Are you considering hiring a social media manager for your business?
While technical skills are important, the soft skills of your potential hire can make or break your online presence. As a business owner, you know the power of social media in today’s digital marketing landscape. But managing multiple platforms, creating engaging content, and measuring ROI can be overwhelming.
That’s where a skilled social media manager comes in. However, finding the right person goes beyond just checking off a list of technical abilities.
In this post, we’ll explore the crucial soft skills that separate good social media managers from great ones. We’ll dive into why these skills matter and how to spot them during the hiring process.
Whether you’re looking to outsource your social media efforts or enhance your own skills, understanding these essential traits will help you build a stronger, more engaging online presence. Let’s explore what it takes to excel in social media management beyond just knowing the latest trends and tools.
Table of contents
The Difference Between a Social Media Manager and a Social Media Strategist
Before we dive into the essential soft skills, it’s crucial to understand the distinction between a social media manager and a social media strategist. While these roles often overlap, they have distinct responsibilities that can significantly impact your digital marketing efforts.
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Social Media Strategist:
- Focuses on the big picture and long-term planning
- Develops comprehensive social media strategies aligned with business goals
- Conducts audience research and selects appropriate platforms
- Creates campaign blueprints and sets overall direction
Social Media Manager:
- Implements the day-to-day execution of the strategy
- Creates and schedules content across various platforms
- Engages with the audience and manages community interactions
- Monitors analytics and adjusts tactics as needed
Assuming you already have a solid strategy in place, hiring a social media manager will be a good next step. However, if you’re starting from scratch or your social media needs a complete overhaul, you will want to hire a strategist first. With this in mind, let’s dig into what you need to know to hire a social media manager.
5 Essential Soft Skills for Social Media Managers
While technical know-how is important, the following soft skills can truly set a social media manager apart:
1. Empathy
In the world of social media, empathy is crucial. A social media manager needs to understand and connect with your audience on an emotional level. This skill enables them to:
- Craft messages that resonate with your followers
- Handle customer complaints with sensitivity
- Create content that addresses your audience’s pain points
When interviewing candidates, ask:
“Can you describe a time when you turned a negative customer interaction on social media into a positive experience?”
2. Adaptability
Social media platforms and trends evolve rapidly. An effective manager needs to:
- Stay up-to-date with platform changes and new features
- Quickly adjust strategies based on performance metrics
- Be comfortable learning new tools and technologies
Look for this skill by asking:
“How do you stay current with social media trends, and can you give an example of how you’ve adapted to a major platform change?”
3. Creativity
Standing out in a crowded social media landscape requires creativity. A great social media manager should:
- Come up with original content ideas
- Find unique ways to present your brand message
- Think outside the box for engagement strategies
Assess this skill by requesting:
“Share an example of a creative campaign you developed that exceeded expectations. What made it successful?”
4. Strong Communication Skills
Effective communication is at the heart of social media management. Your ideal candidate should:
- Write clear, engaging copy for various platforms
- Articulate ideas and strategies to team members and stakeholders
- Maintain a consistent brand voice across all channels
Test this by asking:
“How do you adapt your communication style for different social media platforms while maintaining brand consistency?”
5. Time Management and Organization
Managing multiple social media accounts requires excellent organizational skills. Look for someone who can:
- Juggle multiple tasks and deadlines
- Create and maintain content calendars
- Prioritize tasks effectively
Probe this skill with:
“How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple social media accounts with competing deadlines?”
The Unteachable Traits: Being Nice and Responsible
While many skills can be learned or improved over time, there are two traits that are fundamental to a great social media manager: being nice and being responsible. These qualities are often innate and can make a significant difference in how your brand is perceived online.
Being Nice: The Foundation of Positive Engagement
A nice social media manager can:
- Create a welcoming online environment for your followers
- Handle criticism and negative comments with grace
- Build genuine relationships with your audience
When interviewing candidates, pay attention to their overall demeanor and ask questions like:
“How do you maintain a positive attitude when dealing with difficult customers or situations online?”
Look for responses that demonstrate patience, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others.
