"Creators wanted" - Why Social Media needs Professionals

We all spend a lot of time being on social media. We often post our own content. But is every social media user capable of creating high-quality content for businesses? If the latest figures from LinkedIn are anything to go by, this skill is definitely in demand. According to a recent analysis by the business network, the number of job openings for "Creators" has tripled in the last twelve months.

What Does a Creator Do?

To understand why demand in this job sector is exploding, the question arises as to what a Creator actually does. Because it seems that more skills are required here than posting pictures and completing viral dance challenges. In fact, the scope of this profession has changed dramatically in recent months. One reason for this is undoubtedly the constantly new algorithms that determine for all users who has the upper hand in the battle for more views.

A creator must be able to understand the natural flow in the respective social network, be able to address the relevant customer group and implement the rules of the platform. Creativity is also required, as is a feel for trends and an eye for the right aesthetics. As if that weren't enough, it's also a matter of presenting the company, delivering the desired message, and keeping up to date. All of this should appear as casual and spontaneous as possible in order to maintain a real connection with users. To achieve this, visual content is created in the form of images and videos. But there are also live streams and sound bits. To conclude, the appropriate hashtags must be used or created and a creator must also feel at home in the comments. All in all, it's easy to see why more and more companies want to hand this task over to professionals.

Who Uses Creators Most Often?

There is no business today that can do without a social media presence. Even the small baker around the corner is represented with his cake creations on Insta and Co. But not all industries are taking advantage of social media to the same extent yet. Demand for digital creatives is particularly high from the technology and information sectors. Right after that, companies from the advertising industry line up. According to LinkedIn, fashion brands and service providers from the food and beverage industry rank 8th and 10th, respectively, when it comes to how many job postings can be found on the network.

This points to an increasing number of companies across all sectors focusing on extending a thoughtful online presence to social networks.

Creators as a Critical Part of Marketing

Despite the fact that social networks have been growing in recent years, many marketers today still don't see the platforms as the lynchpin of their campaigns. Often, tasks such as content creation are implemented on the side and only half-heartedly integrated into the overall concept. Why this is a fatal mistake can be seen from some current facts and figures around social media:

• About 50% of the world's population is registered and active in at least one social network.
• There are about 4.2 billion active accounts on social networks.
• On average, users spend two hours a day on social networks.
• Already, about 40% of small and medium-sized businesses run social media ads.
• About 9 out of 10 brands use multiple social media channels.
• Instagram ad engagement is 10 times higher than Facebook.
• YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. The number of users on social media nearly doubled from 2016 to 2021, from 2.31 billion to 4.2 billion.

Another point is that through platforms like TikTok, younger generations in particular are in sustained communication with each other. A market dynamic has been established here that is blazingly fast. In order to hold one's own in this environment, it is important to be able to communicate at eye level - a job that can be done on a professional level with the right creative.

Brand Growth Thanks to Social Media Marketing

The German market is very conservative in many areas. Especially small and medium-sized companies with tradition find it difficult to find their way into the digital world. The reasons for this vary. The lack of know-how and understanding of the individual platforms is often one of the many pitfalls.

Only 66% of German companies had their own website in 2021. In 2016, the figure was 63 %.

It is therefore important to see social media as an opportunity for one's own company. In order to take advantage of this, part of the marketing budget must flow into high-quality content. This can happen via an in-house creator who is employed by the company. But it is also possible to have content delivered via multiple channels. From the external account manager to the media company that takes care of the corporate image, collaboration with experienced creators is inevitable.

Sources:

• https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/151766/umfrage/anteil-der-unternehmen-mit-eigener-website-in-deutschland/#:~:text=In%20Year%202021%20verf%C3%BCgten%20laut,Year%202021%20on%2098%20percent.
• https://www.websiterating.com/de/research/social-media-statistics-facts/#:~:text=Despite%20the%20steep%20growth%20th,year%202021%20nearly%20doubled%20.
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/making-go-viral-now-career-creator-jobs-boom-10-fields-george-anders/