Mike Abasov

Why Social Media Jobs Don’t Pay Much & What to Do about It

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:46:00 -0800

A few weeks ago, an infographic came out summarizing how much money can you make working social media jobs in the US. Although the numbers are probably a bit different for Canada, it is interesting to see that the top-paid strategists get over a $100k, while the bottom of the pyramid doesn’t even qualify to be in the middle class. And this got me thinking.

Why We Are Paid So Low

There is a clear notion in the business world that social media jobs pay much less than other more “prestigious” marketing positions. But why?

Some would say that tweeting and blogging can’t be as complicated of a job as making TV commercials or writing press releases, can it? So why would a company pay people more? Though I would strongly disagree, this view of things has 2 real issues behind it.

First, it’s the amount of overhead. Because inbound marketing is much cheaper and is mostly intangible, companies have way smaller budgets for it. The only problem is that many assume that, since the tools are so cheap, the people who use them aren’t worth much either, which is a profoundly wrong assumption.

Secondly, I believe that many companies still have no clue what they want their social media people to do. The industry is too young to be able to show a track record of impressive and lasting ROI. Therefore, we end up having companies that are ready to do something with social, but not ready to pay for it.

Economics to the Rescue

The basic theory in economics is the one of supply and demand. Demand generates supply, and the price for a good or service depends on how much demand and how much supply there is. So let’s apply this to our industry.

On the demand side, we have a low percentage of companies that are buying into social media, as discussed above. This fact by itself lowers the price.

On the supply side, however, we have an abundance of experts, mavins, divas, and other people who are selling their social media skills (or the lack of such) for money. The main reason for this excess is the fact that the barriers of entry are so low — it doesn’t take much to write a Twitter bio with the word “guru” in it and share articles from Mashable on a daily basis.

Now this overflow of supply, again, lowers the price of the service. The result? Social media jobs don’t pay shit. In fact, the infographic I was talking about should really consider including all the unpaid internships that have become so popular among employers. Why pay somebody if there is a dozen people who will do it for free?

What We Should Do

Now that we know why the industry is broken, what can we do to actually start making money doing what we love? Here’s a recipe made out of 3 ingredients.

1. Show the ROI.
You need to educate your employers about how much real value social media is creating for them (assuming that you are creating real value, aren’t you?). Once they understand what they are paying for, they won’t mind paying more. And on a global scale, this will help tackle the demand problem over time.

2. Compete like a boss.
To stand out, you need to know more than others about your craft, as well as be able to communicate this fact to your employers. Focus on learning how to do social media the right way and then do it over and over again until it becomes natural. On top of that, use personal branding to position yourself as the real deal.

3. Let your niche evolve.
Wait, grow your resume, build your brand, don’t mind getting payed less than your friends in consumer packaged goods. In fact, if you nailed the first 2 ingredients, you’ll be payed plenty. Then, when the demand figures itself out, the supply will start dramatically dropping. All the pseudo-experts will have to go back to where they came from, while all the real professionals will have companies competing for their time.

If you apply these principles, then when 2015 comes and the industry finally finishes going through puberty, you will find yourself in a marketplace where you can do what you love and get payed well for doing it. True story.

What’s your take on this?

On Sharing, Trust, & The Post-Privacy World

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:50:41 -0800

(see video first)

I think sharing and collaboration is one of the most interesting trends when it comes to the ways we consume goods in services. Interestingly, although the idea is simple and pretty straightforward, this could not have happened even 10 years ago. But not because of the absence of technology — it’s been there for decades — but because of how the word “stranger” had changed its meaning over the years.

It used to be that a stranger was someone we didn’t know anything about. Even when the Internet became popular, we ended up hiding behind the veil of anonymity. This, in turn, created its own problems, as the web became a refuge for scammers and sex offenders.

But then something interesting happened. Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and other social networks changed the way we share information. In fact, we started over-sharing. These days, an interested person can find not only one’s name, but also their home address, all contact info, and what they had for three months ago.

