Hiring the right manager for your social media presence is vital; with the right performance, this manager should be able to reach out to your clients and access new consumers online.
Need a refresher on the role of a Social Media Specialist? Click here. Or check out our job descriptions for Digital Strategists and Community Managers here.
Here's how to hire a Social Media Manager:
The first, and probably most obvious, thing to ask is how often this person is online, and with which platforms he or she is familiar. A successful Social Media Manager may have several different accounts on a variety of sites, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, WordPress and others. The prospective candidate should already understand search engine optimization and how to add followers and develop ads for your pages.
A Social Media Manager should want to be online. The potential manager should also be able to tell you which kinds of social media will work best for your company. Are you a local company looking to bring in new customers? Facebook may be best. Do you want to show off images your company prints for international or national sales? Instagram might be a better platform. A potential Social Media Manager should be able to explain why these platforms would work best for your business and goals.
At the interview, ask the candidate what he or she thinks should be your social media campaign’s main focus. It would be best if the Social Media Manager focuses on client needs and the audience’s preferences, because knowing what your audience wants is key to growing your brand. Someone who doesn’t think that listening to fans or followers is necessary probably isn’t right for the job.
Even before being hired, a Social Media Expert should be working on his or her own branding and online presence. A good Social Media Manager will already have a blog and be linked into social media channels. Ask to see examples of your potential hire’s online work; you want to make sure that work demonstrates that your candidate knows how to develop solid content with a good base in SEO. Looking at how your candidate responds to comments online is also wise, since these should link to the candidate’s blog or social media site.
Hiring the right person can be challenging. If you don't have the time to properly vet a candidate, why not let a staffing agency do the work for you?
When you’re ready to recruit for this position, you can find your next hire at Artisan Talent. We're here to help, contact us today.