Social Media Jobs | Get Hired

Get Hired! | Crafting Your Social Media Marketing Portfolio

Social media marketing is the new cool kid in town! Companies big and small are scrambling to hire social media specialists both contract and staff. Hiring managers are bombarded daily with irrelevant resumes and unqualified candidates. To differentiate yourself from the crowd, you must have a killer portfolio that illustrates your abilities, highlights your achievements and proves beyond a doubt that you know how to achieve results.

Bio
Take the time to write a clear and concise bio. Don't try to cover the specifics of your experience but rather this should be a teaser that leaves the hiring manager wanting to learn more about you.

ex. Rachael Dror is a social media marketing specialist with two years of experience promoting small and midsized businesses through social media channels. She develops successful marketing strategies that result in brand awareness, site traffic and increased findability online. Her skills include; copy writing, community management, organic link building, video optimization, facebook application development and more.

Resume
Your resume must be easy to read! Don't make potential employers search for your work experience and education. Lay this part of your portfolio out in an easy to follow format.

Work Samples and Results
This is the creative section of your portfolio. Your objective is to show what you've done and how well you do it. Include:

* Screen shots of your work
* Explanation of your role
* Objectives
* Results

You must illustrate how you accomplished set objectives. The best way to do that is to show actual analytics on site traffic, friends, followers, conversions, brand exposure, etc.
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Overwhelmed By Irrelevant Resumes? | Successfully Recruit Internet Marketing Talent

Finding experienced internet marketing talent doesn't have to be an exercise in frustration. Don't rely on resume submissions and job board postings alone. You have to be an active participant in the search or else you'll end up with a mile high stack of mostly irrelevant resumes and a bad attitude.

1. Become an Expert!
a. Learn everything you can about the positions you are recruiting for.
b. Develop relationships with qualified candidates and utilize them
as a resource for information. If you don't know something, ask!
c. Subscribe to RSS feeds from industry experts such as mashable.com and SEOmoz.com.

2. Stay Current on Industry Trends and Best Practices
a. Read articles and blogs by current and emerging thought leaders.
b. Participate in blog conversations, ask questions!
c. Use the technology yourself and gain firsthand experience.
d. Join local meet-up groups.
e. Subscribe to industry publications such as Website Magazine.

3. Look Beyond the Resume to Actual Experience and Results
a. Look at the candidates work! Ask for a list of client projects and a summary
of objectives and results for each.
b. Ask knowledgeable questions about the candidate's capabilities and experience.
c. Request to see ranking, linking and other SEO reports.
d. Check out websites the candidate has designed or promoted.
e. Ask candidates to specify their role in projects they've worked on.

4. Create a Social Networking Presence
a. Establish a Twitter account, personalize with your photo and bio.
b. Create a blog or landing page to send candidates to with job & contact information.
c. Do more than send messages, engage in conversations!
d. Write posts and tweets of interest to prospective candidates.
e. Use the search functions on sites like Twitter to find and target candidates
through @ and direct messages.
f. Be consistent and responsive!

5. Network Offline
a. Attend industry events and conferences.
b. Develop trusting relationships with top candidates and working professionals.
c. Ask for referrals.
d. Be aware of industry layoffs and firm closings- this can be an excellent
source of qualified talent!

How to Choose a Social Media Marketing Manager

So you want to add social media into your marketing mix? Here are some must have qualities that any potential hire should possess.

• Hands on Experience- with the main social networks and media sites. Theory is great but do they know their way around the networks? The candidate must have actual experience meeting business objectives through blogging, Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, application development, etc.

• PhotoShop and Design Chops. Unless you have unlimited resources, the candidate should be selfsufficient and able to do basic design tasks themselves.

• Writing Skills. If this person is going to be the face of your company online, they must be able to write in a way that is in line with your overall marketing message. The various social media channels have their own styles of communication. The candidate should be able to take a company's message and clearly articulate it across multiple channels.

• SEO Experience. Understanding how search engines work, how people search & how to measure success online, are important skills for taking social media from a communications tool to a powerful method for meeting concrete business objectives. Implementing and decifering analytic reports is critical to understanding the success or failure of all online marketing efforts including social media.

• Social Intelligence. Your candidate must be able to think on their feet and respond appropriately. They must be able to engage with people easily and according to the culture of the particular social network.

• Strategy. Your candidate must be able to plan and execute campaigns, establish and maintain profiles, seek out new opportunities, tryout new and varied techniques, while keeping the overall business objectives at the forefront.

