The demand for social media professionals appears to be growing, with new roles being created across various sectors. Andy Burnham's operation, for example, has recently advertised five new positions for social media professionals.
The most senior of these newly created government roles offers a salary of just under £70,000 annually. This comes as social and video networks have reportedly overtaken news websites and apps in audience share, according to a Reuters Institute report this year.
Lauren Spearman, a freelance consultant with two decades of social media experience, noted a recent shift in businesses hiring for content creators. She described social media as "business critical" and observed that while the industry was once associated with interns, it is now more likely to involve experienced professionals with marketing degrees.