The role of digital marketing has continued to grow in importance for businesses large and small, and hiring a great social media manager has become increasingly important.
So what does a social media manager do? A social media manager is responsible for creating and managing a company's online presence and content on various social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and YouTube. They are also responsible for engaging with customers or potential customers to create brand awareness and build relationships.
Understanding Your Social Media Needs
The first step to finding the right social media manager is understanding your social media needs for your business. This means taking into account both your current situation as well as where you want to be in terms of your overall goals and objectives.
To begin this process, it is important to note the following:
Determine Your Social Media Goals & Objectives
The key here is knowing what success looks like when it comes to your organization's use of social media platforms. Do you want more followers? Higher engagement rates? Increased website traffic from these channels?
Having clear objectives will help guide the selection process when choosing the best person for the job.
Analyze Your Current Social Media Presence
Take some time to review how you are currently using each platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Are there areas that need improvement? What kind of content has been successful so far in terms of reach or engagement?
Knowing what works can give insight into which direction should be taken moving forward with new campaigns or initiatives that require professional guidance from someone familiar with all aspects of each platform's features/functions.
Identify Your Target Audience
It's critical that any potential hire understands who they will be targeting through their efforts; otherwise, they won't know how best to craft messages tailored specifically towards them. Get detailed information about who makes up your customer base by looking at demographic data such as age range, gender, location, etc.
Determine Budget
Before beginning any search, it is necessary that organizations understand what budget they have available when considering different candidates since salary requirements vary greatly depending on experience level, qualifications, etc. This way, everyone involved knows exactly what financial parameters they must stay within during negotiations which saves time and frustration later down the road.
Qualities To Look For in a Social Media Manager
When searching for a great candidate, make sure to keep an eye out for certain qualities listed below:
Strong Communication Skills
Being able to communicate effectively both externally (with clients/customers) and internally (within a team environment), without coming across too strong, or aggressive, is a necessary attribute for anyone wanting to succeed in the field of digital marketing, especially given its reliance on building relationships between brands and consumers alike.
Creativity and Innovation
While technical expertise matters, having a creative mind to come up with original ideas, campaigns, and strategies to differentiate from the competition even further is an invaluable asset.
Understanding Analytics and Metrics
With increasing emphasis placed on analytics and metrics, understanding and interpreting relevant data points to track progress and performance is a key factor in determining long-term success.
Familiarity with Platforms
Having familiarity with various platforms currently in use in the industry is a must, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, or YouTube.
Passion for Social Media
Finally, perhaps most importantly, having passion and enthusiasm to approach work goes a long way in ensuring tasks are completed in a timely and efficient fashion.
Where to Find Social Media Managers
These are the places to look when you are in search of a great social media manager for your business:
1. Online Job Boards and Websites:
There are numerous online job boards, such as Indeed, Monster, or ZipRecruiter, which allow employers to post job openings for free or at a low cost. These sites offer access to millions of qualified candidates across various industries and locations around the world who may have the skills needed for a successful social media management role in your organization.
2. Social Media Networks:
Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are excellent sources for finding potential hires since these networks already attract professionals from all sectors who understand how each platform works and ways in which they could be used effectively by organizations looking for new talent in this field.
Additionally, many organizations now use these platforms directly as recruiting tools by posting their open positions on them, so you should definitely check out what’s available before looking elsewhere.
3. Professional Associations & Organizations:
Joining professional associations related specifically to social media marketing (like The American Association of Internet Marketing Professionals) can provide access not only to educational resources but also networking opportunities with other industry professionals who may know someone perfect for your position - either through direct referrals or simply providing advice on where else you might search successfully.
4. Referrals From Colleagues & Friends:
Word-of-mouth is still one of the most effective strategies when it comes to hiring anyone – including social media managers – so don’t forget about asking those closest to your network if they know someone suitable or even have personal experiences with certain individuals that could fill in the role in your organization. It never hurts to get recommendations from trusted sources after all.
5. Recruitment Agencies & Freelance Platforms:
If traditional methods aren’t working, then why not try enlisting some outside help? Recruitment agencies specialize in helping companies find exactly what they need quickly, Platforms like Upwork and Toptal can help you find quality talents that you can choose from.
