If only it were as easy to hire a social media manager as it is to “like” or “heart” a post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
We all know people who are great at sharing funny memes, or writing heartfelt and insightful posts about what’s going on in their lives and the wider world. Managing social media on behalf of a company is a bit of a different beast, though.
Regardless of your company’s size, social media will wind up being used for more than one function. The most common are marketing and customer service.
Social media marketing has become a common growth tactic for companies because many of their existing and prospective customers are spending so much of their time on those platforms. It’s only natural to weave your brand into the feed of photos, videos and other posts, especially when you can use data to target specific segments.
From a customer service perspective, meanwhile, social media may seem like a much easier and faster way to get a company’s attention than writing an email or waiting on hold for someone to answer a phone call.
More recently, many organizations are furthering their use of social media by connecting their accounts directly to e-commerce stores. This means customers who like what they see in an image or mention in a written post can immediately place an order, without leaving their favourite app.
As a result, hiring someone to manage social media means you’re looking for someone who can handle a complex and multifaceted job.
The recruitment process can be even more difficult if you’re not a regular user of social media in your personal life, and if your professional use has been somewhat limited.
Some of the key skills you want are:
Storytelling
A lot of social media specialists came out of marketing in part because that’s where abilities like copywriting and creative direction have always had a home.
On some social platforms, you’ll need someone who can craft a narrative or get a message across with little more than a single photograph or illustration. Other services will call for an innovative use of video to tell the same kind of story. Across almost all social media, a flair for making a point with just the right choice of words is essential.
Before you assume that no one could be an effective storyteller across all those channels, remember that the content doesn’t have to have high production values to work.
A video shot on a smartphone might do the job. A well-lit photo of a product might not need extensive retouching. You want someone with versatility, not a perfectionist.
Facilitation
Your social media person might not be directly handling all the customer service issues your organization will hear about through those channels, but they might be the first point of contact when something arises.
That’s why social media staff have to be particularly good at managing conversations on digital channels. They need to be quick in terms of their response, empathetic if the customer is upset, professional in how they deal with negative encounters and helpful in directing people to the best resources.
You can get a sense of this by asking prospective candidates about how they have facilitated social media conversations at other companies, or even role-playing hypothetical conversations that might come up on your accounts.
Being good at facilitation is also important from a marketing perspective. You’ll want someone who knows which of your followers’ posts should be reshared, liked or commented upon. That way, you’re using social for the two-way interactions it was always intended to encourage.
Analysis
As with any other part of the business, social media will only be as valuable if you’re able to measure its impact on your company’s performance.
There are already built-in features on social platforms to cover the basics, such as the number of followers you’ve gained and the basic level of engagement with each of your posts. You want someone ready to use more advanced tools that tie in social media activity back to other applications you use in-house.
A good social media manager will be able to help you understand how many people clicked through a social media post and became a lead by filling out a form on your landing pages, for instance.
It will be equally important to report on whether successfully resolving a customer service issue via social media led to a positive online review or testimonial, How did using social ease the volume of inquiries that come through more traditional channels?
Connecting the dots on social media engagement, traffic and conversions will also help you get the biggest bang for your buck you’re running paid vs. organic campaigns. And of course, analytics will be key boosting online sales via social media as well.
The key trait that makes a good social media hire
As you get closer to making your decision about who should run your social media accounts, the most important aspect you should consider is their willingness to constantly learn and experiment.
Every social media platform operates a little bit differently, and you need to keep up with how their algorithms will change your ability to be seen by your followers. The etiquette of how people talk on social media is in constant evolution as well.
These are people who should be interested in how memes work, using GIFs in posts and using hashtags. They should also be interested in sharing that knowledge with you and others who might also use those platforms.
Finally, remember that more social media services are emerging all the time. A few years ago, the rise of TikTok took many brands by surprise. In 2021, it’s social audio services like Clubhouse.
Your social media hire should be ready to give into the most popular services today, but equally prepared to explore what emerges tomorrow.
