Career Spot: Political Social Media Strategist
In recent years, social media has emerged to play a pivotal role in transforming the ways in which people engage in politics, and how politics itself operates as a function in society. Considering the digital platform it depends on, social media has given political parties and politicians the chance to establish direct connections with an almost limitless audience at a much lesser cost than old-school door-knocking techniques. Indeed, modern-day political social networking carries with it the kind of reach that traditional political realms could not have even imagined.
If this is an area that you find yourself drawn to, it may be worth considering a career as a political social media strategist. It’s a lengthy name with a relatively simple purpose: a political social media strategist is responsible for maintaining public relations aspects of a political campaign on social media. They are specialists with a deep understanding of the inner mechanisms of political campaigns and use that expertise to manage the digital aspects of a candidate’s campaign.
Inevitably, the responsibilities of a political social media strategist relate to the type and level of a campaign, be it local, state or national. The primary responsibilities of this type of strategist are covered by four main categories: planning and conceptualizing, designing, execution and distribution, and promotion. Indeed, all operations within a digital political campaign belong within these quadrants of strategy.
A political social media strategist also provides assistance to politicians and their parties in the development of their campaign platforms on social media, gives guidance regarding the creation of ads and posts as part of the campaign’s execution, and distributes and promotes these posts to the relevant audiences. It doesn’t matter if you choose to associate with a political strategy agency or work independently as a consultant, the responsibilities remain the same.
As for education and skill requirements, an aspirant must have a bachelor’s degree, be it in political science, journalism, communication or public relations. A working background in political and legislative campaigns, as well as marketing experience, is an advantage.
You should also possess good political acumen and knowledge of how social media can be best utilized to deliver the right result for a political campaign. Moreover, strong communication skills will help you get your point across effectively. When it comes to technical skills, you can also benefit from an understanding of reporting metrics in order to gauge the efficacy of the campaigns you run.
While a career as a political social media strategist can be both lucrative and a chance for wide exposure to power, it remains a niche choice for young people. Paradoxically, educated young people are probably best positioned today to bring in fresh ideas and astuteness of social media use in political campaigns. Are you considering a career move?
