Professionals in this field enjoy the privilege of working at the intersection of creativity and analytics, where they can make significant contributions to a brand's growth and adapt to new challenges and technologies, ensuring a career that is both stable and filled with opportunities for continuous learning.
What will help Marketing/Social Media Managers increase their earning potential?
Ahmad Asady: A Marketing professional's day is a blend of art and science, filled with the pursuit of understanding and engaging the target audience. Their daily activities revolve around creating and managing content that resonates with consumers, conducting market research to stay ahead of trends, analyzing data to refine strategies, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure a unified brand message. Persuasion lies at the heart of their role, as they must continuously convince both internal stakeholders and external audiences of the value and relevance of their brand's offerings.
S.Sinem Atakan
Assistant Professor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
S.Sinem Atakan: The most important skills for marketing graduates, especially given the remote working conditions due to the pandemic, are self-motivation, communication, and digital marketing skills. Creativity and analytical skills are always important in marketing, but pandemic has highlighted the importance of being able to work independently and motivate yourself even when external forces are not directly present. Communication skills are crucial to work remotely and be on the same page with your team members. Digital marketing was big but getting even bigger with this breakthrough changes in consumer behavior. Hence, the rising stars of the marketing job market will be graduates who can combine all these skills seamlessly
Soyoung Joo
Assistant Professor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
Soyoung Joo: Communication and time management skills are valuable skills for marketing managers.
What soft skills should all Marketing/Social Media Managers possess?
Soyoung Joo: Creativity and intellectual curiosity (willingness to keep learning) can be added to the above soft skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
Soyoung Joo: Being able to interpret the consumer data and identify the true needs and wants of the consumer is imperative for marketers.
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
Soyoung Joo: Being able to work well with people from diverse backgrounds can be added to the above skills.
Allison Lauenstein
Teaching Instructor of MarketingSiena College
Marketing Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
Allison Lauenstein: Project Management and being able to connect the dots around the data and insights are critical. You have to analyze a situation and uncover insights from the customer, the competitors, and the industry.
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
Allison Lauenstein: Leadership and collaboration will go a long way. The best ideas can come from anywhere, and it's not always about who has the best idea but who can execute the idea the best. Good marketers must understand that if you cannot successfully execute or effectively communicate a great idea, it may not be so great.
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
Allison Lauenstein: Skills that stand out show that the candidate has had some experience leading projects and project teams. Marketing is a collaborative effort, and it is critically important for upcoming managers to understand how to manage and motivate a team to achieve its objectives.
What soft skills should all Marketing/Social Media Managers possess?
Allison Lauenstein: Listening and asking questions are some of the most important skills. As Marketers, you not only have to listen to what people say, but you have to try to understand what they are not saying. How do their actions differ from what they are saying?
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
Mary Norman: -Project management skills
-Knowledge of key marketing tools and analytics:
-Social media tools like Hootsuite, Google analytics, etc.
-Design tools like Canva, Photoshop, Illustrator
-Email and Survey tools like Mailchimp and Survey Monkey
-SEO Tools like Google Ads
-Digital/Social Media Marketing Skills in the following areas:
-Email marketing
-Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEM/SEO)
-Email marketing
-Content marketing - ability to create content for social media and additional formats like blogs, etc.
-Social Media marketing through top platforms: i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.
-Data Analysis - mining insights into customer behavior based on website and social media analytics
-Trendwatching / Consumer insights
John Ney
Assistant Marketing Professor, Director of Professional Development & Sales ExcellenceIdaho State University
College of Business
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
John Ney: Internships or class project experience that show the student has helped develop a marketing strategy for a company is probably the most important but also marketing research skills.
What soft skills should all Marketing/Social Media Managers possess?
John Ney: -A positive "can-do" attitude. I'm often told by employers that "we can teach skills, but we can't teach attitude."
-Teamwork - the ability to work with others is more important now than ever.
-Communication skills, both oral and written.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
John Ney: -With so many businesses advertising online, students that have experience with one or more of the following (video, blogging, graphic design, photography & websites) easily find jobs! This is the most requested skill set when employers are looking to hire interns.
-Writing skills - businesses need help writing everything from email responses to customers to a short job advertisement & or a marketing strategy.
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
John Ney: -Sales skills - Most sales jobs are commission-based, and they are not capped.