• Creativity. To get your message across in the social media space, your candidate must be able to package it in ways that are worth spreading. Developing ideas that people want to pass around to each other through social media channels requires out of the box thinking and creativity.

• Research Skills. The social media landscape changes on a daily basis. The ability and desire to stay on top of new developments and trends in social media technology and marketing is crucial to establishing your company as a forward thinking leader. You don't want to be in the position of having to play catch up to your competitors. Look for someone who can get you there first.

How to Choose the Right Internet Marketing Approach?

Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Search Engine Marketing, Social Networking, Social Media Marketing, E-mail Marketing, Social Networking...

You have so many choices when it comes to marketing your products and services online and choosing the right ones for your goals and budget can be overwhelming. Before you waste money on costly PPC or put time into a blog, start by defining your objectives.

Define your goals |

What do you want your online marketing efforts to do for you?

• Brand Recognition
• Online Sales
• Reputation Management
• Engage Current and Prospective Customers
• Drive Site Traffic
• Convert Existing Site Traffic to Sales or Inquiries about your product or service
• Recruit Employees

Define Your Target Market |
Who is your target market?

• Age
• Sex
• Location
• Interests
  
• How Does Your Target Market Use the Internet

Define Your Budget |
What is your monthly advertising budget?

• Print
• TV
• Internet
• Other

Examine Your Competition |
What are your top competitors doing and is it working?

• List Top 5 Competitors
• What Do They Spend on Internet Marketing Monthly?
• What Methods Are They Using? PPC, Blogging, SEO?

Once you know what you want it is time to bring in the experts! Although you can do surgery on yourself at home to save time and money on hospital expenses, you will most likely end up spending more money on professional help to fix the mess you've made. The same can be said of do-it-yourself internet marketing. Sure you can setup your own blog or PPC campaign but unless you are a highly skilled and experienced you will inevitably waste precious time and money.

If you are able to tell your prospective SEO company what you need and who you are, they should be able to get down to business. Not all SEO companies are equal. I will post a questionnaire for use in sourcing internet marketing providers.

Organic Search Engine Optimization Vs. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Organic Search Engine Optimization | Organic search results are the listings that appear in search engine results pages (SERP) because of their relevance to the search term. They are located in the center frame of the page. More people click on these results than on paid advertising.

Organic Search Engine Optimization is the process of getting a website to rank in on the first page in the organic results for key phrases. If done well, the website will get traffic and conversions. Organic Search Engine Optimization takes more time than PPC to produce results but the results are superior, longer lasting and more cost effective.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising | PPC ads are listings that are designed to look like the organic search results. Except for their placement and minor visual distinctions such as background color, their appearance on all major search engines is similar to the organic search results. Advertisers bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market. They are located on the top and sides of the search results page.

Advertisers like PPC advertising because it’s simple, you have greater control over your ad campaign, and you receive comprehensive data on its performance. The importance of online marketing makes PPC an attractive option for Jewelers who need immediate results. Return on investment is easily calculated with Pay-Per-Click campaigns.

Hiring a Search Engine Marketing Firm | Watch for These Red Flags!

Search Engine Optimization is important for growing your business online. There are many companies that provide SEO services but they are not all equal! If you don't know what to look for in a SEO company or consultant, there's a good chance that you'll end up wasting time and money!

3 Red Flags |

1. Directory Registration | Search Engine Optimization techniques change constantly. Google used to place value on site registered with online directories. No more! If an SEO company includes directory registration in their proposal or as an additional service, you know that their strategy is stale!

2. We Rank 1st for "KEYWORD" |It's great if a SEO company comes up on the first page of Google for specific keywords but it isn't always an indication that they are good at what they do. Ask to see examples of work they've done for clients. I've investigated many SEO companies and have found that scammers often rely on their own keyword ranking to sell services to unsuspecting customers.

3. Outsourcing | You get what you pay for! Ask the SEO company if they do their work onsite. If they use resources from other countries you can be sure that quality will be compromised! I was once an outsource fan- it's cheap, it's fast. Be especially aware of copywriting and linking done overseas.

3 Online Marketing Tips for Real Estate Professionals

1. Invest now! It may be counter intuitive but spend money now on SEO while everyone else is cutting back on online promotion. When the market recovers you'll be far ahead of your competition.

2. Think of social media marketing as a nice dinner party. Don't just talk about yourself. Connect, engage and bring something to the table.

3. Show don't tell. Don't be just another voice screaming I'm the best realtor, I have great properties, this is a great neighborhood. Show don't tell! Photos, video & testimonials will help you stand out in the crowd.