Evaluating Potential Candidates
In order to choose the perfect social media manager for your brand, here are a few important steps to take:
1. Reviewing Resumes and Portfolios:
When it comes to reviewing applicants' resumes and portfolios for a position like Social Media Manager, it’s important to look beyond just experience managing campaigns or developing content strategies — you also want someone who has an understanding of how different types of digital marketing tools can be used together to achieve specific goals (e.g., increasing engagement).
Look for individuals with hands-on experience working on projects that require multiple touchpoints across multiple channels; this will give you an idea of how well they understand the nuances associated with effective multi-channel campaigns.
Additionally, consider whether any past work samples demonstrate creative problem-solving skills or strategic thinking when it comes to leveraging data points from analytics reports.
2. Conducting Interviews:
Once you have narrowed down your list of potential candidates based on their resumes/portfolios alone, it’s time to conduct interviews via phone call or video conference (depending on location). During these conversations, ask questions related not only to their technical capabilities but also to soft skills such as communication style — after all, good communication is essential when collaborating within (and outside) teams.
Specifically, look out for answers that reveal critical thinking ability by asking hypothetical scenarios involving complex situations where there may not be one right answer – this will help gauge how adeptly they are able to handle ambiguous tasks while still delivering quality results under pressure.
You should take note if any particular applicant stands out due to being particularly knowledgeable about industry trends. Staying up-to-date on changes within the digital marketing space helps keep campaigns relevant over time, so having someone who actively follows developments can prove invaluable during times when rapid adjustments need to be made quickly.
Checking References:
After narrowing down your list further through interviewing prospective candidates, it is wise to check references provided by each applicant in order to get unbiased feedback from people familiar with their work history. If possible, try to contact colleagues at former employers directly rather than relying solely on HR departments.
Speaking to those who actually worked alongside the person provides valuable insight into what strengths and weaknesses were observed during their tenure.
Furthermore, inquire about details regarding performance metrics achieved, and successes/failures encountered along the way, which should shed light on the overall effectiveness the individual had in executing tasks assigned to them.
Evaluating Technical Skills:
Lastly, assess each candidate's technical proficiency using tools commonly employed to manage and optimize social media accounts, including tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, SproutSocial, etc.
Ask them to explain in detail the steps taken to create and execute a successful campaign within the platform, and ask for an example if possible. Even better, allowing them to test drive the software themselves before proceeding to the next stages of the selection process would be beneficial.
Making a Hiring Decision
You have finally made a decision to hire for the role of social media manager, now it's time to consider what you need to do to make the best hiring decisions for your business.
1. Consider Budget & Salary Expectations:
Before beginning the search for a new social media manager, it is essential that you have an idea of what type of salary you are willing to pay for this role, as well as any additional benefits or perks associated with it (such as health insurance).
It is also important to factor in other costs such as office space rental fees if they are necessary. Once you have established your budget parameters, make sure you communicate them clearly when advertising the position or interviewing potential candidates so there aren’t any misunderstandings down the line about compensation expectations.
2. Weighing Pros & Cons Of Internal Vs External Hiring:
Depending on your particular needs and the resources available within your organization, there may be advantages or disadvantages associated with either internal or external hiring for this position. Thus, it is crucial that these factors be taken into consideration before making any decisions regarding who should fill this role in your company.
For example, internally hired employees may already possess institutional knowledge about your organization which could prove invaluable, whereas externally hired employees might bring fresh ideas from outside perspectives which could open up opportunities for innovation within your business model.
Ultimately, each situation must be weighed individually based on its unique circumstances, but both approaches should always remain viable options during recruitment processes, regardless of whether they come from inside or outside sources.
3. Making A Job Offer:
After thoroughly vetting each candidate through interviews and reference checks, you can finally move forward with extending an offer letter outlining details such as job responsibilities, salary expectations, start date, etc.
When crafting an offer letter, make sure that all relevant information has been included while remaining mindful not just of legal requirements but also those related to good faith practices like providing reasonable notice periods prior to termination, etc.
Additionally, ensuring accuracy by having both parties sign off on documents where appropriate can help avoid disputes later down the road.
Onboarding & Training
As a business owner, you want your social media manager to continue to give you the best services and results as long as they stay with you. To do this, training is necessary. Therefore, you need to plan for training and skills development for your employee.
