When a company is looking to increase its online presence and build momentum, one of the best routes to take is social media marketing (SMM). Nothing can create the kind of viral buzz that can be achieved via a comprehensive and effective SMM campaign. However, once the campaign is over and you’ve exhausted your budget, the need to stay active on social media remains constant for any business that seeks an optimal rate of expansion. That’s where the option of hiring an SMM manager comes into play. Having a dedicated professional handling your social media marketing duties on an ongoing basis gives you the assurance of knowing that your brand’s image is being promoted to the fullest possible extent.
With that said, here are three things to look for when comparing prospective SMM managers:
1. Verifiable Credentials
First and foremost, you want your SMM manager to have an educational or experiential background in social media. Certain degrees may prove their overall competency and business knowledge level. For example, someone who’s studied for a masters in business administration (MBA) and has graduated from an accredited online MBA program would be more likely to provide a satisfactory service than someone whose highest level of education is a high school diploma. It’s a good idea to verify educational credentials by asking for the name of the university they graduated from and validating claims whenever possible. You should also go for candidates who graduated from highly reviewed AACSB online MBA programs, such as Norwich University.
2. Above Average Communication and Graphic Design Skills
A person’s emails and chat messages will usually reveal whether they’re a proficient typist and online communicator. These skills are essential in the world of social media, particularly when it comes to conveying an impactful message in a small amount of words. Likewise, above average graphic design or meme creation skills are other perks to look for in a SMM manager. Of course, these are skills that can be learned, and meme creation isn’t rocket science, but you don’t want to be paying for someone to practice on your budget either.
3. Extensive Social Media Presence
Finally, why hire someone to expand your company’s social media presence when they can’t even prove that they’ve done the same for their own brand? Your SMM manager should be highly visible and active on a variety of social media sites to show evidence that they’re ready to “walk the walk.” Plus, bringing someone with extensive connections onto your team is a good way to instantly grow your company’s extended network.
The Proof is in the Portfolio Pudding
Ultimately, it’s always best to hire social media managers that have proven their ability to produce desirable results for a variety of brands. Although there is the alternative option of hiring a less experienced SMM manager who charges less but can still prove general competence in the field. Going the cheaper route may be a bigger risk as you don’t know what kind of results they’re going to produce, but it could save you money and if you’re heavily involved in the direction of the campaign it might be more cost effective to hire a general assistant who can handle tedious tasks like publishing status updates and such, rather than dishing out a sizeable salary for a dedicated SMM manager.
