Do you ever wonder why “entry level” jobs pay less than middle management and higher level positions?
Do you ever wonder why internships are often unpaid (whether or not it’s legal) or paid very little?
If you’ve never wondered either of those things, than I’m ecstatic and you can pretty much stop reading because I’m probably not talking with you in this post.
If you’re still reading…then you probably recall when Pizza Hut received a lot of buzz when it sought a “twittern” in April 2009.
But, Pizza Hut is not alone.
Take a look at this Craigslist.org ad for a “social media coordinator.” (If the ad is gone, see this screen shot.) Here’s part of the ad:
This position will begin as a part time position, potentially leading to a full time position within the organization. We would like to recruit a third year or fourth year college student for this position.
Description:
The ideal candidate is a savvy and creative computer user who is knowledgeable about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter as well as other social media platforms. If you’re not an active user or don’t know what social media is, you are probably not the right person for this position.In this role, you will manage the online social media presence for a large commercial real estate consulting firm. You will champion the brand online and you will be responsible for professionally representing the brand online.
This position will report to the firm’s president and collaborate with other members.
So, this “large commercial real estate consulting firm” will hand its primary social media marketing responsibilities over to “a third year or fourth year college student”? WTF?!
Social media is only a channel. A set of tools. A telephone line (as Charlie Wollborg tweeted to me the other day).
You may know how to create a Facebook Page, or know how to set up a blog or even communicate 140 characters at a time. But, it doesn’t mean you know why you do those and other social media tactics.
Social media marketing — like any other marketing activity — needs to be tied to a company or organization’s objectives, and guided by strategy.
While sound strategy needs to be the foundation of any social media marketing, there also are a lot of times when an immediate response is needed. To handle marketing on the fly, would you rather have someone who is inexperienced or someone whose judgment is backed by business experience?
Okay, rant over. Thanks for reading.
For another great post on the subject of social media and interns, see this by Hart Inc.’s Daminan Rintelmann.
-Mike
