August 21, 2021 7 minutes read
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Social media marketing is a proven way to increase brand awareness and connect with your target audience. It can also drive more traffic and revenue.
It can also be very time-consuming to manage it all.
You must show up regularly if you want to succeed on social media. This means spending time researching, developing strategies, publishing content, engaging with customers, and analysing your efforts.
Social media is always changing as a result of platform updates, new features, and user behavior changes. It can seem like a full-time job to keep up with all of it.
Related: 5 Smart Methods to Use Social Media To Grow Your Business In 2019
Social media managers are responsible for keeping your company top of mind among your target audience. They help you achieve your goals by creating and publishing content, communicating with potential customers and using their skills.
You can outsource your social media work to someone who has the knowledge and experience to allow you to focus on other areas such as developing new products and services, or hiring and training staff members.
Where do you look for a qualified candidate to fill your position? What should you look for in a candidate?
Identify your business's needs
When it comes to social media management, there is no one-size fits all solution. The specific needs of your business will determine the person you hire and what they will be responsible for.
Answer the following questions to get started:
Are you looking for a part-time, full-time or freelance employee?
Are you interested in working with an individual or an organization?
Do they need to be located or can they be managed remotely?
Next, be specific about the tasks you would like your social media manager.
What are your goals and objectives for social media?
What platforms will they be responsible?
Are you interested in paid advertising, organic strategies or both?
This role will require the ability to perform tasks not related to general social media management (ex. email marketing, influencer marketing, SEO, etc. ()
Remember, a master of one trade is usually a master of another. Each social media platform requires different skills. It is not easy to find an expert on all of them.
It's not uncommon for social media managers to choose to concentrate on certain platforms or services like Facebook, Google ads, influencer market or Pinterest.
Social media managers often have multiple responsibilities. However, you should not expect one person to be able to manage all your accounts, including your Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Even for social media experts, that's quite a task.
An agency is a better option if you require someone to manage multiple social media channels or tasks that are not covered by traditional social media management such as email marketing, content marketing and SEO. By delegating heavy workload to their team, social media managers, content creators, and platform specialists, boutique social media agencies can provide more support and offer a wider range than individual clients.
Your budget will play a major role in the final decision about who you hire. Your budget for social media management should include the salary and retainer fees of your social media manager, as well as any other costs associated with your social media marketing efforts such contests, influencer fees, and giveaways.
Similar: 10 Tools for Social Media Managers 2020
What to look out for in a social media manager
Many social media managers are willing to continue their education and acquire certifications. Ask your candidates about the training that made them qualified for the job. Also, request examples from real-world cases and portfolios.
Because they show a concrete, measured outcome that was achieved over time, case studies can be a great indicator of a service provider's strategic capabilities. This demonstrates their ability to effectively plan and execute social marketing goals. You can request references and testimonials from clients to view the experience of service providers.
Consider the knowledge and interest of the candidate in your industry. Many social media managers have chosen to specialize in specific niches to simplify their offerings and provide more effective support to clients. This can help you narrow down your search.
There are social media managers that only work with businesses involved in the beauty industry, or those who specialize in weddings. These service providers have an advantage over other social media managers who can only work with certain types of businesses. They have more knowledge and experience in the industry.
How to choose the right social media manager
After you have determined the skills and experience you are looking for in a social manager, it is time to begin your search. There are two options for finding the perfect candidate.
First, you can share the job and invite interested candidates to come to your office. First, create a job description that outlines the job's requirements. The job description can be posted directly to your company's website as well as on LinkedIn and other social media channels. Clear instructions about how candidates should apply are important to make it easy for them to reach you.
Third-party career sites allow you to list your job description. Social media managers are always looking for new opportunities. These websites offer a second option to find a social media manager. They allow you to easily search through the listings and reach out to social media managers.
You can search actively for social media managers by listing your job on sites such as Upwork, Freelancer or The Social Media Manager Market. You don't have to wait for the right candidate, but you can reach out to freelancers or business owners on these directories and career sites to get the ball rolling.
It's much easier to hire a social media manager for your company if you have realistic expectations and understand the skills and experience required.
Related: The Next Generation of CMOs are Social Media Managers
