A Social Media Specialist’s insight into the behind-the-scenes.
Social media was just beginning to take shape when I was in my early teens. I was able to connect with friends more easily than ever before through online chatrooms and social platforms.
YouTube was the first platform to truly capture my attention. It was a paradise of endless entertainment, in any genre I wanted to watch. And unlike TV, it wasn’t even ad-free. It’s hard to believe, huh?
After school, I began to spend most of my free time watching YouTubers. This led me to become fascinated by video creation.
I began creating my own videos at home, and went so far as to create content for a YouTube channel. Anyone who made videos during the early days on social media will be able to relate to my statement that these videos have been erased from the face of the Earth.
It was embarrassing, but it was what got me where I am now.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. All of these platforms were born at the same time, and I was there to learn the mechanics and community behind each one.
Vine (rip), which was released later, changed social media and video production. It gave users a platform where they could easily create videos. They even became Vine stars when they achieved immense popularity. The beloved app closed down in 2017 but its legacy still influences the social media that we use today. We have also all seen the recent rise of TikTok, which took the world by surprise during the pandemic.
How did I get here? You won’t get a job by scrolling through TikTok aimlessly for hours. Or does it?
As funny as it may sound, it’s not all jokes. It takes a lot of work to be a Social Media Specialist. I am a Social media specialist because of my deep understanding of social networks, both theoretically and practically. Now, I work professionally in social media at InnoGames, where I manage Sunrise Village Elvenar and Grepolis. You may have heard of some of these games. You can check out our social media channels to learn more about the games or try them on your mobile device or browser.
You may think a specialist in social media is only responsible for creating content for social media. We do produce content for social media, such as videos and Instagram posts, and we also write copywriting for eye-catching captions. Our work is more than just that. Social media is evolving just as the sky. Just a few short years ago, there was a new fashion trend every month. We see new trends every week. We must always adapt because what worked in the past might not work again. We invest the same time and effort into researching platforms, trends, and target groups. Following this research we adjust our strategies and our workflows to create more engaging content for followers.
It is hard work, but so rewarding to watch our players and followers interact with us on these social media platforms. We feel a direct connection to them.
It’s a lot of fun for me. It’s not only that I do what I love every day, but I also get to learn and grow from talented people all around me.
When I think back to the little girl in her bedroom with the camera, trying to direct the music video of one of my favorite music artists, (yes, that happened, but the video has since been lost, thank God), I feel proud of her. Social media wasn’t seen at the time as a viable profession. She would also be proud if she had known where her passion would lead.
