Social media management has evolved into a complex profession where social marketers perform a delicate dance of multitasking and adaptation while juggling a plethora of tasks and responsibilities.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by workers of the digital landscape, Hootsuite has announced the launch of its inaugural Social Media Career Report (also dubbed, ʻThe Emotional Support Reportʼ), providing a deep dive into behaviours in the field and unveiling the state of mind of the modern social media marketer.
The report found that 66% say they have too many different responsibilities, 51% say they donʼt have enough time to do their job well, and 41% say their work has a negative impact on their mental health.
Since the early stages of modern social media marketing, the profession has seen significant changes—largely propelled by the rapid pace of social media itself. Undoubtedly, the past couple of decades have been a rollercoaster for social marketers. From the advent of MySpace 20 years ago, to the more recent launches of Threads and BeReal, the role of a social media marketer has truly evolved and matured to become a multifaceted profession. Though there is still a long way to go, with 56% saying their own bosses donʼt understand social media.
The 2023 Social Media Career Report is based on a survey of 3,842 qualified social media marketers conducted in spring 2023. In addition to the survey, Hootsuite interviewed social pros across different industries, and backed up the data with secondary research. Here are a few of the top findings about social marketing careers in 2023:
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Social marketers like working in social media
o 77% are happy in their jobs
o 67% say they are satisfied with their work/life balance
o 72% of those who work remotely full time say they are satisfied with their work/life balance (vs. 63% of those who work in-office full-time)
o 61% of respondents see social media as a long-term career
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Despite feeling overworked and overwhelmed
o 41% say their work has a negative impact on their mental health
o 57% identify as having a mental health condition—and, of those, 42% say working in social media has made their condition worse
o 66% say they have too many different responsibilities
o 51% feel they donʼt have enough time to do their job well (even though 67% work 40+ hours per week)
o 47% donʼt think they are paid fairly (and they are not wrong—social marketers are paid less than other marketers at a similar level, with the average social market salary sitting at US$67,585)
o 48% feel they donʼt have enough budget to do their job well
o 56% say their bosses donʼt understand social
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Though itʼs not all clear-cut
o 25% plan to quit working in social media in the next year
o A gender pay gap exists in the social media industry, even though the majority are women (73%)—the average man in a social media job makes US$91,586 per year while the average woman makes US$69,404
To help both social managers and their leaders put the top insights into action, Hootsuite has assembled a suite of tailored resources that social media marketers can use to build their portfolios and advocate for themselves. The library of resources developed include:
- Social Media Manager Salary Negotiation Guide
- Social Media Manager Resume Template
- Social Media Manager Cover Letter Template
- Social Media Manager Job Description Template
- Social Media Manager Interview Questions
- Social Media Portfolio Template
- Social Media Manager Salary Calculator
- Verticalized Micro-reports for Social Media Managers in the FinServ, Government, Education and Healthcare Sectors
- Panel Webinar with experts to help social media managers position their value
Dive into the complete analysis and data for social media management in the full report.