If you’re exploring social media jobs or wondering how to build a long-term social media career, Katie Morris’s journey shows how many paths — and job titles — can lead to success in the industry. 

For many students interested in social media marketing jobs, the biggest question is where do I start? 

For University of Kansas alumna Katie Morris, the path to a social media career didn’t follow a straight line. It started with building confidence, leaning into creativity, and a willingness to try something new. 

It led to working with some of the world’s most recognizable brands.

From KU to a global social media career

After graduating from KU in 2013 with a degree in film and media studies and a minor in art history, Morris didn’t go straight into a traditional marketing role. Instead, she chose an adventure.

“After graduation, I decided to take a gap year and went to Australia as an au pair,” she said.

Morris fell in love with Sydney and decided to stay, launching her social media career at a small tech startup. She later built agency-side experience working with brands like Spotify, Mercedes-Benz, and Aperol Spritz before returning to the U.S. to work at Dot’s Pretzels and Hershey.

Today, Morris serves as director of social strategy at VML, where she works across the Coca-Cola portfolio. Her work includes helping brands like Diet Coke, Minute Maid and Smartwater connect with audiences online “with a mix of strategy and gut instinct,” she shared. 

How social media job titles change as your career grows

Social media careers don’t follow a single job title. As Morris’s experience shows, roles can evolve quickly — from social media manager or social lead to content marketing roles and eventually social strategy leadership.

Early in her career, Morris focused on execution — managing platforms, creating content and engaging audiences. As she gained experience, her roles expanded to include campaign planning, influencer strategy and cross-channel collaboration.

Now, as a director of social strategy, her work centers on guiding brand voice, leading strategy across campaigns and working closely with creative, production and account teams.

While titles vary across companies, the progression often moves from execution to strategy to leadership.

What do social media managers and strategists do?

If you’ve searched for social media manager jobs or social media strategist roles, you’ve probably seen a wide range of responsibilities. “Essentially, I help these brands put their best foot forward on social media,” Morris noted. 

Day to day, that means adapting constantly and working across teams, with no two days looking the same. 

“Every day is different, but my most recurring daily tasks include writing briefs for creative teams, helping oversee our incredible community managers (the people in the DMs), reviewing creative work and brainstorming how to make it fit on each platform, and staying up to date with current trends and platform updates.”
— Katie Morris, KU alumna and director of social strategy at VML

The key takeaway? Social media jobs are more than just creating content. It’s a deep dive into data, strategy, collaboration and understanding audiences.

Is social media marketing a good career?

For students considering a social media marketing career path, one of the biggest questions is whether it’s the right fit. Social media roles have grown rapidly in recent years, with brands investing more in digital strategy, content and audience engagement than ever before.

Katie points to both creativity and impact as her favorite parts of the job. The secrecy and surprise behind brand collaborations and product releases keep the work interesting.

“As fun as it is to put out a huge collab that I've been keeping secret for AGES (Diet Coke x Tarte, I'm looking at you), the most meaningful part of my job is when we get to surprise someone who really needs it,” she said. “Surprise and delight on brands that people are passionate about can be so rewarding.”

Social media careers offer opportunities to work across industries, collaborate with creative teams, and connect directly with people in meaningful ways.

How KU helped prepare her for social media jobs

Morris’s success began with transferable skills. Her film and media studies degree coupled with an art history minor prepared her in valuable ways. 

“KU helped me learn how to analyze and approach visuals — a huge part of my job where most pieces of content have two seconds to grab you — not to mention the kindred spirit-ness with all my favorite art directors through the years,” she said. “I know when to ask questions, and when to sit back and listen.”

Strong communication and writing skills still play a major role in her work. 

“Anytime I need to write a POV, sell in work, or give feedback I use the writing skills I picked up in both my major and minor,” she noted. "Both parts of my degree involved a LOT of bluebooks and a LOT of essays. Even though my wordcount is shorter, I still use the persuasive techniques.”

Real-world experience matters in social media

While at KU, Morris found opportunities to create and manage content in less-than-traditional places. 

First, she took a job manning the front desk at the KU Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute. While she had no idea what to expect, that small role created an unexpected spark.

“It ended up being an incredible experience that taught me how to work with everyone from outgoing marketers to researchers in the zone, to the herpetology department — a league of their own,” she said. “I ended up starting the social handles for the KUNHM at the time too!”

The experience helped her build confidence and develop practical skills before entering the professional world. Beyond her student employment on campus, she grew her social media expertise through another KU institution of sorts: camping for basketball games. 

“I was / am a huge KU basketball fan and had been running a camping group for a few years,” she said. She was frustrated that all the communication was still just word of mouth, so she took matters into her own hands. 

“I made a twitter account @KUBballcamping to keep my group informed,” Morris said. “I didn't run the camping process but wanted easy ways to send updates. It blew up and gained 3,000 followers in a few months, and I learned how to handle crisis management in the social sphere!”

Advice for future social media marketers

For students exploring social media roles, Morris’s advice is simple.

“Get the degree you want, figure out the job later," she shared. "SO many people had doubts about my degree because it was 'fun', but I loved going to class and what I was studying — and I had no problems getting a job.”

Skills, curiosity and experience often matter more than following a set formula. “I came into KU as someone used to working hard, but not necessarily confident I would get there in the end. I left with the confidence that I could make it work no matter what,” she said.

Upon reflection, her KU story even comes with an unexpected throughline: Instagram account launches.

“My friends from KU of course are a huge part of my life - whether I met them camping for basketball, hanging out at the scholarship halls, or during my time in Sorority & Fraternity Life — which was huge for me as well,” Morris shared. “I started the @kansasadpi Instagram. Wait, is starting Instagram accounts just my whole legacy?”

Turns out, it was a pretty good place to start.