Responsibility: The Key to Reliable Management
A responsible social media manager will:
- Meet deadlines consistently
- Own up to mistakes and work quickly to rectify them
- Proactively identify and address potential issues
To assess responsibility, consider asking:
“Can you describe a time when you made a mistake in a social media post? How did you handle it?”
The best candidates will provide examples of how they took ownership of their errors and implemented measures to prevent similar issues in the future.
Why These Traits Matter for Your Brand
Social media is often the first point of contact between your brand and potential customers. A nice and responsible manager will:
- Create positive first impressions
- Build trust with your audience
- Handle potential crises with professionalism
Remember, while you can train someone on the technical aspects of social media management, these core traits are much harder to instill. Prioritizing them in your hiring process can lead to a more positive and effective social media presence for your brand.
Balancing Soft Skills and Technical Expertise
While we’ve emphasized the importance of soft skills, it’s crucial to remember that technical expertise is still a vital component of effective social media management. The ideal candidate will possess a balanced mix of both soft skills and technical know-how.
Technical Skills to Look For:
- Platform Proficiency: Familiarity with major social media platforms and their unique features.
- Analytics and Reporting: Ability to interpret data and derive actionable insights.
- Content Creation: Skills in creating engaging text, images, and videos.
- Social Media Tools: Experience with scheduling, monitoring, and analytics tools.
When assessing candidates, consider asking:
“Can you walk me through your process of creating, scheduling, and analyzing a social media campaign?”
This question allows candidates to demonstrate both their technical skills and how they apply soft skills like creativity and organization in their work.
Measuring Social Media Manager Candidate Performance
When reviewing potential hires, consider creating a scorecard that weighs both soft and technical skills. For example:
- Empathy and Communication: 25%
- Creativity and Adaptability: 25%
- Responsibility and Time Management: 25%
- Technical Skills and Platform Knowledge: 25%
This balanced approach ensures you’re not overlooking crucial soft skills in favor of technical expertise, or vice versa.
Aligning Candidate Skills with Business Needs
Remember, while some technical skills can be taught, soft skills are often inherent. When making your final decision, consider:
- Which skills are essential from day one?
- Which skills can be developed with training?
- How does the candidate’s potential for growth align with your long-term social media goals?
By focusing on this balance, you’re more likely to find a social media manager who can not only manage your accounts effectively but also represent your brand in a way that resonates with your audience and drives meaningful engagement.
Conclusion – Finding Your Ideal Social Media Manager
As we’ve explored throughout this post, hiring the right social media manager is about more than just finding someone who knows how to post content and track likes. It’s about finding a professional who can embody your brand’s voice, connect with your audience, and drive meaningful engagement across platforms.
Key Takeaways:
- Soft skills matter: Empathy, adaptability, creativity, communication, and organization are crucial for success in social media management.
- Balance is key: Look for candidates who possess both technical expertise and essential soft skills.
- Assess the whole package: Use a balanced scorecard approach when evaluating potential hires.
- Align with your goals: Choose a social media manager whose skills and potential match your long-term business objectives.
- Consider growth potential: Some skills can be taught, while others are innate. Prioritize accordingly.
Remember, your social media manager will be the voice of your brand online. They’ll be interacting with your customers, representing your values, and potentially handling sensitive situations. By prioritizing both soft skills and technical know-how in your hiring process, you’re setting your business up for social media success.
Investing time in finding the right social media manager can lead to improved brand awareness, better customer relationships, and ultimately, a stronger return on your social media investment. So take your time, ask the right questions, and find that perfect balance of skills that will take your social media presence to the next level.
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Author: Bonnie Conrad
Bonnie, a military spouse, has worked in both the public and private sectors throughout her career. Leaving the corporate world behind, she started her own small business and struggled with digital marketing. Determined to overcome this, she immersed herself in digital marketing. The dedication allowed her to pinpoint key factors distinguishing superficial content from valuable social media strategies that truly benefit customers and businesses. Bonnie’s clients appreciate her honest, no-frills feedback.
Use this link to book a meeting time with Bonnie.
