Social media is an essential and valuable marketing tool for small businesses. However, devoting the necessary time and resources to developing and implementing a solid social media strategy is often too much for a business owner to handle on their own. With social media marketing having grown into a full-blown industry, small businesses often need a dedicated professional to handle the demands of producing high-quality content.
Before you hire a social media manager for your team, it’s crucial to understand their responsibilities, their ideal qualifications, and the factors to consider during and after the hiring process.
How to hire a social media manager
Follow these steps to hire the best social media manager for your operation and give them the tools to be successful.
1. Decide which social media platforms to focus on.
If your company already has a social media presence on some platforms, start with those channels. However, you should also evaluate other platforms. If you haven’t had time to establish a presence on platforms your target market uses because you haven’t had a social media manager, add them to your list.
Also, if you use a social media management platform — such as Hootsuite, Buffer or monday — look for someone who has experience with that tool.
Why? Knowing the right social media platforms for your audience — and the best tools to manage them — will help you write an accurate job description.
2. Set social media goals.
Your current social media presence and activity level will influence and shape the goals you set for your new social media manager. For example, if your brand is already active on several well-managed platforms, you may want your new social media manager to focus on tracking social media trends, growing your audience and boosting engagement. However, if you’re just getting started, your priorities may include building online brand awareness, creating a content calendar, and setting up your profiles and stories.
Why? Including at least a general idea of your social media marketing goals in the job description will help narrow your candidate pool. Plus, it gives your new social media manager a clear sense of where to focus their time and energy from the start.
3. Create a brand identity guide.
Take some time to assemble a brand identity guide, if you haven’t done so already. This should include your logo in various formats and sizes, your brand colors, and a clear description of your brand’s positioning and voice.
Why? Sharing this guide with your social media manager helps to ensure consistent branding across platforms and can prevent brand image missteps, like off-brand messaging or tone.
4. Decide what type of individual would be best in the role.
Are you looking for someone with significant experience, and can you offer the total compensation to attract that kind of candidate? Or would someone less experienced (and more affordable) who can grow into the role be a better fit?
If you have a marketing VP or another senior leader who will be closely supervising the social media manager, you may be fine hiring someone more junior. But if there’s little day-to-day oversight, you’ll likely want someone who already has experience and is confident working independently.
Why? Being clear and upfront about the kind of person you’re looking for helps attract candidates with the right skills and makes it easier to hire the best fit for your team.
5. Post your job description.
Once your job description is ready, post it on your website and external job boards. You can use general sites, like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn Jobs and Monster. You might also try boards geared specifically toward marketing and social media roles, such as Job Board Fire and Acadium. And don’t forget to share the job on the social media platforms your business uses the most.
Why? Posting in multiple places helps you reach a wider pool of candidates and gives you more great people to choose from.
6. Set up and implement an interview process.
Some job boards allow you to ask candidates important questions before they even apply. These can include disqualifying questions, like “Do you have X years of experience managing social media accounts for a [industry] company?” or “Are you willing to relocate to [city]?”
Next, develop a system for reviewing applications so you can decide which candidates to interview. Choose how you want to conduct interviews — phone, video, email or in person — and who will handle them. Create a checklist of the qualifications and traits you’re looking for, to help interviewers assess candidates more consistently.
Why? The more you can filter out unsuitable candidates early on, the less time, money and energy you’ll spend finding the right person. A well-organized interview process also saves time and presents your company in a more professional light.
7. Hire and onboard the new social media manager.
Once your chosen candidate accepts the offer, complete the hiring paperwork, decide on a start date, and ensure that training and the onboarding process are ready to go.
Introduce your new hire to your brand identity guide, walk them through your current social media accounts and management tools, and share the goals you want them to focus on.
Why? Giving your new hire the information, benchmarks and tools they need right away helps them get up to speed faster and gives them clear direction from day one.
Great social media managers typically have excellent writing and graphic design skills, experience with
social media for business, familiarity with social media management tools, organizational skills, and an understanding of social media analytics.
Should you hire in-house or outsource?
Whether you hire an in-house social media manager or outsource the work to an agency or freelancer depends on your company’s needs, goals and budget.
The case for an in-house social media manager
- Dedicated energy and insight: “Usually, it is best to have someone in-house as a social media manager,” said Suken Shah, CEO and founder of Envision Marketing. “The person can be at the business day in and day out, sharing content from the business, and the person knows what is taking place within the company at all times.”
- Better communication and control: When you’re deciding whether to keep the role in-house, consider how closely you want to manage and collaborate with your social media manager. Having someone onsite makes communication easier and supports stronger teamwork. “It’s no secret that it is easier to directly manage in-house staff versus outsourced staff,” said Dave Hoch, founder and CEO of The Colibrily Crew. “Plus, you can modify and adjust your processes and goals without much headache when you can directly control the roles and responsibilities.”
- Deeper brand familiarity: In-house social media managers will get a chance to know your brand voice inside and out. They can ensure your content always stays authentic.
The case for outsourcing
- Potentially lower costs: Your budget will play a big role in your hiring decision. “Sometimes there isn’t enough budget to be able to afford a full-time person, so an agency is a way to go,” Shah noted.
- Access to more expertise: Depending on your budget, outsourcing to a social media agency can give you access to a team of experienced professionals. Although they won’t know your brand as intimately as a full-time employee would, they can bring a fresh perspective to your social branding.
Hiring a freelancer can be a less-expensive way to outsource your social media management. However,
choosing the right outsourcing partner is key. You need someone with the right mix of skills, professionalism and commitment to grow with your brand.
