You understand that social media compliments and improves the sale process by creating lasting relationships, nurturing leads, building trust and driving traffic to your website. However, as a business owner, you already have a million other things on your daily to-do list. You are unable to spend much time on the various social networks yourself and it’s quite challenging trying to figure out exactly where to focus your attention.
It can also be quite a challenge to determine who the best person is to take care of your business’s social media presence.
You’re considering hiring a Social Media Manager
Once you’ve made the decision to hire a professional social media manager, the next step is to work out who is the best person for the job. Bear in mind that this person will be responsible for your brand’s reputation and social presence.
When hiring a social media manager, it’s never about the person’s age but always about their knowledge, expertise and marketing skills. It doesn’t matter how old or young the person is, as long as you ask the right questions. A 20 year old marketing expert is going to be much more useful than a 40 year old that has only ever done basic marketing, and vice versa. Their business acumen is much more important than their age.
Do a bit of research. Look the person up online. Do they have a website? What about a solid social media presence? Do they look and sound professional? Are they experienced? Do they know their stuff? Are they knowledgeable? What are their customers saying? Answering some, if not all, of these questions will help you to decide whether a particular social media manager is what your business is looking for.
Remember, not everyone who says they can do social media marketing actually can!
You’re ready to hire a Social Media Manager
So you’ve decided to hire a social media manager. Here are some essential social media management questions to ask each candidate. Their answers should inform your decision and help you to choose the right social media manager for your business.
What social media platforms are best for my business? Then ask them why.
If the candidate has done their research on your business (which they should have), they will know exactly which platforms will work for your business and why. You’ll get an understanding of how well versed they are in the various social platforms. Do they mention posting frequency, demographics and overall strategy? If so, take notice.
What are the most important metrics your business should be monitoring regularly on social media?
Engagement, reach, lead generation, and conversions are the most important metrics to monitor. These metrics let you measure your social media’s return on investment (ROI).
It is very important to have measurable conversation around your brand. The candidate should be well versed in creating content that is relevant, interesting and engaging for your audience.
Have your candidate run successful social ad campaigns? What’s their track record with lead generation marketing campaigns? Listening and responding promptly to social media leads is crucial, people expect a response and they don’t expect to wait for it. Your candidate should also be comfortable talking about specific analytic terms and the data that they can get from each platform.
Ask them to tell you a story.
Asking this question will get the candidate to think on their feet. Assess how clearly they can communicate ideas and emotions and how compelling they are. Stories paint pictures in people’s minds and we all connect through them. If your candidate has the ability to tell a compelling story, it will give you a great advantage in all areas of social media and content marketing.
Ask them what their first goals would be.
If your candidate states that they will get as many likes and shares as possible, it’s probably time to end the interview. However, if the candidate talks about attracting ‘X’ number of likes or ‘Y’ number of shares, pay attention. Ask them how they’ll build an audience of in-market fans and how they plan to engage with that specific audience. A small switched-on and engaged audience offers you much more value than a large amount of followers from outside your market area.
For most businesses conversions are always the goal, so the candidate should also be able to explain what the path from likes to conversation looks like for the various platforms.
Can we see examples of the social media projects you’ve worked on?
If the candidate can’t (or won’t) show you anything, they either don’t have the experience you need or they aren’t very good at what they do. Results speak for themselves.
Conclusion
Your social media manager should be professional, experienced and knowledgeable. Choose someone who takes leadership and is focused on your brands success. Once you’ve hired your best candidate, make sure you have a Social Media Manager Job Description in place to set goals, track progress and help you understand exactly where your money is being spent