Social Strategist

VML South Africa; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

VML South Africa is looking for an experienced social media strategist to join our team in London. The ideal candidate will be responsible for creating innovative social strategies that align with client objectives, while building relationships with diverse teams. A passion for social media trends and a proven track record in developing impactful social campaigns is essential. The role also involves client engagement, data analysis, and strong collaborative work within an integrated agency environment, perfect for someone who is eager to embrace the dynamic world of social media.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Team learning and upskilling opportunities

Collaborative workspace

Qualifications

• Proven experience in social strategy within advertising/marketing.
• Strong understanding of various social media platforms and emerging technologies.
• Experience working with financial services clients is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of social brand strategies for financial services clients.
• Foster collaboration with cross-functional teams on integrated plans.
• Present strategic recommendations to senior clients clearly and persuasively.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Communication

Collaboration

Presentation Skills

Data Analysis

Education

Degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field

Tools

Social Media Platforms

Analytics Tools

Job description

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced social media strategist who will ideate, create, and deliver comprehensive innovative social strategies that help our clients achieve their business objectives in truly social ways. You’ll be keen to understand what the client needs and match that is how we can create and engage, tailored to different social platforms, and always based in social audience behaviours.

You will become one of the ‘go-to’ social guardians, helping brands take bold steps to embrace the very best of what social has to offer with our guidance. You’ll have the opportunity to own workstreams and really get under the skin of what makes audiences tick. If you’re passionate about social media, have a keen eye for trends & platform updates, and possess exceptional communication skills, we want to hear from you!

The VML Social team is growing and this opportunity is primed for someone that’s looking to deliver best in class social, whilst learning and upskilling themselves with a team of specialists. We’re very fortunate to offer our clients the full range of social expertise, from influencer managers, content creators, social account management, social data scientists, SEO experts, and of course…social strategists.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership:Lead the development and execution of comprehensive social brand, content, and campaign strategies for our financial services client.
• Collaboration:Foster strong collaborative relationships with the wider VML team, including the strategy team, data team, account team, and creative team. To integrate social-specific knowledge and align with their diverse expertise, including briefing work and working where social is part of an integrated plan.
• Client Engagement:Steer clients through social strategies, providing guidance, challenging assumptions, and ensuring the best possible outcomes.
• Insights:Identify and leverage cultural and social insights relevant to the client and the social space as a whole, to inform strategic recommendations and ensure relevance for the brands in social.
• Presentation Skills:Present strategic recommendations to senior clients and internal teams in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner.
• Channel Understanding:Demonstrate a truly native and broad understanding of everything social from LinkedIn to TikTok. That’s content and trends, platform and functionality updates, and what the brand’s competitors/comparators are doing in social.
• Brand Guardianship:Understand and be able to embody the needs of the brand, matched with social, and how the different aspects of the brand need to show up (from personal to business, and from more serious to more fun).

The ideal candidate will

• Have a proven track record of developing and implementing successful social strategies for big brands.
• Possess both expertise in social within the financial services sector (or a regulatory similar sector) and with B2B social experience.
• Be a highly collaborative team player, capable of building strong relationships with clients, internal teams, and external partners.
• Be a strategic thinker with the ability to ‘translate’ and communicate complex social data and insights into actionable recommendations.
• Be a compelling storyteller with excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Be comfortable working in a dynamic environment and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Be passionate about ‘whats next’ in social, to stay ahead of the curve.
• Be adept at using data and analytics to measure the effectiveness of social campaigns and optimize performance.
• Be a proactive and results-oriented individual with a strong work ethic and a commitment to excellence.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience in a social strategy role within an advertising/marketing agency or client team.
• Strong understanding of social media, with a variety of social platforms, and emerging technologies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience of working on financial services clients is highly beneficial although not essential.
• A degree of some sort will help us understand your background and point of view.

Sound like you? Then we’d love to talk to you!

#LI-EMEA #LI-EH1

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through ourRecruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read ourCalifornia Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.

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When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy . California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice . This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.