-Everybody sells! Sales are really about building relationships, so having people and communication skills can really pay off!
Sung Eun Park
Assistant Professor, Advertising and Marketing CommunicationsWebster University
Communications & Journalism
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
Sung Eun Park: Companies hiring marketing consultants look for someone with strong communication and leadership skills that can translate to great candidates. In addition, a strong background in data analysis will definitely stand out from other candidates. Unlike many beliefs, people who get jobs as marketing consultant comes from various education backgrounds including advertising and English major. It is an indication that companies are open to people with diverse perspectives that can bring fresh eyes to the team. The resumes showcasing a person with various experiences highlighting strong leadership skills (not just strictly marketing) in a team environment will get noticed.
Abhijit Roy
Professor of MarketingUniversity of Scranton
School of Management
What soft skills should all Marketing/Social Media Managers possess?
Abhijit Roy: These are very important, yet harder to quantify skills, not only for marketing professionals but for business graduates in general. They include the ability to make sound decisions under pressure, having a high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) as embodied by having empathy towards coworkers and subordinates, delegating appropriately, mentoring, communicating, time management, maintaining positivity despite setbacks and adapting to unforeseen challenges, being flexible, being persuasive and assertive at appropriate moments, yet being collaborative, seeking feedback, and the ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts when needed, amongst others.
Soft skills are typically more instrumental in enabling candidates to fit into an organization's culture and be strong candidates for promotion. Most marketing jobs involve candidates representing their brand initiatives and building strong client relationships, so interpersonal, and other soft skills are often valued more than hard skills. The strongest case for having excellent soft skills is that they are more easily transferable across various jobs and industries.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
Abhijit Roy: The Marketing field has undergone a major paradigmatic shift with the growth of digitization. Hence, hard/technical skills in performing data-driven marketing, social media and data analytics, data visualization, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM), content creation and storytelling, and omnichannel communication are critical hard skills that are in great demand today.
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
Abhijit Roy: In general, companies will look to see whether or not the candidate can overall market the company's products. Given the depth and breadth of marketing jobs, the specific skill requirements will vary. For example, a sales manager position will require individuals with high interpersonal skills, advertising positions will look for individuals with creativity, while marketing research positions will demand strong analytical skills. Overall, most companies today are looking for individuals with strong digital marketing and social media skills.
Job market candidates must look for the job descriptions in the ads and ensure they have relevant matching skills that they can include in their resumes.
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
Abhijit Roy: The above skills are in high demand and also currently pay the most. Still, I strongly recommend that students focus not on skills that will help them earn the most but on the skill sets that each individual possesses and think of how they can best leverage that in the marketplace to have a long sustained, and enjoyable career.
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Houston - Downtown
Marilyn Davies College of Business
What skills stand out on Marketing/Social Media Manager resumes?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: Showcasing the balance between people management and analytical skills. Marketing today relies on a substantial amount of data, which requires marketing managers to possess strong analytical skills. At the same time, leaders have to motivate, inspire, and guide employees. In the last 3-5 years, I have seen a greater emphasis on analytical skills.
What soft skills should all Marketing/Social Media Managers possess?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: Leaders need to lead. A leader who is curious, vulnerable, transparent, and inclusive generally has better success. The challenge is to teach leaders to be authentically curious. That is a big challenge in leadership.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Marketing/Social Media Managers?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: First, understand A/B experiments. Marketers are consistently comparing different campaigns, and the ability to create thoughtful experiments is critical.
Second, go beyond averages and percentages and learn linear and logistic regression and more advanced analytical tools. The exposure to more complex analytics allows for more thoughtful outcomes and interpretation.
Third, be exposed to a programming language like R or Python. Not that you are going to code, but it allows you to speak the language of data.
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
Dr. Richard Conde Ph.D.: It's a combination of skills, plus the patience to build those skills. Great people and leadership skills always seem to trump most other variables. I would encourage individuals to invest in their leadership skills and consider partnering with a leadership coach.
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communications, Coordinator, Online Learning and Development, Chair of the Communications and Media Studies DepartmentDominican University of California
Communication and Media Studies
What skills will help Marketing/Social Media Managers earn the most?
Bradley Van Alstyne Ph.D.: The hard skills (audio and video) usually get you the job, but the soft skills allow you to keep it and grow!