Discover 10 hidden truths you must know before hiring a social media marketer

Social media marketing has become an essential part of any successful business strategy. With billions of active users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more, social media provides unparalleled opportunities to reach your target audience. However, many businesses make crucial mistakes when hiring social media marketers that end up wasting time and money. Before bringing on a new social media manager, it's important to understand the hidden truths about this role. 

In this article, we will reveal 10 vital facts you must know before hiring someone to handle your social media marketing. We will uncover the real responsibilities of a social media marketer, the skills and experience you should look for, mistakes to avoid, and key questions to ask any potential candidate. You will learn insider secrets that will help you hire the right person to grow your brand and connect with customers online.

Whether you are exploring social media marketing for the first time or looking to build on your existing strategy, this guide will provide actionable insights. Let's get started!

Social media marketers are not just posting - they manage full strategies

Many businesses mistakenly believe that social media marketing is just about posting regularly on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, an experienced social media marketer does far more than just write posts or tweets. 

An effective social media manager should develop comprehensive strategies for each channel that align with your overarching business goals. This includes researching audience insights, mapping out content calendars, overseeing experiments to optimize engagement, monitoring conversations and trends, running targeted ad campaigns, and measuring results across all activities. 

A social media pro understands how to translate business objectives into social media tactics. Look for a strategic thinker who can manage cross-channel plans, not just someone who promises consistent posting.

Creativity is crucial but analytical skills are equally important

It's tempting to focus your hiring decision on how creative and innovative a social media marketer's ideas are. However, you need someone who pairs creativity with analytical expertise. 

The best social media managers have a data-driven mindset and rely on insights rather than assumptions. They conduct in-depth audience research, carefully track performance metrics, analyze engagement patterns, monitor conversations across platforms, and experiment systematically. 

This enables them to translate creative concepts into campaigns that resonate. Analytical skills also allow marketers to clearly demonstrate the ROI of their social media activities. Look for a balance of right-brain creative thinking and left-brain analytical rigor. A data-savvy marketer will craft content that inspires engagement while optimizing efforts based on meaningful metrics.

Look for real-world experience and proven results

When evaluating social media manager candidates, look beyond buzzwords and ask for proof of real-world results. Avoid being swayed by flashy proposals and instead ask for examples of successful campaigns they have executed. 

Look for concrete evidence of growth in followers, engagement, conversions, and other metrics from their previous work. Check whether they have delivered results across different types of campaigns, audiences, and platforms. 

Experienced marketers should be able to showcase analytics from past efforts and clearly explain how they helped brands achieve goals. Beware of candidates who make big promises without backing them up with a track record of measurable success. The ideal marketer will have a portfolio demonstrating their ability to craft effective strategies and execute them skillfully to drive business success.

Ask about their process for growing followers and engagement

Simply having a large number of social media followers is not enough - you need people genuinely engaging with your brand. When interviewing, ask candidates to explain their process for growing not just followers but meaningful engagement. They should have proven techniques for identifying and attracting your target audience rather than haphazardly accumulating followers. 

Also ask how they craft content and campaigns that spark interest and encourage sharing, comments, clicks and conversions. The right marketer will have a strategic approach to increasing brand awareness and recognition organically over time. 

They should be able to identify how they will build relationships with the right influencers and evangelists to expand your reach. Look for data-driven methods for enhancing both the size and quality of your audience while boosting meaningful interactions.

Make sure they understand your target audience deeply

A common mistake brands make is hiring social media marketers who lack deep knowledge of their target audience. Make sure candidates demonstrate a strong grasp of your ideal customer demographics, pain points, goals, and preferences. They should ask insightful questions about your existing buyers and be able to explain how they will create tailored personas. 

The ideal marketer will use research to deeply understand your audience segments on an emotional level. They can then map out social campaigns that align with your audience's needs and preferences. Ask about their strategies for regularly surveying target customers, monitoring conversations, and gathering first-party data to continually refine their understanding. A marketer who makes assumptions or relies on guesswork is likely to waste time and money. Prioritize candidates who show the ability to gain true customer insights.

Don't just focus on the "big" platforms - emerging sites matter too

It's easy to assume that social media marketing is all about the major networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, savvy marketers understand the importance of also engaging audiences on emerging and niche platforms. When interviewing, ask how they identify and evaluate new apps and sites beyond the obvious channels. 

The ideal candidate will have their finger on the pulse of new platforms where your audience is already active or could be in the future. 

They understand how to establish an early presence and nurture communities on promising new channels before they explode in popularity. Rather than sticking to the mainstream sites, an innovative marketer can help you test and optimize efforts on emerging platforms. Staying ahead of the curve will ensure you are engaging your audience wherever they are, not just where everyone else is competing.

Posting frequency and timing should align with your goals

Simply posting as often as possible does not guarantee social media success. Make sure candidates think strategically about optimal posting frequency and timing. Ask how they will determine the ideal cadence of content across platforms that will achieve your specific goals. 

They should factor in variables like audience behaviors, industry norms, type of content, and campaign objectives. The right frequency and timing will feel natural to your audience rather than intrusive. Savvy marketers test different approaches and analyze performance data to inform an optimal schedule. 

They understand how to align posting with peak engagement times when possible. Beware marketers who arbitrarily promise a high volume of content without considering strategic timing. Look for thoughtful, nuanced strategies to determine the best frequencies and times customized to your goals.

Collaboration skills are essential for working with your team

Social media marketing cannot happen in a silo. The best social media managers understand how to collaborate seamlessly with other teams. When interviewing, assess candidates' abilities to work cross-functionally with groups like sales, PR, product development, and customer service. 

Ask how they will coordinate initiatives, share insights from social campaigns, and ensure brand consistency. Strong collaboration skills allow marketers to amplify efforts rather than operate independently. 

For example, they can work with sales to convert social engagement into leads and customers. Avoid candidates who want full control without input from colleagues. Look for team players who can help integrate social media throughout your organization rather than work in isolation.

Ask how they measure and optimize performance

Any social media marketer can launch campaigns, but the best ones know how to optimize based on data. During interviews, ask how candidates measure the impact of their efforts and continuously improve performance. 

They should discuss specific KPIs beyond vanity metrics like follower counts. Look for a solid grasp of how to use analytics to derive insights. The ideal marketer will connect social initiatives to overarching goals like sales, leads, and customer satisfaction. Ask how they track conversions across the entire customer journey. 

They should also explain techniques for optimizing content, engagement and conversions based on data. A strong marketer will show you how to connect the dots between social efforts and tangible business results. Prioritize candidates who demonstrate the ability to measure what matters and enhance strategies based on insights.

Gauge their ability to identify trends and stay ahead of changes

Social media evolves rapidly, and marketers need to stay ahead of new developments. During interviews, assess how well candidates keep a pulse on emerging social media trends and changes to platforms. Ask how they identify relevant trends for your audience and industry. The ideal marketer proactively seeks out insights into new features, algorithms, influencer behaviors and more. They can explain how they will keep your brand's strategies and content aligned with changes over time. For example, they may discuss how they will adapt to new ad formats or shifts in engagement patterns. Highlight candidates who emphasize the importance of continuous learning rather than relying solely on existing knowledge. Prioritize marketers who demonstrate curiosity and strategic foresight to keep your brand’s social presence fresh.