Reaping from Social media

Brian Mbunde, 21, always loved interacting with his friends on the social media, but never imagined it would make a career, writes SHIRLEY  GENGA

What do you do for a living?

I am a social media executive at Gina Din Corporate Communications.

What does your job entail?

I monitor clients’ social media communications. I develop Twitter and Facebook accounts for them, invite users to the pages, control and manage crisis and send the clients screen shots of the ‘shares’ particular posts got. I post press releases and media invites on Gina Din’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. The PR Industry is competitive, so I constantly monitor trends that could benefit our clients and get to learn what people like and dislike.

What is managing social media all about?

It is not all about posting on Facebook and tweeting as many assume. It involves brand and reputation management, customer relations, marketing, brand representation and a whole lot more. I always tell my friends that I am a social media superhero.

What do you love about your job?

It is exciting. Social media is unpredictable and you never know what will come your way. I like the challenge. I am addicted to my job and would never?change it for anything.

What are the challenges of what you do?

Some clients are into numbers, so when they see that they have few ‘likes’, they sometimes get mad. They do not realise that it is the product, which may not necessarily be attractive to the target audience on social media. My grammar, too, has to be perfect at all times. So although I type fast, I have to proofread and ensure the right message is passed. I also have to always maintain my professionalism, so I sometimes choose not to participate in some trending topics that may negatively affect my image.

How did you get this rare job??

?The company, though active on social media, initially did not have this position. However, after we participated in the ‘Kenyans for Kenya’ initiative last year, we realised it had a huge impact online. We actually won awards for it. The reach was so immense, both locally and internationally, and the company saw that there was a lot of potential online, which could be tapped. The Social Media department was created in October.

?What was your childhood dream?

I wanted to be a computer teacher. There was no Facebook or Twitter then. I joined Facebook while in high school and immediately became an addict until Twitter came and became a huge sensation. From then on, I always tried out any new social media platform.

When did you realise you could make a career out of it?

I have always been a fan of social media, but just as a hobby. I realised I was good with social media when I joined Gina Din Corporate Communications. Working with the company opened my eyes. When I joined the company, I was active on my Facebook and Twitter, but did not know it could be used for marketing at a wide scale level. After some time, it hit me that if I tweaked my posts and tweeted strategically, it could be used to market products for our clients as well as generate talk-ability.

What did you study in campus?

I studied Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Nairobi and will graduate in December.

What is your work history?

I have worked in a research company called South Consulting. I did data entry for about three months before I applied for an internship at Gina Din.

Do you have any advice for young guys who are still hustling for jobs or trying to pick a career?

Young people should be open-minded and utilise any opportunity that comes their way. They should use any skill they have to their advantage because it may be the key to their success.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I see myself as a social media mogul.?

What do you do for fun?

I deejay. I also love random ‘plots’ and hanging out with my best friend.