Although there aren’t an abundance of jobs that pay you to just tweet, I am intrigued with the increasing number of organizations open to creative ways of communicating their brand messages.
The Internet is filled with social media contests, but innovative companies are finding ways to break through ad and communications clutter by hiring talent adept in digital skills. New York Times writer Laura Holson writes a great story about a Napa Valley winery — Murphy-Goode — that is seeking a “social media whiz” to promote its products. The Times article, “Tweeting Your Way to a Job,” will spur other companies into similar efforts, which will increase opportunities in this fast-developing PR sector. (The Times requires you to register with its site in order to read stories more than a day old, but the service is free).
Percentage wise, social media jobs will realize the fastest growth rate in PR over the next five years. Dramatic double-digit-plus increases already are taking place despite the current bleak employment market.
Meteoric growth in social media sites is happening faster than organizations are able to adjust thinking about staffing budgets. Some companies are assessing the staying power of Twitter, Facebook and other social sites. Once they realize they are here to stay and emerging sites will grow just as fast, the demand for talent will skyrocket. So, we all should spend more time getting familiar and comfortable with everything digital.
This week’s guest post by Kyle Potvin, principal of Splash Communications, LLC, elaborates on the importance of being savvy in the understanding and use of social media.