It is very clear that there is a social media skills shortage! Small business’s and large corporate brands are consistently investing big marketing dollars towards various strategies and campaigns on Social Media and they are on the lookout for someone to manage these platforms and build their online brand presence.
But, with so many marketing strategies…Blog writing for SEO, community page and group management, building custom audiences using social media ad manager tools and Email drip campaigns its hard to clearly define this role. We have compiled a list of the top 10 skills you will be required to perform in the role of the Social Media Marketer that many business’s are looking for.
Download the Top 10 Must-Have Social Media marketing Skills for 2018 Cheatsheet
1. WHAT ONLINE COMMUNITIES HAVE YOU MANAGED IN THE PAST?
With any job interview, your prospective employer will want to hear about examples and see evidence of your past work.
Since Facebook changed it’s algorithm, Facebook pages are receiving a lot less engagement and there is a shift to building engaging and thriving communities through the use of groups.
While it is necessary that you are able to set up profiles, business pages and groups, what employers want to to see is the ability to build brand trust and engage with that community. They want to see how you have harnessed the power of the community to generate sales!
Make a list of online groups and events you have managed and the process you took to nurture leads in these spaces.
2. WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR OUR BUSINESS?
There are two parts to this answer that will be sure to impress!
Do your research or go home! Have you done your research and audited the business’s current Social Media channels and understand what they are all about? What are your findings?
Every business is different, along with the audience they are reaching out to. Therefore each business may need to use a variety of mainstream and niche platforms to effectively communicate their message.
Be well versed in the variety of Social Media Platforms and their marketing value. Make sure you mention demographics, style and frequency of messaging and overall strategy. You will sound like a pro!
3. WHAT STRATEGIES WOULD YOU USE TO GENERATE LEADS?
Being Strategically Social is key! Business is focused on ROI, Return on Investment and making sure that leads are converting. Getting as many likes and shares on a social channel is great for brand awareness, but it is not a strategy for lead conversion.
Strategy is about having a clear plan and call to action in place that follows a simple path towards conversion.
Employers and business’s will want to know,
How have you mapped the customer/ client journey?
How does one action influence the other?
How are you generating and converting leads through Social Media? Lead magnet PDF, Webinar, FB lives, FB/ LinkedIn ads?
Can you define an example of your success on a strategic and tactical level supporting the larger marketing and business goals?
4. WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT TOOLS DO YOU USE?
There are many Social Media tools on the market to measure relevant metrics and track ROI.
If you have run a social media campaign from end to end and mapped the client journey you will be comfortable discussing the relevance of engagement, brand reach and the rate of lead generation numbers to conversion. These are essential measures of Social Media’s ROI.
As a Social Media Manager be prepared to discuss specific terms in Google Analytics and Ad words, the software they use and the data they can get from each platform.
5. HOW DO YOU CHECK AND STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST UPDATES, INNOVATIONS AND NEW PLATFORMS IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media is an ever-changing landscape that requires constant and ongoing learning and adaptation.
Your job requires flexible and creative thinking skills and you will stand out from the crowd if you are able to discuss the latest changes in the digital marketing industry.
Log any training or courses you do and record it in your portfolio. If you can show that you are on top of the latest changes to new and existing platforms and can apply it to your clients accounts you will be a desirable pick!
6. DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BLOG AND HOW IMPORTANT IS OWNED MEDIA VS THIRD PARTY MEDIA WHEN PUBLISHING CONTENT FOR BUSINESS’S?
The reality is, Social Media Marketers/ Managers should be well versed in blog writing and creating original written promotional copy content and blog content.
If you don’t have a blog…start one now!
An understanding of how copy can be re-purposed across multiple distribution channels such as social media posts, emails, lead magnet PDF’s and blog articles will prove to your prospective employers that you are well balanced across all aspects of your position and determine what level of content creator you are.
Know the difference between owned media and third party media. How are you using these two types of content on Social Media to increase SEO and engagement to result in ROI?
7. DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL MEDIA PROJECTS YOU HAVE WORKED ON ?
Most professions require you to showcase your portfolio of work.
Results speak for themselves. Business’s want to see how you have increased conversion through your Social Media campaign. It’s time to show the data reports! Examples of your promotional copy and engagement with online leads is also useful.
8. HOW WOULD YOU ALLOCATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA BUDGET?
All business owners understand that a marketing budget is the life and blood of the business.
Don’t be afraid to ask about specific metrics and Key Performance indicators and ask where budgeting is already being allocated.
Facebook ads, Adwords, human capital, social media measurement tools and training are absolutely necessary expenditure components to achieve a high ROI.
9. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE COMPANY?
In your role as a Social Media Manager you must be able to support other marketing and customer service initiatives within the business.
Being able to articulate how your style of Social Media marketing will align with the systems and processes and brand identity of the company is paramount to securing employment.
How do you communicate and operate as part of a team?
10. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER SHOULD BE DOING?
The best answer to this question is listening and monitoring your audience and competitors and then strategising for action.
Your marketing approach will constantly be changing and flexibility and split testing is key to finding the best way to convert your leads to sales!
