Looking for a Social Media Manager? 13 Things to Look Out For

So you want to hire a social media manager? You are not alone, social media management is one of the fastest growing industries of 2010. In this rapidly changing world, you are hardly likely to select someone on the basis of their CV or resume alone, nor are they likely to hold a master’s degree in Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. Hey, Facebook and Twitter don’t even know what lies ahead in the coming months. And yet, a decent social media management strategy could make (Starbucks) or break (United Airlines) a failing or thriving business. An excellent social media agency should offer you a heady cocktail of both hard and soft skills.

So there are certain qualities, skills and abilities that you should look out for when you are choosing a social media management agency.

Here they are:

1. They need to be social.

Sorry for overstating the obvious but it is so true. You need a social butterfly who is skilled at conversation, relationship building and attracting the right kind of people to your brand. There are many internet marketers who claim to be social networking consultants, but who are still approaching people with a hard sell and do not understand or value the art of establishing relationships.

2. Intuitive

A decent social media networker will be able to intuit what is going on in a conversation and be able to pre-empt what is coming next. She will know how to find out which corner of the internet your potential customers and clients are lurking in and join in the conversation. She will suss out who the evangelists and thought leaders are and make sure she is right there amongst them. She will discern who is likely to become a good JVP and help to predict trends. She will know when to talk and know when to listen. After all, it is your share of the voice, your social mention and brand reputation.



3. Well Networked

It is important that your social media manager is well networked with other allied professionals and colleagues and is keeping abreast of the constant changes and ideas. In the current paradigm, many businesses must diversify to survive including finding new applications for the same products. Having lots of business connections will help to create new diversifications.

4. A good understanding of each of the Social Networks and how the interconnect.

Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Youtube are generally accepted as the four most important social platforms. Then there are niche forums and networks, bookmarking sites and of course blogs. A good new media team should be able to devise strategies for each of these platforms and interconnect them so that there is an overall goal. She should of course be a good time manager and make sure that her efficiency means that she is completing tasks within an allocated time and she is not getting distracted by social chit chat.

5. Bursting with initiative to keep learning

She should be passionate about the power of social media and love learning and keeping up to date with the latest trends, tools and tips. She should get fired up by conventions, tweet ups, mash ups and summits! Her book case should be packed with social media books, and her hard drive full of downloads that she has reviewed.

6. Understand the new paradigm of sharing whilst maintaining a business head.

I think we can all agree that the way we do business has changed forever. We are much more likely to collaborate and share and seek out win win opportunities. A highly competitive and cut throat approach will not result in a good social media outcome, as there is a strong emphasis in supporting the community. However, a solid understanding of business principles is also required and at the end of the day ROI is the bottom line. Make sure she has a credible track record in business.

7. Mind their P s and Q s

Success in social media is highly dependent on netiquette, without adhering to this there can be no success. This involves sharing, being helpful, adding value, being respectful and giving first.

8. Dot their I s and T s

Paying attention to detail is incredibly important, but this needs to be balanced with the speed at which everything is moving and also the laid back and relaxed nature of social networking. It is more forgiving than conventional business. There is no room for perfectionists, by the time they get it right, they will have missed the boat.

9. Intelligent enough to understand your business and produce new content and converse appropriately.

Your social media manager or management team need to get your business. This may well come down to personal choice. We have a clear idea of who we want to work with and actively seek out those clients. This is because we want to share your passion!

10. An excellent understanding and practical application of Search Engine Optimisation and Search Conversation Optimisation.

Search engine optimisation is important to get your blog found, search conversation optimisation means that you will be included in the conversations that matter in your niche. Both are important but very different processes.

11. An ability to attend to details, hold the bigger picture and multi-task.

This comes back to time management. Every good social media management team need an excellent programme to track tasks, managers, accounts, clients and projects. Regular team meetings are essential. Without time management, the whole thing will collapse and you might as well throw mud against the wall.

12. Know when to persevere and when to call it a day.

Things are moving fast and times they are a changin’. Never before has it been more important to get the right balance between stick ability and flexibility. This comes down to a good ability to measure what is happening with campaigns and in the wider world of social media.

13. An ability to spot opportunities.

Let’s face it, there are more opportunities out there than you can shake a stick at. Lots of them are good, some of them are not worth the screen they are appearing on and discernment is key. Your social media manager needs to be at the front of the line spotting the best ones for you, then taking them back to her team to filter through them.

I’m sure we could keep going with this list and there are many more qualities that we could add to this list. We think it is important that you choose someone who is part of a well rounded team. After all, no one can be all things to everyone, and a good team plays to its strengths and uses the best person for the job.

Let us know if we have forgotten anything important here, we love hearing feedback!

Thanks,

Kay, Sarah and Deb