Here are highlights and key points we took away from the eye-opening experience:

• Women have incredible consumer power. Not only are there countless industries targeting females, but they often buy for every other market. One way for brands to successfully reach them while increasing visibility is pairing up with a cause or a different brand for twice the community. Two interesting case studies mentioned include Sear’s Kenmore Baking for the Troops program and Bluefly’s team-up with popular television show “Project Runway.”
• Campaigns work in mysterious ways. As the Museum of Science and Industry will testify, brands cannot always predict how a campaign will take off. After announcing their Month at the Museum competition in a local press release, they quickly received thousands of applications from every corner of the world. The response was overwhelming but also incredibly exciting – not only did they see a major increase in museum visits and web traffic, but they also found long-lasting qualitative effects, like kids becoming more interested in science. Using something like an event, competition or experiment can be an entry point of interest that brings focus back to your business.
• Tell a story. When companies allow for two-way communication with customers, it increases their brand’s authenticity by empowering consumers. Jockey proved this when they invited user-generated content interaction by asking people to submit videos of themselves dancing in their underwear. Obviously, something like this doesn’t work for everyone, but it demonstrates how a campaign can transcend a product or service and shift the focus to what really matters: human connections.
• Be quiet and listen: Social media managers feel pressure to pump out interesting, well-timed content everyday, but another key part of their job is listening to what others online are saying. This kind of quiet monitoring helps businesses gain insight about who their followers are and what they’re talking about and measure up against competitors. It’s also important to identify your advocates along with your detractors. A few valuable monitoring tools mentioned were Radian6, Brandwatch and Sysomos.
• Nothing beats face-to-face time. It’s a little surreal to attend a live event based on online experiences and realize everyone around you is simultaneously tweeting, blogging, checking in or updating their status. To demonstrate how strong the connection between people and their mobile devices is, Panelist Heidi Skinner of Critical Mass made us hand over our cell phones to a stranger – and half the audience looked about ready to cry. Yet at the end of the day there’s nothing like old-fashioned direct contact, which is why Katy Lynch of SocialKaty carves out a few hours of her workday to visit her clients in person.

Social media has proven itself a wonderful and transformative tool for businesses and individuals alike, but the truth is it could never exist without people’s fundamental need to communicate, connect and express themselves. Luckily for all of us, neither of these things is going anywhere anytime soon.

While the marketing opportunities of social media were previously widely misunderstood, savvy businesses are learning of the possibilities, limited only by company vision or imagination. Although the overall employment market is improving, the number of social media jobs is on a much faster track.

Fortunately, compensation is keeping pace. A social media community manager, SEO expert or interactive marketing guru will enjoy the strong focus of the business community on committing to social network strategies. Along with creative jobs and impressive compensation, the social networks are creating some new theories.

For example, most companies traditionally want to see impressive ROI for marketing activities. A top marketing staffing agency might now have clients asking for talent that can generate a strong ROE (Return on Engagement) as the focus shifts from pure cost and revenue to “engaging” customers and improving the “customer experience.”

Why the dramatic increase in social media jobs? Consider this data. After almost zero investment in prior years, the U.S. spent $1.7 billion on social media marketing in 2010. Along with this spending, 40 percent of SEO campaigns generated returns over 500 percent. Many companies want to participate in these spectacular results.

As online spending increases, the need for social media experts follows. Exciting developments, like new advanced social media monitoring tools, bring high level marketing sophistication to the forefront. An interactive marketing manager can receive real time data on individuals, bloggers and companies “talking” about their products, presenting the opportunity to immediately communicate directly with interested prospects.

Social media jobs that involve designing strategies, maximizing use of monitoring tools and enhancing an employer’s brand offer new career paths. Statistics indicate that many of these opportunities are lucrative. For example, a study (by 2.0 Adoption Council) of almost 100 participants shows that the average salary of director-level social media professionals is $114,000 per year.

Social networking has come a long way from MySpace-addicted high schoolers. It has evolved into an amazingly effective marketing channel, creating new employment opportunities for freelancers and full time employees alike.

The classic duties of managerial marketing careers are evolving to reflect the needs of the digital marketplace. Their overall focus, however, remains to develop and execute successful strategies that generate revenue, keep customers satisfied and strengthen their brand.

Typical interactive marketing manager duties include:
 

• Planning and developing marketing strategies. Often serving as a social media community manager as well as marketing guru for all digital interactive activities, developing effective strategies is task number one.
• Testing and measuring marketing campaign results. Unless measured, tested and evaluated, few strategies can boast success. Measuring results provides data that reinforces strategies or recommends changes.
• Maximizing social media and website interactivity. The strength of social networks and effective websites is their interactivity, allowing visitors to deliver immediate feedback.
• Leading creative teams to spur and manage innovative marketing programs. Creative staff needs the supervision of a knowledgeable, digital professional.
• Managing web designers, production staff and IT personnel to motivate high performance. The combination of creativity, production and data personnel pose management challenges that interactive marketing managers can surmount, while creating a cohesive, high performing unit.
• Managing digital vendor relationships. Third party suppliers and/or collaborators are important to marketing strategies. Marketing managers familiar with the language, processes and logistics with interactive software can best manage these necessary relationships.
• Preparing reports for executive management. The intimate involvement of interactive marketing managers with all aspects of marketing strategies enable these professionals to create the meaningful reports senior management desires.

