Tag Archives: social media jobs

How Not To Get Fired From Your Social Media Job

Screen Shot 2013-01-24 at 9.37.09 PMBy Amanda Smyth Connor

It’s incredibly easy to get fired/downsized from a social media position. Very few C-level executives have a working understanding of social media, and even fewer understand how it equates to dollars and cents in their business. So when the going gets tough, the tough cut the jobs they believe are unnecessary.

But you’re NOT unnecessary. You know EXACTLY how necessary you are to the company! You know that your social media efforts have increased the company’s public exposure and brand messaging awareness. You know that you’ve tackled your share of customer service inquiries, you’ve identified potential sales leads and you’re tracking all of your competitors online marketing efforts in order to keep your company one step ahead.

So how can you prove your worth to the C-suite? Here are three handy-dandy tips to live by in order to keep your social media job.

1. Set real and measurable goals for yourself. Don’t leave it up to your manager to set goals for you. You know the growth rate of your community. You understand the level of feedback you can expect and you know what numbers and goals are realistic. Allowing a manager to set unrealistic goals for community growth, clicks or feedback sets you up for failure.

2. Track your analytics. Because no one else will, and the day will come when someone (“The Bobs”) will ask you “What would you say you do here?” All you have to do is pull out your analytics tracking sheets, with all of the wonderful numbers and charts (that you can pull FOR FREE from Hootsuite and Facebook) and you can hand it over and say “Here you go, Bob. I handle your social media. I handle the HECK out of your social media. Look at how those numbers have climbed….”

3. Be Present – Both in your social media community (answering posts, commenting back and keeping all of your social sites alive with activity,) and with your higher-ups. It’s tempting to fly under the radar, particularly if you work alone, remotely or work under a boss who doesn’t quite know what you do so they just let you manage yourself. You have to take it upon yourself to stay on the radar. If they don’t know about your achievements online, they can’t reward your efforts. Be the squeaky wheel who sends analytics updates without being asked. Volunteer to train upper management in social media best practices. Make yourself invaluable to your company.

If you follow these three basic rules, you might just NOT get fired when the chips are down and heads are on the chopping block. You’ll have made yourself an invaluable asset to your company and to your higher-ups.

Good luck. God speed. Don’t screw it up.

Amanda Smyth Connor is a social media manager for a major publishing company and has managed online communities and content development for many start-up and Fortune 500 companies.  She has been a professional editor for more years than she can remember.

The Year in Social Media and Looking Ahead

By Amanda Smyth Connor10-tips-on-monitoring-social-media

This was a big year for social media as a whole. We saw some amazing success stories and some epic fails (I’m looking at you, @KitchenAidUSA)

New and wondrous social media tools popped up that let us track everything from user insights to Twitter mapping. And it felt like those of us in social media positions finally started to get a little respect! Finally! Companies embraced us as equals and stopped seeing us as interns who were adept at surfing Facebook! VICTORY!

But enough time has been spent on reflection and the efforts for the coming year are focused on strategy.

Here are the big questions we are evaluating for the coming year:

1. Which social sites will expand and which will fizzle out?

2. Of the many tools that have emerged, which are worth our time?

3. How much weight should we put on various analytics and what specific analytics should we focus on?

4. How is our audience evolving? How can we continue to create content that will engage and wow them?

5. What’s in the pipeline for the coming year? What BIG news are we planning?

6. How will we work to align social media strategies and needs across the company?

7. Have we identified talent and social media authority figures in our company?

When working as a social media freelancer, keep in mind that strategy is just as important as execution. Being able to shed light on the big picture and long range strategy recommendations will make you an invaluable asset to any company.

Amanda Smyth Connor is a social media manager for a major publishing company and has managed online communities and content development for many start-up and Fortune 500 companies.  She has been a professional editor for more years than she can remember.

The Informational Interview: The Foot in the Door

By Amanda Smyth ConnorHIRE

Whether you’re a recent grad or a long-time freelancer, the informational interview is a GREAT option for getting your foot in the door of a company that may otherwise not be an option.

It’s no secret that the economy sucks and the job market is doom and gloom. Regardless of the industry you are in, getting a foot in the door for an interview is the hardest part of getting a job. Once you get that interview, you’ve got skills and charm and a winning smile that will seal the deal, but getting through the door can be near impossible these days.