To some, this phenomenon is scary. The web is full of articles and blog posts about the privacy issues with major social networks. Yet I believe that this, as I call it, “post-privacy world,” is one the most positive cultural shifts in history.

Today, the word “stranger” bears a different meaning. It’s still someone you have not met, yet it’s not someone you know nothing about. On the contrary, you may know everything about them. Which creates a special environment of trust between people. And if you trust someone, why not share?

Most Superbowl Ads Fail to Go Beyond a One-Commercial-Break Stand

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:58:00 -0800

So Superbowl happened, and one thing that every marketer will be talking about for the next few weeks are the ads. I watched them all, and I have to say that I’m quite disappointed, and not just with the general level of creativity — with Teleflora being most pathetic, — but with how many companies have failed to extend the conversation to social media.

Personally, I expected that this year more businesses would try to drive traffic from their TV impressions towards one of their social media channels. Samsung did a good job with its “Party continues on Facebook,” then Bud Light successfully threw in a dog rescue message at the end of its spot. Yet, most of the companies did the same thing they’ve been doing for decades: show an impressive visual with some music or voiceover and hope that it’s gonna stick.

Why This Is a Problem

Social media is a two-way channel that allows brands to interact with customers on a continuos basis, build relationships and keep the conversation going. This ability to keep marketing to the same people over time is social media’s main and most powerful advantage. That’s why it is upsetting to see how companies are missing out on an opportunity to go beyond a 30-second spot. Why wouldn’t you want to keep engaging with people after the commercial break is over? This type of engagement could make your RIO shoot through the roof, and yet so many keep ignoring it.

Take-Away for Marketers Who Don’t Have $4M to Waste

Always go beyond one-time impressions. Start by crafting a compelling message, be it in the form of an ad, a speech, a landing page, or whatever. Then ask people to continue the conversation on social channels, and if your message is right, they won’t hesitate to follow you. And once they’re connected, use those social media best practices to keep them engaged, entertained and appreciated.

This is the kind of marketing that will make the most money in the years to come. And being among the first to adopt it can prove incredibly powerful for you and your business. I really hope that the next Superbowl will be a better example of how marketing should be done in the digital age.

P&G Focuses on New Media. Opportunities for Students Arise

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:15:00 -0800

While many still doubt the importance and power of social media used for marketing, some of the world’s largest corporations start to catch up. Particularly interesting is the decision of P&G to lay off 1,600 of its employees and pay more attention to the cheaper, less traditional media, such as Facebook and YouTube. After the enormous success that Old Spice brand managed to achieve using viral video campaigns with a personal touch in 2010 and 2011, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Procter & Gamble would question the relevance and the ROI of the old-school channels.

Furthermore, I would expect many other large companies to see this as a sign to get on board and start channeling their expenditures into social marketing, which means more job cutting and restructuring.

What Graduating Students Should Consider

I bet a lot of business students looking for a career in marketing for consumer packaged goods companies like P&G are trembling from fear right now. How are we supposed to get employed in this environment of cost-cutting and lay-offs? Are we going to stay without a job? What do we do?

Do not panic! I, personally, believe that this is a great news for everyone who’s young and willing to adopt to the new conditions. As more corporations are looking to utilize the power of the Web, they will be looking for people who feel most comfortable with using the new media, and who have grown up connected to the Internet 24/7. This could be you. In fact, many of the students are already falling into the category of digital natives, and I see an extraordinary opportunity to position yourself as one, develop your e-marketing skills, and be on board when CPG Enterprise Marketing goes 2.0 on a large scale.

2011 in Review. 2012 in Preview.

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:29:00 -0800

Last year I’ve written a number of resolutions for each letter of the alphabet. Not everything went the way I expected but, in general, I’m happy with my 2011. Here’s the revised list.

Accomplished:
A - assume less, listen more. D - develop better studying habits. E - English, master. G - Gary Vaynerchuk, meet. H - help more people than I’ve helped in 2010. I - improve relationships with my parents. K - keep being awesome. M - meet someone truly amazing. N - notes (music), learn how to read. R - raise, get. S - speak in public about branding. T - turn 22, hopefully. X - forget about her. Y - because.

