5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Social Media Manager

Social media is continually evolving, and thereby can be little tricky to decipher. Most brands claim to have understood this nature of social media; however the big elephant in the room is, when it comes to generating revenue- they only satisfy themselves with few “Likes” and odd “Shares”.

The role of a Social Media Manager is one of the most important and crucial one for the business’s strong online and social presence. Hiring a Social Media Manager requires a lot of thinking and analysis on your part. To help you land with the right candidate, here are 5 questions to ask before hiring a Social Media Manager.

1. Which Social platform would be best for your business?

To start with, question them about your brand. This will give you an idea if the candidate has done research before coming for the interview or not. Social success is an extremely slow and demanding process, and thus requires a foresight and in depth knowledge. The various social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blogging etc. have different tactics and approach.

2.What’s the social media marketing metric(s) that they should monitor most dedicatedly?

Engagement: If your business is not creating a buzz online, then there is probably something wrong with your social media strategy or social media strategist! Interesting content drives social marketing success. Stinking content accounts for sinking business! See to it that the candidate is well versed in crafting relevant content for your audience.

Leads: Ask them if they had run a social media campaign before? How successful were they in it? How did they strategize for it? Have they done any social media advertising supporting business campaigns? If possible, ask them to show you a demo.

3.Define ROI in social media context?

Although ROIs are perpetual, yet they can be measured in terms of goals achieved. What were the goals they had set before running a campaign? How many goals were they able to achieve? Did their campaign bring revenue to the business? This will help you to understand how good of a strategist they are, because a good social media manager knows how to devise a strategy and make use of every available resource.

4.Do they know your brand’s target audience? What are the strategies they can use to reach out to them?

Identifying your target audience puts a brand or business in the game! Given the fact the candidate has done the research for your brand, this question becomes very crucial. It will give you a direct insight to their understanding and perception of your business.

5.What are their best & worst social campaigns and why?

The dynamic and evolving nature of social media makes it highly vulnerable and risk filled. Ask them about the campaigns they have managed in the past- Because history is a good predictor for future success. This question will tell you how they judge campaigns as they will apply the same principles to yours. Remember, a smooth sea never made a skilled mariner! Braving a crisis and rising above it with success is what makes a Social Media Manager – a social guru!