Until…THE INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW!

Step 1: Do your homework and locate the best individual to speak with regarding an informational interview. Do NOT call the front desk to ask for “whoever is in charge of editing.” In order to effectively find the right person, get on LinkedIn and don’t be shy about sending a LinkedIn message to said individual.

Step 2: Tell them that you understand that they are not hiring at this time, but that you have a deep interest in their company and skill set and that you would love to set up a time to speak with them for just 30 minutes in order to learn more about the industry, company, and specific roles.

Step 3: Most individuals are kind enough to agree to such a request. It’s very non-committal for potential employers. They aren’t in the hot seat to interview you or to evaluate your skill set, and the fact that you are interested in THEM inflates their ego a bit, puts them at ease and sets you up for a relaxed interview.

Step 4: Prepare a list of exceptional questions about specific roles in the division, about the individual’s career track and history, etc., and make certain that you segue way into questions regarding possible job opportunities in the future. Of course you’ve already sent over your resume so that they know more about you, so now you’ve essentially accomplished getting your resume in front of an important person thus setting yourself apart from other applicants in the future and you’ve had the chance to gain some inside knowledge about the company.

You are a superstar.

And while this may not get you a job immediately, this interview is an investment of your time. Now you can link with this person on LinkedIn and you can feel more comfortable in the future when you do eventually get that formal interview, because heck, you already did this once.

Amanda Smyth Connor is a social media manager for a major publishing company and has managed online communities and content development for many start-up and Fortune 500 companies.  She has been a professional editor for more years than she can remember.

Using the New Facebook Timeline to Make Mo’ Money

By Amanda Smyth Connor

Surely you’ve heard about the new Facebook Timeline Structure – and if you haven’t, you’re soon in for a surprise when your profile

Screen Shot 2012-03-21 at 9.22.13 PM

is forcibly switched to the new structure in the near future.

How do I feel about the new Facebook Timeline? I freaking LOVE IT! And that’s an understatement.

Sure, sure. We all hate change. I get it. “But I love my Facebook just the way it is! Boo modern advances in technology!” I would argue that if you’re feeling this way, you haven’t yet fully grasped the epic awesomeness that is this new timeline feature and all of the amazing ways that Facebook can make you look good and score you mo’ business. That’s right, I said MO’ BUSINESS.

1:  Regardless of whether you have a business page set up for yourself or you use Facebook as a personal profile, you should begin thinking of your Facebook page as a living resume.

2: Choose a cover photo that is professional and engaging. Check out what Dove is doing in the inset image – they have attracted customers to their page by humanizing their company. For other great examples of companies who are engaging their core customer base, check out Coca Cola, Old Spice and Starbucks on Facebook. They are using cover images that attract a specific customer base, so in presenting yourself as a dynamic freelance writer, don’t think “small business,” think “What would Starbucks do?” – Answer: They would utilize an engaging cover image that makes people want to use their services.

3. Set up your new timeline to emphasize amazing milestones in your career. I’m going to use a unique Facebook page as an example of how to do this – Carmen Sandiego (I run this Facebook page – self promotion!)  If you click on any date on the timeline listed on the right hand side of the screen, you can see Carmen’s “career milestones.” You should consider setting up your profile to reflect your education (1990 – Graduated from Blank University with a degree in Journalism and Creative Writing,) career highlights (1993 – hired to work as Staff Writer for Blank Magazine – published 30 feature length articles (and add a photo of a clipping)) and major milestones (2003 – Opened the doors to “Blank Freelance Business” where I have written over 200 blogs, features, etc for 50 clients, including Blank, Blank and Blank) and include an engaging photo or image that best captures your work.

4. Highlight Top Status Updates: Once you have added a great status update to your profile, consider “Highlighting” it by clicking the Star icon in the upper right hand corner of the status update. This will increase the physical size of your status update and will draw visitors eyes to it quickly once they reach your page. Are you accepting new clients now? Let people know and make sure you highlight that update!

For more info on getting the most out of Facebook Timelines, check out this great webinar from Social Candy that shows you what you might be missing.

Amanda Smyth Connor is a social media strategist for a one of the biggest publishing companies in the country and has managed online communities and content development for many start-up and Fortune 500 companies.  She has been a professional editor for more years than she can remember.