Failed:
B - build and improve this blog. C - Chris Brogan, meet. F - fight laziness. J - join a marketers’ association. L - lose 10 pounds and keep it that way. O - obey this resolution. P - post guest posts to some top-of-the-line blogs. Q - quit watching so many tv-shows. U - utilize video content more effectively. V - visit New York. W - write a book. Z - come up with a task for “z” next year.

Highlights of 2011

In April, I became the president of the UBC eBusiness club, and it’s been a rewarding on-campus experience that opened doors for new people in my life and provided me with an opportunity to master a variety of new skills.

In May, my friend and I started NotChefs, a social network for sharing recipes. After 2 months of development, we decided to put the project back on the shelf due to limited resources.

In September, after working at HootSuite Media for 13 months, I left the company to pursue new adventures. I’ve been working a few small contracts since then.

In November, I went to Startup Weekend and co-founded EpicBets, a social game that takes betting on sports against friends to a whole new level.

In December, I’ve reached an important milestone — 1 year of school left. Yay!

There have also been many huge positive changes in my lifestyle and social life. I learned to enjoy the rain and really fell in love with Vancouver. Overall, it was a great year.

Looking Forward to 2012

There are some major events that will be happening in the next 12 month. I’ve been invited to write for a student magazine and a student blog as a guest author. I’m continuing to work on a variety of projects and getting deeper into the startup and agency communities in Vancouver. Finally, I’m planning to graduate in December 2012 and will soon start looking for a permanent job. Exciting stuff!

(And of course I’m totally stoked for the Zombie Apocalypse.)

EpicBets: Startup Weekdays: EpicBets, Three Weeks After Startup Weekend Vancouver

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:00:05 -0800

EpicBets: Startup Weekdays: EpicBets, Three Weeks After Startup Weekend Vancouver:

epicbets:

On November 18, 2011, ten people were standing in the middle of the Segal School of Business’ lobby discussing their next move. Ahead of them were 2 intense days of building a mobile game that would change the way friends bet on sports games. There was an original idea, and now there was…

Me at Startup Weekend Vancouver pitching EpicBets. Click the...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:24:21 -0800

Me at Startup Weekend Vancouver pitching EpicBets. Click the link and subscribe to become our beta tester!

Blogging Fiasco

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:47:43 -0800

This blog had been about cool pictures; then about marketing; then about learning…

Every new beginning for this blog meant a new attempt for me to figure out what (and how) exactly I was able to write.

This blog has not been updated in a long time, which can only mean one thing: the what and the how were not right for me. More specifically, writing success tips for students 6 days a week was not my thing.

Now I’m trying to find a new what and a new how, and when I do, I’ll blog again. Until then, you can either enjoy the archives (there’s some cool stuff there) or leave.

ROI of Learning

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:15:34 -0700

Out of all the things, I’ve written on this blog and the ones I was too lazy to write, here’s one that will probably get into the TOP3.

Always analyze and evaluate your experiences.

When I came to work at HootSuite for a one-week-long internship, I had not idea if I would stay longer or no, but I wanted to make the most out of it. So I set a goal to write down “5 things I’ve leared today” for every day of that week.

It wasn’t hard, but it made me think and evaluate everything I was doing and look for more valuable information around. After 2 weeks, I had a nice list of 50 things HootSuite had taught me.

As you may know, it’s been 9 months and I still work at the “owly company.” I don’t take daily notes anymore, but I still think about my experiences there from time to time.

Return On Investment

So the interesting thing I’ve come to realize recently is that this simple practice can be applied to anything, especially to school, and it can be extremely beneficial.

It shows you your ROI of learning. It adds value to even the most boring course and justifies spending time on it, and it makes you love the interesting courses 10 times more!

For example, I’m extremely bored with Finance, as my motivation has nothing to do with banknotes, stocks or, thanks god, treasury bills. But if I think about what the course actually taught me, I can easily find important knowledge I can use in my life.

