8 social media manager interview questions

If you own a business, a side hustle or work in marketing the chances are sooner or later you will be interviewing a social media manager. Most importantly, it's incredible how integral social media has become to business and marketing strategy. It is no longer a side task tacked on the end of an intern or PA's job description, because a good social media manager requires creativity, people skills and contextual understanding.

Some businesses are run entirely on Facebook or Instagram, therefore a good manager will have your social strategy converting into traffic and sales leads in no time (although we recognise this is only a fraction of what social media objectives should encompass)

Read on for our list of example questions on what to ask during an interview with a potential social media candidate :)

Before the interview

Most importantly the candidate should be briefed on the business, what social media platforms and handles currently exist and who your target audience is so they can do some research on you and prepare.

The Interview Questions

1. What social media accounts have you managed in the past, and specifically what tasks did you do for them?

This is a good indicator of experience and the ability to engage communities through content.

2. Have you had a chance to look at our existing channels? Please let me know your thoughts on what do we do well? Which posts need improvement? Is there a new type of post you recommend we try?

This is one of the most important questions. Anyone can be a creative person but do they *get* your business and what you're trying to communicate in a social language?

3. How would your friends describe you in 3 words?

You should note these down to see if they reflect the qualities of a good SMM - essential skills include but are not limited to: competitive, organised, alert, assertive, friendly, open and honest.

4. Which social media tools have you used?

Advanced SMM's will have used scheduling platforms like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Besides that, it's also good to know what tools they use to help them create content.

5.Do you have your own blog / regularly publish content on your own social media platforms?

This should give you an understanding of their creative writing, design and SEO skills.

Scenarios

1. A user leaves negative comments on a recent post - they are dissatisfied and rude. How do you respond?

This question will assess their attitude to a brand / reputation crises. Ask for past examples.

2. You publish a post on Instagram and after 5 hours it has received just 10 likes - what do you do?

This will assess their understanding of boosting engagement. Look out for any interesting strategies - hashtags, commenting, sponsorship, stories etc.

3. How do you go about putting your own content plan together for the week / month and year?

This will look at their organisational and planning skills for a social audience. Seasonal events and existing content are all aspects to look at.

Good luck - we wish you all the social media manager success!

Need a social media manager? At Oh my social we offer a recruitment service where we will hire and vet a social manager for your organisation. Email [email protected] to get started today.

Have an existing social media manager? We run training courses for social media managers, taking your strategy to the next level. Email [email protected] to get a training session planned.