Manpower for Social Media Marketing

Features to note while hiring a social media manager

1. Writing & Design Experience

If there are limited resources and if only one person needs to be hired to do it all, at a minimum you need to hire someone with strong skills and experience in writing and design. There simply has to be a portfolio of work that you can review. Otherwise, how can you judge an individual’s ability to represent your company in the media?

I personally hired a team member who had a theatre degree and a background in theatre management. But then she went into PR and events.

This latter background made her great at outreach: She knows how to engage people, manage communities, inspire groups, and pitch ideas. This experience enables her to recognize and implement good social media content.

2. Support & Training

A single social media manager needs the support of other resources. Their work may be much better with the support from a content development person, a PR person, and a designer.

Outside training can really help. Even in a department of one — or especially then — the company should consider budgeting for external training. This is an investment to achieve marketing goals.

3. Editing & Proofreading

You need an editor or proofreader to support the social media marketer. Someone needs to check what they’re putting out. Otherwise, the errata reflect back upon your brand.

4. The Time Required to Manage Social Media Varies

Your industry and what your constituents expect from social media will determine where and how often you publish.

If there in involvement in any field related to Internet marketing, a person should be spending all day on social media. But conversely, if a person is in financial services, he/she does not need to be shooting out content 24/7, unless it is germane to the product or brand.

5. Old School Methods of Managing Media Work

Good social media marketers have an understanding of classic marketing in general, the buying cycle, the media mix, and how brand equity is developed. Social media marketing is just another channel in the media mix.

6. Real Community Management Experience is Key

If a social media marketer interviewee has never managed an online community or offline event, you should think twice about placing this person in the social media manager role.

Social media marketing is not about being active in all the channels. It’s about understanding where to connect in the networks and how to engage, not once, but on a frequent basis which then becomes expected of your target audience.