How to Start a Career in Paid Social Marketing
By Marta Gongos To start working in paid social marketing, you must learn skills, knowledge, and tools used in the trade. Take relevant courses and earn online certifications. Build experience through internships or freelancing, then create a portfolio to showcase your best work.
Social media ad spend is projected to hit $317.33 billion in 2026, and someone is getting paid to make it happen. Paid social marketing professionals are the masterminds behind the thumbstopping ads (and non-ads) you see on X, Instagram, TikTok, Meta, and even Pinterest.
They plan, launch, optimize, and analyze paid social campaigns to help brands reach the right audience and generate leads. If you enjoy data, creativity, and strategy, this could be the perfect job for you.
Let’s find out how to get your career started!
1. Stack Up Your Skills + Knowledge
Paid social marketing professionals, just like other digital marketers, are a jack of all trades. They employ a mix of creative, analytical, and strategic skills to design, implement, and optimize ad campaigns.
Focus on learning:
- Budget management and bidding strategies
- Audience segmentation and targeting
- Reading and interpreting performance data (data analysis)
- Campaign structuring
- Creative & content skills (i.e., ad copywriting, video editing, graphic design, etc.)
- How social media channels work (+ best practices for ad campaigns)
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- Project management
- Soft skills (i.e., communication, leadership, problem solving, adaptability)
Tip: A bachelor’s degree isn’t required to work in paid social media advertising, but it definitely won’t hurt. If earning a degree seems daunting, consider focusing on courses and certifications from Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and HubSpot instead.
2. Master the Tools of the Trade
Taking on any digital marketing role requires expertise (and often experience) in industry tools, and paid social is no exception. In this role, you’ll be working with digital channels and analytics software such as:
| Category | Best Digital Marketing Tools |
|---|---|
| Advertising Tools | Meta Ads Manager TikTok Ads Manager LinkedIn Campaign Manager |
| Social Media Management, Monitoring, and Listening | Hootsuite Sprout Social Buffer |
| Data Analytics | Google Analytics Social Status Excel, or Google Sheets Native Features from social media platforms |
| Content Creation Tools | Canva Adobe Suite |
| Project Management | Asana Trello Basecamp ClickUp |
| Generative AI Tools | Jasper AI ChatGPT Claude Midjourney |
| Audience Segmentation Tools | Contentsquare Hotjar |
Related: How AI Is Changing Skills in Digital Marketing
3. Gain Hands-On Experience
Most employers prefer candidates with real-world experience, even for entry-level roles. But how do you get that experience if you’re just starting out?
Luckily, paid social media advertising is one of the few digital marketing roles you can practice on your own. (Tip: Being chronically online is a great advantage here!)
You can:
- Take on freelance or short-term contract work
- Run test campaigns for a personal or made-up brand with a small budget (think $20 or less per week, just be sure to track key metrics like return on ad spend)
- Create paid ads for your friends or side hustles (try different ad types, e.g., image ads, video ads, LinkedIn ads, carousel ads).
- Help small businesses or non-profits with running ads
- Pitch yourself to businesses or influencers you admire
Tip: Internships are a fantastic way to gain formal experience. Digital marketing agencies like The Influence Agency often offer junior roles or paid internships to nurture budding marketers. It’s a great way to dip your toes in and learn more about the industry.
4. Build a Portfolio
Most hiring managers in digital marketing prioritize results over tenure (though that matters too!). Employers want to know you can deliver a strong return on investment (ROI), which you can showcase through a comprehensive portfolio.
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress are great options for creating a portfolio. A PDF deck also works.
Here’s what to include:
- Three to five case studies (aim for a variety of campaign objectives or platforms, i.e., one for nurturing leads on LinkedIn, one to boost sales on TikTok Shop)
- Paid social media strategy, tools, and results
- Links to any relevant certifications (Meta Blueprint, Google Ads, etc.).
- Samples of high-performing ad copy and visual assets you created or managed.
- Testimonial or quote from a client or manager, if available.
- Contact details
4. Network & Find Job Opportunities
To break into paid advertising, you need to learn to market yourself. Networking (especially online) opens doors that job applications alone can’t.
Many digital marketers build an online presence to showcase their skills and connect with industry professionals. We highly recommend creating and curating your online network on:
- Instagram (if you’re partial to visual assets, you can even use this as your portfolio!)
- Meta (Facebook) Groups
- Slack channels
- Discord
Digital marketing professionals often post job openings to their networks, often as a way to filter referrals. Connecting with established pros means you’ll hear about opportunities first.
Tip: Feeling a little intimidated by the job hunt? Consider working with a specialized digital marketing recruiter who can connect your skills with the right opportunities.
5. Stay Trendy
Finally hired? Don’t stop hustling just yet!
The paid social marketing industry is cutthroat and always moving. Keep your skills and knowledge sharp by staying on top of platform updates, algorithm changes, and emerging trends.
Let’s chat
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FAQs
- Learn the basics through online social media marketing courses and earn certifications.
- Master social media platforms and tools; study successful brands and their strategies.
- Get hands-on experience through internships, freelance work, or personal projects.
- Create a portfolio.
- Network and start job hunting!
A paid social specialist plans, executes, and manages a brand/company’s paid social advertising campaigns. Here’s what the job looks like day-to-day:
- Plan and launch ad campaigns across platforms like Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X
- Write ad copy and design creative assets that grab attention and drive action
- Set budgets and bid strategies to get the best return on ad spend
- Build and test targeted ads (using advanced audience segmentation)
- Prepare and present performance reports to stakeholders or clients
- Monitor campaign performance. Key metrics to track: click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per acquisition (CPA)
- Run A/B tests on ad creative, copy, and targeting
On average, a paid social specialist earns around $53K to $82K per year.
In Summary
- Paid social marketing is a fast-growing digital career that combines creativity, strategy, and data analysis.
- To break into the industry, build your skills and knowledge through courses and certifications.
- Gain hands-on experience via internships, freelance work, or personal campaigns.
- Create a portfolio showcasing your work.
- Network online to learn from established professionals.
- Work with a specialized recruitment agency like Ad Culture to access exclusive digital marketing job opportunities.
Start Working in Paid Social Today
Your dream paid social marketing role is just one click away! Ad Culture connects digital marketing professionals with top advertisers across North America.
Submit your resume today and gain access to opportunities that match your vibe, skills, and experience.
