3 Social Media Executives Reveal How to Build a Career in Social

Social media is still a relatively new field, having risen to prominence in the past two decades. As a result, there still isn’t much of a rule book for people who want to pursue it as a career.

Current industry experts like Tom Basgil, Amelia Munday, and Chi Thukra have learned on the job, working their way up the ranks with experimentation and iteration. All three now work at a senior level at companies known for their top-notch social media strategies.

On the hunt for guidance about how to build a career as a social media executive, I interviewed all three. Here is their advice for someone looking to grow in the field.

What is a social media executive?

For too long, many brands and individuals have considered running social media accounts ‘easy’, something that could be handed over to the intern. This couldn’t be more wrong. Managing social media requires the expertise of executives like VPs and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) who are dedicated to social media.

A social media executive is someone who creates and executes the social media marketing strategy of a company. These individuals also provide strategic direction, manage their social team, and report on quantitative and qualitative metrics vital to their company.

The March 2023 CMO Survey revealed companies spend 17 percent of their marketing budget on social media. Experts predict that figure will increase to 20.3 percent by year-end and 26.4 percent in five years. It’s the responsibility of the social media executive to own this budget and ensure it delivers a significant return on investment.

Social media executive success: focus on business impact

As a social media executive, your core job is to effectively deploy resources to produce results your higher-ups care about.

This mindset shift is crucial because it helps