Try This Today

Think about 5-10 things you’ve learned in any course this semester. Sit and write them down. Don’t think about all this in boring terms (“I’ve learned how to calculate present value”). Instead, think about this in a fun and meaningful way: “I’ve learned how to pitch my startup idea to an investor.”

Also, write down everything that you personally consider important, and not just the stuff teachers care about. It doesn’t have to be on the final exam to have value for you.

Now that you know how many cool things 4 months of suffering have taught you, feel free to pat yourself on the back :-).

In the future, continue using this practice and keep relating what you learn to what you do. You’ll end up being way more satisfied with yourself than ever before.

See slides on SlideShare. P.S. I’ve been elected as the...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:54:46 -0700

See slides on SlideShare.

P.S. I’ve been elected as the new president of the UBC e-Business Club.

A few photos (click here for more) from the speech I did last...

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:35:00 -0700

A few photos (click here for more) from the speech I did last week about “How stalking can help you make millions” at Update Micro-Conference at UBC.

3 Principles I Live by

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:41:18 -0700

For my Business Communications class, I’ve been asked to write about the “Greatest lesson learned from someone else,” so here it goes…

Wait! One lesson is not enough, let’s make it 3!

1. Effort is massively underrated

This one comes from Gary Vaynerchuk, bestselling author and super-star entrepreneur. These 4 words have changed my life is so many ways: from getting a job at HootSuite to rocking 3 speaking gigs this March. So thanks, Gary!

2. Good design is good business

Said by IBM’s ex-president Thomas Watson. In everything I do, I feel the pressure of this principle. It makes me go to Starbacks and open my Mac, and write in my Moleskine. It makes me never settle for low-quality results.

3. Money, career, fame… whatever. That’s all fine and good, but the bottom line is that there is one thing—just one—that really matters. Being fucking awesome.

Coming from another bestselling author, Julien Smith, this advice has already been built into my DNA, yet reading these lines helped it manifest like never before. Awesome!

Why Not Change Yourself Now?

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:08:20 -0800

The most common excuse for failure I’ve heard is that people don’t change. Bullshit!

People do change. Every second, every day, every month, every year. People change a little all the time and dramatically due to some major events.

The only thing you need in order to change yourself is wanting it badly enough. If you think that your laziness is on your way to success, change! Don’t say “that’s just how I am.” If you are not satisfied with yourself, you can do better.

I lost 30 pounds 3 years ago, because I got tired of being overweight. Unfortunately, this change had also turned me into an asshole. Luckily though, I fell in love soon after that, which caused me to change again to a good guy.

Since I came to Canada, I’ve changed a lot too. I adopted values of gift giving and selflessness, which were quite uncommon to me.

Start now

If there is anything about you that you’re not happy about, change yourself. You can. I believe in you. If you need help, ask for it. But do not, please, do not leave everything the way it is. You deserve better.

And don’t wait for the new year, Monday, tomorrow or even dinner. Start the change this very second.

Good luck!

So This Is Monday, and What Have You Done?

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:58:52 -0800

Here’s a quastion: What are the 3 things you’ve done today to make your life better?

Did you read a couple of pages in that textbook? Did you run a few miles? Did you write a blog post? Did you pay your tuition? Did you meet someone important? Did you help someone in need?

If you can’t name 3 such things by the end of each day, you’re not doing a good enough job to become successful.

So what are you things for today?

New Year's Resolution for 2011

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:36:43 -0800

Are you a fan of resolutions? I’m not. I believe in continuous goal-setting. But just for fun I decided to make an alphabetical list of my goals for 2011. Maybe, you should do the same.

