Within the past few years, it seems that social media positions are popping up everywhere, in all types of organizations, from The New York Times, to Pizza Hut, and even in the White House. Businesses of all types are identifying the need to stay connected with their communities because they recognize the benefits.

Social media marketing is just a slice of the social media industry, but it’s a very important piece of the story. Businesses see social media as a platform for engaging with consumers and informing them of the latest company news and products. Marketers are blazing trails in the social media marketing sector, creating campaigns that are interactive, shareable and inclusive of the online community. For the most innovative of marketers, the focus isn’t on campaigns, but on letting consumers take the reigns in guiding a brand’s social presence.

For aspiring social media marketers, there are no strict rules for becoming successful. But we’ve gathered eight of the brightest minds in the social media industry to elaborate on five helpful tips for landing a job in social media marketing.

1. Join Social Media Meetups and Networks

In talking with a number of digital entrepreneurs, one tip stood out as the first step towards online success: step away from your computer, meet with professionals in the field you want to work with and join groups of others interested in social media and technology. Damien Basile, communication strategist and founder of Digital Somethings, a monthly digital influencer event series, said it loud and clear, “The old axiom still rings true: It’s who you know, what you know and how much money you have access to.”

Digital Strategist and Co-Founder of Foodspotting, Soraya Darabi, recommends that job seekers looking to break into the social media world get out and meet people in the industry:

“Most careers depend a lot on networks, but the beauty of social media is that you can “meet” most of the people you need to know online. Having said that, I truly appreciate real life conversations, and get great value from the New York Tech Meetup after-events, where like-minded entrepreneurs and digital strategists roam. Create your own networking event if you can’t find a nearby group to suit your interests.”

Joining groups like the New York Tech Meetup and Social Media Club are a great start to getting to know professionals in the industry. Make sure you’re not just attending events, sitting in the back and leaving after the speeches end. Be proactive about meeting new people, learning about what they do and having meaningful conversations.

If you can’t find a fitting group of interesting people nearby, start your own Meetup. Organizing a group of specialized experts is one way to sky-rocket your name to the top.

2. Make Relationships, Not Pitches

Joining specialized groups is just the beginning; don’t stop there. When you meet people with interesting stories, get to know them and build a true relationship. Forget the marketing pitches and the elevator speech and leave your resume at home. People can instinctively identify a fraud; be genuine in your mission to understand the industry and what your acquaintances are working on. I like the way Soundcloud Evangelist David Noël puts it, “Don’t be spammy, pushy, sales-y, douchey, or scary.”

The best thing about the social space is that you can continue your relationships online. As Basile puts it, “Comment, interact, blog and re-blog. The more you make yourself heard, the more you will be heard.” Make sure you’re staying active within your network, and don’t forget to listen.

Pedro Sorrentino, MediaMind’s marketing and PR coordinator in Brazil, says to remember that “it’s not only about the people you know, it’s about the way you treat them as well. Technology is just a platform and social media is all about sociology, human behavior and status.” He points out that technology can lead way to short, crass communications. Learn how to engage your network in a “clever and polite way.”

Sophia Aladenoye, a digital strategist at Ogilvy Public Relations, stresses the important of embracing the extrovert in you while on your mission to make your connections count:

“My top tip would be to always engage with people. I have seen this, time and time again, that those who are in the social media industry and who wish to break in are individuals who actually like people and like talking to people. Those are the ones who I see thriving in this industry — it is called “social” for a reason. Even if you consider yourself an introvert, there should be a part of yourself that still reaches out to people.”

3. Stay Informed of Trends, Tools and News

Training, experience and knowledge are all very important for any career choice. Since social media is such a new industry, there aren’t very many standards on what type of training you should have or which tools you should be utilizing to measure success. Because the landscape changes so quickly, it is therefore very important that you are constantly learning. Keep yourself updated on the latest technologies, trends and news by reading up. Walter Junior, social media strategist at Riot, points out that being in the know is key:

“Keep up-to-date with tools, applications, studies and reports. In my opinion, it’s essential to monitor and be familiar with a wide range of Internet materials, such as social media usage research, in order not only to comprehend market and users’ consumption habits, but also to know how they are changing each day.”

Darabi believes that industry awareness and a passion for new things keeps aspiring social media marketers on top of their game. “The magic word in our industry is beta. Get on the beta list for every product that intrigues you, try it for yourself before you recommend the product or platform to your brand or organization. Early-adoption and the ability to be first-to-market is an easy gateway to success.”

A background or knowledge in marketing or PR doesn’t hurt, either. Jakub Svoboda, publisher of Tyinternety.cz, a Czech blog specialized in digital marketing and social media, says that “you have to understand, at least on a basic level, how companies are communicating, what brand marketing is, how to deal with reputation, how to manage a PR crisis, and how to write copy for social advertisements.” If you have a passion for social media, but don’t have the marketing experience, don’t be discouraged. Pick up a marketing book, take a course, or get a mentor.