While some of these duties are more challenging than others, an effective interactive marketing manager typically earns anywhere between $50,000 and $150,000 per year as a full time employee. Freelancers can earn equally lucrative incomes if they cultivate a good client base with consistent work.

The internet is filled with self proclaimed social media gurus. However, social marketing jobs require a person to do much more than build hundreds of followers on a social network. Unfortunately, there are myths that surround this field making people believe that social media marketing is easier and less expensive than traditional forms of marketing.

True social media specialists know that social marketing is not about simply growing fans and followers. Success in this new type of marketing comes from the ability to engage communities surrounding a business or product and getting the community to do much of the marketing for you through crowdsourcing. With this technique you not only get your community to spread the word, but you can harness the trust their family and friends have in their opinions and transfer some of that to your brand.

Social marketing jobs can be tough when it comes to managing communities, as well. Not everyone on the web is going to be your biggest fan, and this platform gives them the opportunity to share their thoughts about your organization, even if they’re negative. True social media experts will take this “bad press” and respond to it in such a way that it benefits their company and frames them in a positive light.

Another reality of social media as a marketing tool that many don’t understand is that it is not a way to cut back on traditional marketing expenses. That misconception comes from the belief that through crowdsourcing, the goals of a marketing campaign can be met without having to pay a team of marketing professionals, writers, designers or data analysts.

The truth is social marketing jobs can be very rewarding, exciting and fast paced. However, they do require a great deal of flexibility and dedication to be successful.

These days, freelance advertising requires you to have a strong foundation in the online market. In order to stay competitive, it’s advantageous to know how to use two of the biggest online advertising platforms.

Google AdWords – This is Google’s advertising platform that allows you to create ads that publishers using Google’s AdSense can display on their websites. Each time a person clicks on the advertisement the advertiser is charged and the money is split between Google and the publisher.

Facebook Ads – This advertising platform works similarly to Google AdWords except that advertisements are exposed to hundreds of millions of Facebook users, not only on individual websites.

To use either of these tools effectively, those who work in freelance advertising need to further understand:

Keyword Research – Learning what people are searching for and recognizing the metrics that go into it will definitely help any freelancer better understand the demographics they are advertising to and how to maximize a return. The Google Keyword Tool and WordStream’s suite are some of the more popular free keyword research tools available, however having a working knowledge of SEOMoz’s tools can help tremendously as well.

Copywriting for the Web – Understanding how to write copy that encourages people to take action is one thing, doing it for the web is another story. Writing for the web requires advertisers to be concise and still get their message across. Both AdWords and Facebook ads have limited space so creating effective ads can be more challenging.

While social marketing jobs may be growing, many people are unclear as to what types of employment there is in the social marketing field. The list below highlights some of the areas of social marketing and some of the common jobs that exist in each.

Video Marketing
YouTube, Daily Motion and Vimeo have become essential marketing sites because the videos they host cost less than traditional television advertising, are shared for free (think viral videos) and are extremely popular.

However the videos produced for corporate advertising are not like those put together by someone in their basement. These videos require script writers, directors, videographers and just about any other job that goes along with producing a traditional video advertisement. On the marketing end, video marketing requires people who know how to promote videos, how to get them shared on popular blogs and how to analyze the ROI from them.

Social Network Advertising
Social networks have been around much longer than Facebook, and from their early days, sites like MySpace have been used to promote products, services, artists and companies. Since then, thousands of niche networks have been used to spread the word for marketing professionals as well.

Social network marketing professionals manage pay-per click advertising campaigns, grow website traffic through fans and followers and promote video marketing efforts using the various social networks. Social networks also provide a great way for companies to capture feedback regarding just about anything from their customers and clients that can be used in future marketing and advertising campaigns. Not only this, but negative feedback left on social media sites allows a company to address the needs and issues a customer may legitimately have. The marketing department can do wonders for the company’s image if they are able to respond quickly and adequately to this type of feedback.

Blogging
Blogs represent one of the best social marketing avenues available because they can not only be used to advertise products and services, but they help establish credibility through engaging content and keep readers coming back. Blogs require programmers, editors, writers and search engine optimization specialists in order to be effective tools for marketing.

Social media marketing jobs are growing faster than the average expansion in the global market. Not just a U.S. phenomenon, social media is becoming a powerful marketing option for many employers throughout the world.

Knowing what most employers want to achieve is critically valuable to social media specialists seeking assignments. Here are some of the most commonly stated goals of companies that employ social media marketing.

