How to Hire a Social Media Manager
All the successful food bloggers I know have a secret to how they get more done. And no, they don’t have a 25th hour in their day. They tend to be really strategic about outsourcing the first chance they get. And 9 times out of 10, a social media person is among the first few team members they hire.
And I totally understand why. Social media can be a bit of a beast. Depending on how many channels you’re on, you really have to be an expert in all of them to keep your audience engaged. Which is a full-time job in and of itself.
Should You Hire a VA or a Social Media Manager?
But here’s the thing. Knowing which social media position to hire isn’t so cut-and-dried. In fact, I’ve had some pretty lengthy discussions with my food blogger clients about which position they should add to their team first. A virtual assistant, social media manager, or a specialized social media manager, like a Pinterest manager, for example.
There are really three different tiers of specialization, and the amount of guidance each position needs varies.
What Does a VA Do?
A VA is somebody who you are really directly instructing to do things. They’re very task-oriented individuals, but you still need to manage them and tell them what they need to do for you every day.
They typically don’t specialize in social media, but they may be able to assist you with scheduling your posts and other administrative duties around your social media.
What Does a Social Media Manager Do?
On the other hand, a social media manager helps you create an overall strategy for your social media marketing, and sometimes they can go beyond to other digital media as well.
They will typically specialize in 2-3 platforms, but will ideally have a good knowledge of the trends and services across all the social media platforms.
Every type of social media has a different market, different audiences that it’s driving, and different purposes. This can make it a little more difficult for one social media manager to really keep up with all the ever-changing social media trends, so you may need to add a second team member who specializes in different platforms. For example, you may have one person for Facebook and Instagram and another for TikTok and YouTube.
What are Specialized Social Media Managers?
Then you get to the niche subgrouping of specialized social media managers, such as a Pinterest manager.
That specific platform is what these folks live and breathe. You don’t have to tell them what to do or what you need because they already understand the platform and keep up with best practices.
VA vs. Social Media Manager vs. Specialized Social Media Manager
There are benefits to all three types of positions, and it boils down to what you need individually for your blog and how much you need taken off your plate.
If you just need help with some admin tasks that you’re prepared to delegate, a VA might be for you. If you want help with overall social media strategy, then a social media manager is what you need. If a certain social platform drains your time or energy, then the specialized route is the way to go.
What To Look For In a Social Media Manager
There are all kinds of social media certifications out there, but there isn’t really any formal path that’s well-known that managers can take to become skilled.
So, when you’re hiring a social media manager — specialized or otherwise — you will need to ask some probing questions to understand their level of knowledge.
These are some of my favorites and why I use them in my interview process:
Tell me about your proudest accomplishment in social media management.
I love this question because it opens up a conversation about their experience and their results. If you get a vague answer on this one, it could be a sign they don’t have the experience you’re looking for.
How do you keep up with trends on (the social media platforms you’re hiring for)?
I’ve found that high-performing social media managers will have a solid answer with things they are doing to keep up. If that’s not what you get, they might not have as much experience as they say they do.
What is your philosophy on social media trends? And how do you know which trends are worth hopping on for your clients or allowing to pass by?
This question is great because it allows you to see whether you’re comfortable with their approach.
What are the key indicators that you’re going to be reporting on?
I always ask this question because reporting for this position is critical. Your social media manager should report stats to you on a weekly or monthly basis and be able to show ROI.
For more interview tips, check out this article.
How to Find & Onboard a Social Media Manager
The way to attract the best candidates for a social media manager position is by creating a super attractive job posting.
Your job posting should include enough about the position and your ideal candidate that when qualified applicants read the posting, they will nod their head through most of it.
If they do, they’ll probably apply. If not, they’ll keep on scrolling. You can read more on that here.
You also need a solid process for filtering through the candidates that apply for the position. This part can get to be time-consuming, especially if you get many, many applications.
Once you’ve selected someone to hire, you’ll want to consider what to include in your freelancer contract. I get asked this all the time, and you can get some ideas here.
Then, you need to be prepared to actually start assigning them work -- and managing them. Which might be something you’ve never done before. That’s why I suggest getting started by reading this article, You Hired a Freelancer … Now What?
Hire Your Dream Team
If this all sounds a little overwhelming, don’t worry. You are not alone. If you’ve never hired anyone before, how would you know how to approach this?
That’s precisely why I created The Hiring Fix. It’s a self-guided course that walks you through all the steps of finding, hiring, and managing freelancers — stress-free.
You’ll get job posting templates, interview questions… really, everything I use when I’m hiring for my private recruiting clients.
If you’re ready to hire your dream team, sign up for The Hiring Fix here to get started.
So… Where Do You Find Good Freelancers?
If you were ready yesterday to start delegating to a rock-solid freelancer, but:
You aren’t sure which position to hire first
You don’t know where to start
You’re gun shy from poor past experiences
I hear you. And I’ve been there. That’s why I put together a free 5-day mini-course, The 5 Things No One Tells You About Hiring Freelancers.
It delivers everything you need to know right to your inbox. Sign up here.