Without further due, here’s my list:

A - assume less, listen more

B - build and improve this blog

C - Chris Brogan, meet

D - develop better studying habits

E - English, master

F - fight laziness

G - Gary Vaynerchuk, meet

H - help more people than I’ve helped in 2010

I - improve relationships with my parents

J - join a marketers’ association

K - keep being awesome

L - lose 10 pounds and keep it that way

M - meet someone truly amazing

N - notes (music), learn how to read

O - obey this resolution

P - post guest posts to some top-of-the-line blogs

Q - quit watching so many tv-shows

R - raise, get

S - speak in public about branding

T - turn 22, hopefully

U - utilize video content more effectively

V - visit New York

W - write a book

X - forget about her

Y - because

Z - come up with a task for “z” next year

So what’s yours?

You know that it's time to change your email...

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:15:16 -0800

…if it has anything to do with cats, super heros, movie stars or donuts.

…if it has your date of birth or registration in it.

…if you feel a bit embarrassed telling it to someone important.

…if you don’t like it.

…if you can’t remember it.

…if you can’t easily spell it over the phone.

…if it’s too long to fit on a business card or a billboard (depending on your ego).

…if it’s not on Gmail.

…if it is on Hotmail.

Struggling with coming up with a unique but good address?

Consider these types:

janedoe@gmail.com
janed@gmail.com
jdoe@gmail.com
jane.doe@gmail.com
jane.d@gmail.com
j.doe@gmail.com
And finally: mail@janedoe.com

One rule that always applies: set up an address that you could use your whole life if needed and then use it and only it. Always. Everywhere.

Questions?

Ultimate Resource List to Nail Your Next Presentation

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:36:32 -0800

This semester is almost over. The next one is not far away with all new group projects and presentations. So…

This is my master list of resources to make your next classroom presentation more awesome than a unicorn with a rainbow-coloured pupils. And those things are very awesome.

Tools

Keynote for Mac OS

PowerPoint for Windows SCKS

SLideShare

Google Docs

280S Slides

Enjoy and share with others. Also add your links in the comments below.

P.S. Special thanks to the guys at Envato for being so amazing.

How Curiosity Will Change Your Life

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:12:52 -0800

— Why would I learn that? Will I get paid more?

I’ve heard these questions a lot of times. Indeed, why would you spend time learning about something that doesn’t have a direct impact on your future salary? Why would you read that book, if it doesn’t have answers to the questions on hand? Why would you meet these people, if they have no connection to your industry? Why? Why? Why? Be-fucking-cause!

Learn it before you need it

First of all, things change: your questions on hand change, your job evolves, you change too. Something that doesn’t seem beneficial today may be critical tomorrow.

When learning HTML back in 2005, I had no idea how influential this knowledge would be. But when the right time came, this interest became a foundation for my freelancing job and, later, my social media obsession.

The same is true for networking or anything else.

Do I have any idea when Psychology 101 or Politics 110 will come handy? Not at all, but I still study them. And meanwhile, they are already altering my perception of the world by helping understand better how things work.

See the world differently

You have probably experienced this yourself. You learn something new, and it changes how you view the world.

For example, after taking an advertising course, all commercials start making sense. Or after learning to play the guitar, you start hearing strumming patterns and classic blues leaks.

The more you know the more you can do; the better judgments you make; the smarter alternatives you see; the more successful you become.

Talk to me

Smart people are also fun to talk to. I love chatting with someone I meet beyond the classic “what brings you here?” and “what do you do?” Why not talk about sports, religion, space invasions?

When you have something to share and you are interesting to talk to, people will seek you company. While if you are a boring dumb-ass… well, you’re just a boring dumb-ass.

Curiosity is key

Be curious. Learn beyond your curriculum. Decide for yourself what to learn and then learn it. Here are some things I’m trying out right now:

Philosophy of death, free video lectures from Yale.
Daily facts in pictures.
“Linchpin”, a book by Seth Godin (review coming up).

Anything you’ve learned recently or want to check out? Share in the comments!

Set Goals, Then Accomplish!

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:52:03 -0800

What are your goals?

I remember how a psychologist would come to my class and ask this question. According to her, people are much more successful, if they have their goals written down, than those who don’t have goals at all or even have them but not on paper.

I never took her words seriously. But later, when reading many business books, I stumbled upon this advice a few times more. And so, I decided to try.