• Improved branding. Along with “social media,” “branding” is the most used (perhaps over-used) word heard in contemporary business. However, almost every potential employer you find will stipulate that you improve their current brand status as a focus of the project.
• Make positive customer—and potential customer—connections. Some consider social media simply an obese chat room. Engaging current and future customers in conversation can build some positive bonding and branding. While employers also risk receiving criticism for positions and conversations, most want their social media specialist to energize interaction.
• Tight target marketing. As the cost of advertising continues to intensify, target marketing becomes ever more important. Sub-campaigns emphasizing one product or feature—directed at a focused customer group—can be much more cost-effective than other forms of marketing.
• Marketing “seeding campaigns.” Like cultivating a fabulous lawn or garden, consistent seeding efforts are often fruitful. The interactivity of social media sites permits ongoing campaigns that you can embrace to generate immediate feedback to measure the success of the program.
• Effective content sharing. Using the inherent ability to share content, ideas, links and resources to market a company is an important component for social media specialists. It could be in the form of an interesting article, interactive new website or just some food for thought. But when properly used, this feature will keep customers coming back to the employer’s website and social media pages.
• Generate useful customer feedback. Customer feedback, even negative commentaries, is invaluable for current and future marketing projects. While most websites encourage visitor comments, social media sites can be more feedback friendly, since they are more conversation stimulators than informational sources.
• Increase customer loyalty. Establishing customer loyalty is the holy grail of most businesses. The benefits are impressive: Fewer advertising dollars, less product pricing pressure and stronger customer referrals. If you’re able to gain the trust of customers and clients now, it will be easier to grow this valuable pool in the future.

In the continuing effort to help professionals project their expertise in the most outstanding fashion, these freelance marketing tips offer proven suggestions to enhance your image. These tips, when used properly, will generate more freelance marketing opportunities for you. Take advantage of the post-recession job growth to make your bank account smile.

• Create an outstanding portfolio site. Regardless of your specialty, your portfolio site is the “flagship” of your professional persona. This site will market you 24/7/365 to potential clients.
• Use design galleries to generate additional professional exposure of your talent. Once you’re proud of your spectacular portfolio site, submit your finished product to some design galleries. This generates extended exposure of your talent and identifies you as a skilled professional.
• Encourage client word-of-mouth and written referrals. All freelancers have heard this tip multiple times, yet many still overlook its importance. There are few more effective “work generators” than one-to-one referrals and glowing written testimonials to your expertise and performance.
• Always publish links to your portfolio site on web content—your own or others—through back links. Including links to your portfolio and website is a simple—and critical—way to connect potential clients to you. Whether publishing articles, designs, or blog comments, post an active link in or at the end of your copy. Try to make some back link partnerships with others to generate additional exposure.
• Create a professional profile, viewable on other sites. Spend thoughtful time creating a brief but meaningful profile for inclusion on your website and attached to the end of postings you make on others’ sites and blogs. Include a small picture, whenever possible, to further personalize yourself to potential clients.
• Establish a credible blog to widen exposure and credibility. Start—and maintain—a blog that captivates visitors and generates comments. While your freelance marketing blog should probably avoid controversial issues, you can still include cutting-edge comments on issues relevant to marketing your talent.
• Use social media sites to display your expertise and augment your network. Social networking sites increase your exposure and build some habitual followers, further widening your personal and professional network. Use this power wisely. Touting your favorite high school or college football team should probably be avoided. Mentioning your recent noteworthy activities or crediting the achievements of others in your network should originate positive branding and feedback.
• Utilize the expertise of a top freelance marketing agency. A well-respected freelance marketing agency, like Artisan, has influence and credibility with clients you’d be hard-pressed to ever unearth. Use their resources and networks to spread the word of your considerable talent and skill.

Do not be concerned that most observers consider these tips as components of a passive marketing strategy. The core truth is that as solopreneurs, multiple “active” marketing campaigns are simply too time-consuming for a one-person business. The Internet permits these low-cost, but highly effective strategies to generate more freelance marketing opportunities for you.

In order to use social media to its full capacity, you will need to build a brand for yourself or your company. Branding reinforces your message on the Web and can help you prove that you are a polished professional–whether you are looking for work or just trying to cover all the bases by putting together a social media presence. So how do you build a brand? Here are some tips to get you started:

• Strive for consistency in format. Use the same bio picture or logo for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you use your middle initial, make sure all your social media sites have it. Remember that you are creating a package, and that it should be visually cohesive.
• Watch what you say. Remember that everything you say can be seen. Don’t let something slip that will come back to haunt you. Present a professional image at all times.
• Choose colors and a design. This doesn’t have to be super fancy–but you’ll want to stick to a similar color scheme if possible. If you are a designer and can create a custom logo, add it to your social media where you can.
• Make sure all the information is the same. If you describe yourself as a designer on one social networking group, don’t list “writer” on another. Keep the flow of information the same so that no matter which site someone visits, they get a message that reinforces your brand.
• Create a tagline. Taglines are a punchy way to get to the heart of what you do and they tend to be short. Use them if you can on social media.

Did you know that many employers are now going through Facebook accounts to review potential candidates? Are you aware that you can search for a person's Website on Twitter and see all the times it has been referred to recently? These things can be a little bit frightening when you think about how easy it is for someone to hear what you are up to on the Web. Even a simple Google search may return posts that you have made on forums or blogs. The best way to approach your online activity is to assume that you need to maintain a professional demeanor on the Web. That way you won't have to be concerned about what someone will find.