When you’re on top of the latest news, you’ll never have to worry about fudging up on the facts in an interview. Kimberly Aguilera, planning and new media recruiter at Tangerine Talent Management, advises that, “at an interview you should be prepared with your own ideas for the company or agency [you are interviewing with]. Have relevant examples of who is doing what right.” Aguilera also advises that you cut out the jargon and start at the basics while interviewing. “Being able to teach is a big part of the roles. Not everyone knows as much as you do all of the time. You have to make it all understandable for non-social media experts.”

To stay on top of the latest news, fill your RSS reader with the sources that cover that news. Our experts recommend AdAge, PSFK, Creativity Magazine, eMarketer, and of course, Mashable. We also recommend following or creating a Twitter List of social media of great thinkers in the industry, and interacting with individual tweeters on the list when they post something that’s of interest to you.

4. Find an Online Balance Between Personal & Professional

Noël will tell you that “the lines between your personal and work online presences are blurred.” There isn’t an invisible line between the two, and there is no way of keeping them separate, no matter how you may try. Noël looks at this truth as an opportunity to showcase your expertise. He elaborates, “Don’t be afraid though, and use this to position yourself as an expert in your field and beyond, by blogging about things that are tangent to what your work life is about, but not necessarily cover it as a whole.”

Darabi advises, “Develop your own ‘personal-professional hybrid,’ a version of yourself online that you’re comfortable sharing with the CEO of a Fortune 100 company and your grandmother alike.”

Finally, don’t forget that anything you contribute to the Internet stays there. Basile puts it into perspective, “Everything is Googleable. Anything you put online is fair game, even if your privacy settings are strict. All it takes is one person to copy-paste something you said. Take 10 seconds to think about what you’re saying before you post anything. Someone is ALWAYS paying attention.”

5. Make Your Resume Stand Out

We asked our eight social media, communications, and digital strategy experts for their top resume tips for aspiring social media marketers. They had so many great ideas that we decided to leave you with these notes on sprucing up your resume:

• “Aspiring social media marketers must include their professional and personal social networking links on their resume. A potential employer will find them anyway, so including them shows savvy and initiative. Don’t include your follower numbers, ratio or “influence” score. A potential employer will find that out when they search your social profiles”. -Damien Basile
• “What you emphasize on your resume should also reflect what companies or positions you are applying for. No one likes a resume that doesn’t feel somewhat personalized.” -Sophia Aladenoye
• “It’s essential to emphasize your social presences by including your links to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and personal blog on your resume. In that way, interviewers can analyze your writing and publishing skills, the way you interact with other people and your ability to build a consistent personal image.” -Walter Junior
• “Emphasize your writing and photography abilities, as this industry is largely about making content interesting through basic blogging techniques. You should also highlight projects you’ve self-started. My friend Mike Hudack, [co-founder] of blip.tv, often says he only hires people if they have a side project they feel passionately about. He wants all hires to be innovative and entrepreneurial. I like that approach.” -Soraya Darabi
• “I consider owning some information channel that seems to be interesting a “must have”. Even if it’s your Twitter, a forum, or maybe a very good blog. And don’t forget to show that you are always learning, don’t try to be a know-it-all. Information changes really fast. If you want to show that you know something interesting and add some character, include something like, ‘My friends love my risotto!’” -Pedro Sorrentino
• “Emphasize your own social media presence and successes. Present your great communication and language skills, and don’t forget social links to your blog, Twitter, and other sites you’re active on. Have your resume online, on sites such as on LinkedIn.” -Jakub Svoboda
• “Include your passion projects. This is what sets you apart and tells your story. I recommend to leave off irrelevant experience.” -Kimberly Aguilera
• “Get out there and do, write and say smart things. If you can back this up by [having] a strong web presence and point a recruiter to the things that best describe who you are as a person, you basically don’t need a resume. A cover letter leaves too much room for BS anyway, and a CV can be constructed. Bottom line: link to your online presences that prove that you’re awesome, and you have one foot in the door. Bonus if a company finds you before you find it.” -David Noël

Social Media Job Listings

Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the best social media jobs from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

• Mid-Level Social Media Communications Specialist at The Cadmus Group in Arlington, VA.
• Social Media Sales Consultant at Meltwater in Mountain View, CA.
• Freelance Senior Social Media Strategist at MWW Group in New York, NY.
• Social Media Coordinator at Playboy Enterprises in Chicago, IL.
• Manager, Social Networking and Online Communities at Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, VA.

More Social Media Resources from Mashable:

- 5 Tips for Managing Your Company’s Brand on the Web
- 10 Fascinating Facebook Facts
- 25 Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events
- 10 Tips for Corporate Blogging
- Is Social Media Failing to Produce Business Leads?

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