Social media is here to stay, and it’s become a vital marketing strategy. A new industry called social media management has emerged, and for most companies, the benefits of having an expert social media manager are many.
Everyone can do what they do best.
When you hire an expert to manage your social media, the employee who was running those accounts is freed to do the tasks that he or she does well, which are potentially more profitable for you. If you’re the one running the accounts, you just gained time to spend as you wish.
You benefit from the latest trends.
If you choose your social media manager wisely, he or she is committed to staying abreast of the best practices and latest trends to maximize your social media (SM) presence. You and your employees probably don’t know how to do this unless you spend valuable time to learn. The social media manager is the expert you need to spread your message to the world.
You also receive a bonus: a built-in reputation manager.
Good social media managers are quick to alert you if there is any negative PR or feedback about your company floating around. He or she will be proactive about either contacting the sources of the criticism or sending you the information.
Hiring the right social media manager should be simple, but it’s not. Too many have entered the field because it sounds fun and glamorous. To hire a good SM manager, you have to be a bit of a detective. At minimum, each candidate should have an account with Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These accounts should appear professional; if they don’t, move on.
Candidates for your social media manager position should be able to explain what they do, how they do it, and how they measure their results. Be sure to ask for references, and call them. Look at those businesses’ social media profiles and note how much activity and attention they receive. If you like what you see, ask for a short-term contract of no more than three months to test the waters, and then jump in!
