A step-by-step guide to hiring a social media manager

Social media is a source for organizations to reach out to a massive number of users.

According to the report by Statista, more than four billion people used social media in 2021, and the user base is expected to reach six billion by 2026. Thus, leveraging the vast power of social media is one of the smartest strategies for organizations.

Every business wants to build social media presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. But, unfortunately, this factor increases competition and the possibility of losing presence in the clutter. This is why there is a need to hire a skilled social media manager.

A social media manager can effectively manage accounts on different platforms, strategize promotional activities, engage with customers, and build a lasting brand presence.

This blog will discuss the details of hiring a social media manager, their roles, responsibilities, skills, and tips to hire the best talent.

Social media management is handling an organization’s social media accounts. It involves the following functions:

• Developing a tailored and business-specific promotional strategy
• Determining preferences, mindset, needs, and interests of the target audience
• Creating and posting content regularly
• Interacting with customers, followers, and subscribers, determining the current trends, and analyzing algorithms of various platforms
• Analyzing the accounts for better outreach

Carrying out the tasks above needs an expert in social media, which is why organizations must hire a social media manager. Mercer | Mettl brings a comprehensive suite of online assessment tests to help recruiters find the best-fit candidates. For example, the Social Media Marketing Test is an online assessment that allows recruiters to gauge candidates’ skills across social media channels, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

A key factor behind such vast employment is the need to stand out in this fiercely competitive marketplace. An expert can identify crucial challenges, find solutions, and develop innovative strategies to build a social media presence and manage accounts.

The following are the major reasons for hiring a social media manager:

Social media managers help develop a long-term strategy and justify the investment in marketing activities. In addition, they are responsible for launching new campaigns and driving social media engagement.

The following are important roles and responsibilities of a social media manager:

1. Determine relevant social media channels

Social media managers must use various social media channels to create awareness, promote products and services, and drive engagement. For some organizations, Facebook monetization can be favorable, while LinkedIn posts may be more effective for others. Hence, determining the social media channels helps find the right-fit candidate with relevant channel experience.

2. Create a concise and crisp job description

After determining relevant social media channels, creating a clear, concise, and crisp job description is necessary. It must list the responsibilities and skills required for the job role. This job description will attract the right candidates and save recruiters time and money.

The job post should also mention the work culture and organizational benefits to attract top talent and gain a competitive edge.

3. Set clear expectations

Organizations should clarify their expectations of a social media manager in the job description and the initial interview. You should identify your business needs and explain the same to the marketer.

Are you finding a direct marketer? Do you want them to track ROI? Are you expecting them to become product owners? Do you only need someone to help establish a social media presence?

If you need a brand marketer or a product marketer, is your business in a position to support this decision financially?

Considering these factors, evaluate your primary social media goal and hire an appropriate social media manager.

4. Determine the nature of the role

Different strategies are utilized to manage social media. For example, some prefer in-house executions, while others outsource entirely.

What is the nature of this role in your company? Do you need a full-time in-house manager or a freelancer professional?

With a full-time manager, you must create a team and assign a considerable budget to the department. However, it helps achieve milestones quickly and plan for future growth.

Identify the role requirement before hiring, and mention the same in the job description.

5. Evaluate the skills of a social media manager

A social media manager should have technical and management skills. With the need to perform at the highest level on multiple fronts, they must possess a varied skill set that includes:

Copywriting and content writing

From drafting a captivating caption for a Facebook post to writing a professional profile description, copy and content writing skills are must-haves for a social media manager. The copy and content become the brand’s voice. Hence, writing compelling, clear, and concise content for social media posts will help grab users’ attention, spread product and service awareness, and drive engagement.

Graphic design and video editing

Images and videos are powerful, effective, and valuable in raising awareness about products and services. They increase user engagement and ensure brand recognition. Graphics evoke users’ emotions and connect them with the brand. Developing captivating graphics and engaging videos is thus a major skill of a social media manager.

Customer engagement

Social media managers need to engage with customers by engaging in comments and messages and handling customer concerns, reviews, and feedback. Timely responses highlight brand values to users. Additionally, resolving negative reviews constructively and without hurting sentiments is essential for a brand’s reputation.

Analytics

Measuring social media campaign success using metrics is essential. A social media manager should be able to use analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Instagram Insights to determine the campaign’s impact. Moreover, they should be able to study results and adapt strategies to turn the tide if the past strategy did not work.

Budgeting

Organizations allocate a budget to the social media department for paid advertising, designing images, videos, and social media management tools. A social media manager should be efficient in managing these finances. They should know the pricing models of different platforms.

Mercer | Mettl’s Facebook Ads Assessment helps recruiters determine candidates’ skills in budgeting, identifying the target audience, running campaigns, and improving outreach.

Understanding of behavioral psychology

Understanding the audience’s psyche and creating social media content accordingly is the key to success. Knowing the psychology behind better-performing posts helps to use this knowledge for future success.

6. Utilize Mercer | Mettl’s assessments to hire the best talent

For the initial stages of the hiring process, Mercer | Mettl offers a comprehensive suite of online assessments to help recruiters find the most suitable social media manager. Its management and marketing tests are designed to aid candidate evaluation according to relevant skills.

The following are some of the tests for social media managers:

• Social Media Marketing Test – Assess and hire social media marketers
• Digital Marketing Test – Hire the best digital marketing talent
• Facebook Ads Test – Assess a candidate’s Facebook advertising core competencies
• Marketing Communications Manager Test – Determine communication skills during marketing

7. Ask the right questions during interviews

Here are some questions that recruiters can ask while interviewing a social media manager candidate:

General questions

• Why did you choose to become a social media manager?
• Which skills will help you become an effective social media manager?
• How do you stay updated with the current social media trends?
• If there is one thing you can change about social media, what would it be?
• How will you add value to our organization’s digital marketing team?
• What steps will you take to determine the target audience?

Questions for candidates with social media management experience

• Which social media platform do you have experience using?
• Which tool do you use for scheduling posts?
• Which tools of social media management are you familiar with?
• What is the best time for posting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?
• How do you devise budgets for promotion and ads?
• What are the metrics that you use to track performance?
• Which content management systems have you used?
• What are the major components of a successful social media campaign?
• How would you respond to negative feedback or reviews about the company?
• How will you make our brand more engaging and visible than it is now?
• How will you handle multiple accounts of the firm at the same time?
• Have you ever handled social media crisis? If yes, how?

With time, a social media manager has become an indispensable asset for businesses to stay competitive, create awareness, and drive engagement. Finding the best-fit candidate may be challenging for recruiters, given the fierce competition to avail the finest talent. However, they can use online assessment tools, ask the right questions, effectively negotiate, and roll out offers to simplify the process and close the position in less time.