My life changed.

What’s on the list?

I don’t know how, but having goals in writing (on my creative wall) is so effective!

First of all, it feels good every time I accomplish something. Secondly, I’m always on top with what I’m doing and know how it influences my future.

Last Sunday, I wrote about The Stairway Concept of Living in my newsletter. If you missed it, subscribe for free, and I’ll send you a copy.

Combining The Stairway Concept with clear and meaningful goal-setting gives incredible results. In fact, that’s exactly what’s made my 2010 so great with all the networking, jobs, etc.

Here are a few goals from my list. Maybe, you’ll find them appealing:

Short-term:

Go to at least 3 networking events every month.
Read 2 books / month.
Meat 5 awesome people / month.
Write at least 20 blogpost / month.

Long-term:

Become completely financially independent from my parents in less than 1 month after graduation.
Meet Gary Vaynerchuk, Seth Godin, and Keith Ferrazzi.
Get Canadian citizenship.

Top goal: Work as a project manager at a remarkable branding agency.

Set goals, then accomplish!

The above goals keep me up at night. These goals push me forward when I feel like giving up. These goals make me climb another step every day.

Think about yours. Can you state them clearly? Can you put a quantitate measure and a deadline? Are they achievable? Is that what you really want?

Here are a few more questions to consider:

What’s my passion?
What do I really want from life?
What’s my measure of success?
Who’s my idol? What do I need to do to reach her level?

Wanna help others? Share your non-secret goals in the comments, and let’s talk!

Make Classmates Jealous with Business Cards!

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:13:27 -0800

In 2010, there is absolutely no excuse not to have cool personal brand identity. There is no excuse to have a boring black and white resume typed in Times New Roman. There is no excuse to not have business cards.

This post will put an end to bad design in your life, even if your are terrible at it (like I am). So if you are still planning on making excuses, you better stop reading now.

Design this, design that!

So, you don’t have a business card? You want one, but you don’t have the skills to design it and those templates at the office supply retail store don’t look sexy at all? There is a simple solution.

Or you want a good high-quality resume that will speak for itself, but MS Word doesn’t make life any easier? There is a simple solution to that too.

Welcome to GraphicRiver!

This very cool website is an open market where designers can sell their work for a good price, and consumers can choose one of the hundreds of great templates.

Surf the site and find the design that suits you. $5 for a business card or resume? It’s like buying a latte at Starbucks, but you will be able to drink it for many years to come!

There is nothing bad about getting a template, if you’re not a designer. Believe me, you will be ahead of the majority of your classmates and even professionals!

Every time I give my business card to someone, I see an amazed face. People don’t expect you to have a well-designed card, or any card at all for that matter.

Prove them wrong!

Printing

For your resumes, go to any printing store and just print them on high-quality paper. Please, don’t use your home printer, unless it’s some high-end piece of machinery :-).

For you business cards, check out Moo.com or some other service like that. You will get your cards delivered to your door fast and in cool packaging. No extra effort required, and at 35 cents per card, there is no reason not to buy.

Expense or Investment?

Well-designed resume and business cards can help you score a better job. They also help you stand out from the crowd and brand yourself. People will think so much more of you, if you don’t mumble, “Hm… uh… I don’t have a card, sorry…”

Spending money on identity design is an investment, not an expense. And it will have a great return, if you use it right (I’ll tell you how later).

Let’s do the math:

Business cards cost $144 ($4 + $140) for the first 400.
Even if you get a job that pays $10/hour, it will take you less than 2 days to get your money back.
You will get over 600% return in a month!

Does it make any sense not to invest in your identity design, especially with all the awesome tools available?

No excuses

You heard me, there are no excuses anymore!

If you don’t go and get yourself a bunch of cool cards and resumes, there is nothing I can do to help you. If you don’t do it, you might as well just stop reading this blog at all and stop dreaming about becoming successful too.

If you need advice, ask me. If you don’t care enough to make this change in your life, you can give up right now. I hope we understood each other ;-).