Here are the things to consider:
1. Develop an Onboarding Plan:
The first step in finding and hiring a great social media manager is to develop an onboarding plan that outlines what tasks they will be responsible for, as well as their job expectations. This should include things like:
setting up accounts on various platforms (e.g., Facebook)
creating content calendars outlining when posts should go live each week or month
managing customer service inquiries
engaging with followers through comments/likes/shares
tracking analytics
optimizing campaigns based on data insights
researching trends within industry topics related to company offerings
staying up-to-date with new features released by different platforms regularly, etc.
It is therefore important to also consider any additional skills or experience (I mentioned this earlier in this guide) that would make them stand out from other applicants - such as knowledge of graphic design software or video editing tools - so you know exactly what kind of person you will be working with.
2. Provide Training & Resources:
As soon as your social media manager is employed at your organization, it's time to start providing them with all the necessary training materials needed for success. Having access to resources such as case studies showcasing successes achieved by similar companies using similar tactics could prove invaluable during their onboarding process too.
3. Set Goals & Objectives:
After establishing what tasks your employees will need to complete day-to-day, it's then essential to create measurable goals associated with their primary functions to measure progress towards meeting overall objectives – these might include increasing engagement rates across channels by 20% each quarter, reaching a certain number of impressions per post type amongst others. This will depend on specific needs your business has determined beforehand.
Having clear targets allows both parties to stay focused and results-oriented while working together to achieve desired outcomes efficiently and effectively without wasting valuable energy and effort trying to guess if something is working or not.
4. Establish a Communication Plan:
As part of building a strong relationship between you and the employee, one of the most critical aspects is getting started correctly by setting up a communication protocol that outlines how often check-ins occur, when feedback is provided, and expectations regarding response times for emails, texts, messages, etc.
Doing this ahead of time helps ensure that lines are open between both sides and they remain connected throughout, ensuring everyone stays informed and updated about the progress being made.
Managing Your Social Media Manager
Regular Check-Ins and Performance Evaluations:
After the initial onboarding process, the next step involves monitoring performance at regular intervals in order to assess whether the individual is still hitting the required metrics and successfully completing assigned tasks within the expected timeline agreed upon prior to starting work.
Together, both parties should agree on a schedule for check-ins on either a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis, wherein accomplishments can be reviewed and challenges addressed accordingly, making sure the team remains productive, motivated, and moving forward.
2. Provide Feedback and Guidance:
During the course of normal interactions between employer and employee, feedback and guidance should always be given whenever necessary in order to help improve the quality of output continuously. Even though some people may feel uncomfortable receiving criticism, the fact remains that constructive criticism only leads to the betterment of the situation in the long run.
Thus, it is important to recognize the importance of giving honest assessments of strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, where applicable, in addition to providing helpful tips and advice in further development of the career path chosen by the individual.
3. Adjust Goals and Objectives as Needed:
One of the biggest advantages of having a dedicated professional managing a company's social accounts is the ability to adjust quickly to a changing landscape. For example, let's say a topic suddenly becomes popular within the industry; then, the strategy can be quickly updated to reflect the shift in focus to the current trend.
The same goes for other situations where market conditions change rapidly, requiring quick action and response in order to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All said and done, remember that flexibility is key when it comes to adjusting goals and objectives to meet the demands of an ever-shifting environment.
D. Identify Opportunities for Growth and Development:
Identifying opportunities for growth and development is extremely beneficial in keeping employees engaged and excited about the future potential roles they can play within the organization.
Whether it means offering certifications, attending seminars or conferences, taking classes outside of the office, or even just simply giving individuals a chance to try something new to show off their talents and ideas, the possibilities are endless here. The point is, taking initiative to invest in personnel proves beneficial in the long term, in terms of increased productivity, morale, and general enthusiasm in the workplace.
Conclusion:
So you have learned. a great deal about how to find and hire a great social media manager. But it's more than reading or learning how, it's all about taking action immediately. So, don't hesitate to get started today and take advantage of the power of the internet to reach audiences you never thought possible before.
Remember to communicate your expectations clearly, provide the necessary resources, and give your social media manager the freedom to experiment and innovate. With the right person leading your social media efforts, you can establish a meaningful connection with your customers and drive long-term success.