If you’ve downloaded our free (and highly insightful) pdf on how upskilling with social media can help you boost your confidence and re-ignite your earning power, you are probably now wondering… how can I make money by learning social media?
This is such a great question. Having worked with nearly 200 women, we can tell you that there are MANY different ways to make money by learning social media.
Here are just a few of the ways you can earn money with social media prowess:
- Become a Social Media Expert
- Launch your own business using Social Media
- Make yourself more valuable to your employer
Let’s break these down a bit more…
Become a Social Media Expert
About a third of the women who complete the TechPixies Step by Step Social Media Magic Course go on to become social media experts. Within the scope of ‘Social Media Expert’ there are several roles which we’ll break down below:
Social Media Manager
A Social Media Manager typically manages the social media for a client. In this scenario, you might be managing multiple channels. Sometimes this role includes strategy, especially with smaller companies where you might not be working under a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or a Digital Marketing Manager (who would be driving the overall strategy across website, email, social media, etc.).
EXAMPLE: Sam Evans, who completed our Face to Face Social Media Course now works at The Curiosity Box running all of their social media. You can see her amazing work on the Curiosity Box social media feeds (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
This role is typically salaried if you are working more than 50% but can be a contract if you work less than 50% and also work on Social Media for other clients.
Social Media Consultant
A Social Media Consultant is typically more focused on auditing and strategy. Often they will be brought in for the big picture or to think through a particular type of campaign.
Social Media Consultants tend to have a lot of previous experience as Social Media Managers and therefore can confidently recommend strategies based on what they know works.
EXAMPLE: Joy Foster, the founder of TechPixies is a Social Media Consultant for Proviz Sports. While she doesn’t do the day to day posting across the networks anymore, she does help drive the strategy. When Proviz wanted to launch a new REFLECT360 CRS Cycling Jacket. Joy created the organic social media strategy which helped Proviz successfully complete a £100,000 Kickstarter launch.
Social Media Trainer
Many small companies do not have the budget to take on a Social Media Manager or a Social Media Consultant. One way that you can earn money by learning social media is then to train others how to use social media.
We would highly recommend that before you start teaching social media that you get some experience first as a social media freelancer, manager or consultant. This will help you to have examples which you can teach. You’ll also have had time to make plenty of mistakes so you’ll be much more confident that you are teaching your clients the right methodologies!
EXAMPLE: Elaine Ford was one of our very first students at TechPixies. After completing our course and working on several accounts including pampeano, Proviz, Oxford Media Factory, TechPixies and The Curiosity Box, she had a couple years of real life experience. She then became a TechPixies instructor in Oxford and then in the past year has transitioned into setting up her own Social Media Training Company called Clew.
Launch your own business using Social Media
The second group of women we tend to work with are women who have decided to set up their own businesses. About a third of the women who take our TechPixies Step by Step Social Media Magic Course want to learn how to use social media to spread the word about their business idea.
Starting a business takes time, effort and often money upfront. Of all the ways to make money, it is probably the slowest but most rewarding when you do it right.
It is no secret that Social Media is a must have for most businesses today. At TechPixies we have an amazing group of women who are artists, crafters, and designers. Often they have wonderful products, but want to know how to get their products in front of more people.
EXAMPLES: Lisa Frost, a TechPixie based in the Cotswolds has set up an Etsy Shop called Frosty in the Cotswolds. She creates and sells gorgeous cushions, mini dachshunds, glass cases, cosmetic bags, and more. She uses her Instagram feed to give behind the scenes pics of her work and promote her custom projects.
Miranda Blaas-Cousins, another one of our very first TechPixies, took what she learned on the course and set up a business called Harta Living. She sources individual artefacts from around the globe for her clients. She too primarily uses Instagram to show people her latest artefact acquisitions and also share beautiful style ideas and behind the scenes stories. You can read more about Miranda’s story and how she used SMART goals to set up her business here.
Kate Haddon, one of our super keen TechPixies, who has taken not only the Step by Step Social Media Magic Course, but also completed the Digital Marketing Principles Course, recently launched ‘The Girl Element’ which is STEM pajamas for girls aged 2-11. She has used her new found knowledge to not only launch the social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for the business but to set up an email capture form for people interested in purchasing her pajamas! You go Kate!
Make yourself more valuable to your employer
The final third of women who complete the TechPixies Step by Step Social Media Magic Course are women who are already working but want to become more valuable to their employers.
It is no secret that most companies don’t know how to use social media properly to promote their business. Often they make the mistake of hiring a young person to do it despite the fact that just because they use social media doesn’t mean they actually know how to promote with it properly.
If you are already working, upskilling with social media (properly) will be a huge asset to your company. It could mean that if you are in an admin role, you have the opportunity to earn a bit more and take on new responsibilities.
EXAMPLE: Elaine T. is a current student who works for a public sector organisation. Elaine is learning social media in order to enhance her current role and offer more to her employer. The great news? Her employer is picking up the bill her her training!
Another example of this is Susie West, who has co-founded a Community Interest Company with her brother called ‘Heart Felt Tips‘.
HFT organises for children who are suffering economic hardship to receive pencil cases packed with pens and other art supplies, creative tools that they all too often lack. She has learned social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to help spread the word about the amazing work they are doing.
One of our favorite upskilling stories is of Louise Bailey who went from doing social media volunteer work to her dream job managing the Waddesdon Manor website. You can read her story here.
We hope you’ve found this post and the examples useful! Join us on Tuesday at 12pm where we’ll be discussing this further on our Facebook LIVE.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to download our free pdf about how learning social media can reverse the 4 negative impacts of a career break.