4 Tips for Hiring a Social Media Manager
By Andrew Patricio
December 03, 2018
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Share Facebook Tweet on Twitter Share with Email Share with LinkedIn Share with Pinterest
One of the hardest platforms for a business owner to manage is social media. This platform is demanding and can quickly turn into a time drain if you’re not careful. Still, in today’s world, it’s also expected. Modern consumers anticipate brands have a profile on specific platforms, and often search there to find out more information about a company before buying.
One of the best and easiest ways to keep up with these demands is to hire a social media manager. Here’s where to start.
1. Find Someone Who Aligns With Your Culture
Your social media profile is your brand’s digital footprint. The posts you make don’t just talk about what you offer and the value you bring. They also talk about your brand’s values, opinions, and purpose. If your social media manager doesn’t understand or align with that purpose, it’ll be difficult for her to do an exceptional job at getting creative with posts and bringing your value to life in new ways.
2. Check Out What They Post on Social Media
You can tell a lot about a person’s social media profile. Take a look at what she’s posting on social media to get a taste for what types of posts she prefers. For example, if she’s posting a lot of gifs and funny memes, but your brand is more buttoned up, you will know that she will need more guidance up front to encourage her to steer away from those types of posts.
While you’re hanging out on her profile, be on the lookout for strong opinions on certain topics too. If your social media manager has a strong opinion about something, such as a hot-button political issue, and that issue does not align with your company’s culture or beliefs, she might not be the right fit for you.
3. Spy on Their Client’s Profiles (or Past Client’s Profiles)
A person’s social media profile only tells you one side of the story — the side she chooses to share about her. That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the only type of social media posts and responses she knows how to give. Look at her client’s profiles too, so you can get a taste for what she does for other brands, the types of brands she works with, and how she changes the voice depending on which company she’s working with. These profiles are telling about how flexible she’ll be to adapting to your voice.
4. Get Specific About Expectations
Social media is a unique animal in the business world because it’s on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Look specifically at what the job will entail before you post on a job board. For example, will you only have the social media manager post for you? Or will you also require her to follow through, managing the community’s comments on those posts? Will you want her to respond to messages, or will someone else be in charge of those?
From the community management side of things, it’s not realistic to expect that your social media manager will respond at all hours, every day. Still, it is reasonable to have certain requirements in place for how quickly she’ll reply. By clarifying these expectations up front and getting specific about what you want from your social media manager, you can avoid headaches and misunderstandings down the road.
Hire Smart
The content your social media manager posts will form the way consumers think about your brand. These thoughts are make-or-break to a consumer’s decision to buy, which means it’s critical you bring the right person on board. By finding someone who aligns with your brand and your vision, you’ll find the right fit for your company.