9 RED FLAGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN HIRING A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Finding the right social media manager is a bit like playing the lottery. There are more losers than winners in this game. Hiring the right candidate for this position can be challenging. I know because I’ve made the mistake of hiring a person who wasn’t truly qualified to do social media. Don’t get sucked into the buzzwords and promises an amateur might offer. Instead, take the time on the front end to vet the person to ensure he/she will deliver.
Here are 9 red flags to look out for when hiring a social media manager:
1. THEY DON’T SHOW YOU THEIR WORK.
Just because someone can talk highly about the work that they have done does not mean that their work shows high quality. Most social media professionals can show you the accounts they have worked on or case studies around their work. If they are unwilling to share their work with you, proceed with caution.
2. THEY SAY THEY CAN DO EVERY PLATFORM.
No, they can’t. It is incredibly rare to find a social media professional that can do well on all platforms. Rather than get an average generalist, get a specialist. Specialists know the ins and outs of a platform and have their finger on the pulse of user behavior shifts and algorithm updates by leveraging a horizontal view of what is happening on the platform. Someone that says they can do all social media platforms won’t have this view or the specific skills required for success on the platforms you’re focusing on.
3. THEY DON’T COME WITH A PLAN.
If you find someone you are excited to work with, ask them what their plan of action is for your project. If they can’t easily outline a plan, it’s likely the whole project will be disorganized. Social media projects can quickly become chaotic since there are a lot of moving pieces: content creation, assets from the client, content calendars, platform management, and strategies. Without clear direction on how an individual will begin and manage a project long-term, assume they don’t have a plan to manage it all.
4. THEY CAN’T ANSWER WHAT KPIS YOU SHOULD BE MEASURING.
If the person you are hiring can’t correctly answer what KPIs you should measure to assess success, they won’t even know what success looks like for you.
Here’s what KPIs you should be measuring for your goals:
Attract top talent = website clicks to the hiring page
Earn new clients = DMs about working together, calls booked, website clicks
Grow company page = followers on the company page, clicks to the company blog
Earn media opportunities = number of media opportunities
Increase digital presence = content engagement
5. THEY MENTION BOTS OR AUTOMATION.
Run. Just run. This is copping out and cutting corners to an illusion of social media “success.” Many of these “strategies” are also against social media platforms’ community conduct policies which means that you open your account to getting suspended or banned.
6. THEY GUARANTEE SPECIFIC RESULTS IN X DAYS OR MONTHS.
While individuals can show you past successes or stats about clients they worked with, no one can 100% promise you results on social media. Anyone that claims they will increase your followers by 3x in three months, double your engagement rate, or create viral posts probably is only able to do this through slimy avenues, again which can open your account up to getting suspended or banned. Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Invest in a professional who exudes persistence and endurance to help you win the race.
7. THEY DON’T MESH WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE.
Someone working on your social media will be working closely with you. They need to communicate with you to get information to create content as well as get feedback from you. If you are someone that is very direct, you need to hire someone that can take and work with direct feedback. If you are someone who is a little more passive, you need to work with someone that can take initiative to reach out to ask you questions.
8. THEY AREN’T OPINIONATED.
If they don’t have opinions, it either means they don’t know the social media industry that well or are nervous to share their opinions. You can’t have either on social media. People connect and engage with ideas that draw a line in the sand: I believe in this and not this. It makes for strong and powerful content. If the content tries to pander to all, it will be difficult to find the same level of engagement since the connection to the idea is lacking. Invest in someone that has opinions and shares them.
9. THEY AREN’T INTERVIEWING YOU BACK.
You want someone that is excited and wants to work with you. If they are writing content and working closely with you, you want them to bring enthusiasm and effort to their work. If it is just another writing project and platform to manage, it will become apparent that that is all it is. Someone that is engaged will ask you personal questions to assess if they want to work with you.
Here’s to hitting the jackpot with your next social media manager!
