How to hire a Social Media Specialist in 4 simple steps

Looking to leverage social media marketing more for your business? Want to increase your online presence in your chosen platform(s) but have no time, resources, or a creative and marketing team to do so?

Then you’re in dire need of a social media specialist, an expert on the field that can help you develop strategies to meet your goals in this marketing avenue.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the simple four steps of hiring a social media expert to your business.

How can you tell if you really need a social media specialist?

Most businesses, whether big or small, still struggle with balancing their social media presence and their other operations. To keep their content creation, engagement, and trend management consistent, they hire a social media VA for the job.

But it’s not just the amount of work that makes hiring a specialist worth it. When you have someone to focus solely on your social media game, you can expand your reach and your business in the digital space.

Hire a social media specialist when you want to expand or maintain your social media reach but have no manpower available to handle it consistently.

Also read: 10 Tasks your Social Media Virtual Assistant can do for your Business

How to Hire a Social Media Specialist

Finding and onboarding a social media expert is like hiring any professionals, only with a few extra steps. The search and interview process is almost the same – it only differs in the process of assessing their capabilities.

Here are four steps on how you can find the social media Rockstar your business needs:

1. Set your goals and needs.

There are two sets of goals and expectations you need to set before launching a search party for the perfect social media specialist: goals for your social media marketing and your specialist.

What exactly do you want to achieve in social media? Raise awareness about your business? Make it a platform to converse with and study your target audience? Increase sales? Or attract more people to your website?

Aside from discovering your goals, answering these questions can also help you strengthen your brand and content plan. This makes it easier to guide your specialist in the direction you want for your social media presence.

Once that’s done, assess your social media duties next. What responsibilities do you want to entrust to a social media specialist? Which do you still want to handle on your own? 

2. Let the search begin.

There are plenty of platforms you can scout to find your social media specialist. If that feels overwhelming for you, remember your goals and needs (and perhaps your budget too). You can choose between a freelancer or a full-time specialist, depending on the workload and urgency.

To give you a headstart on your search quest, here are the best places on the internet to hire a social media specialist:

• Freelance platforms
  • Upwork
  • FreeeUp
  • Hubstaff Talent
  • Fiverr
  • PeoplePerHour
• Agencies and outsourcing companies like Emerge Offshore
• Social media platforms like FB groups, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram

3. Get on an interview with potential candidate(s).

Before jumping into an actual interview, you can check out the social media links the candidate(s) provided in their resume. Browse their provided profiles and see the posts and topics they engage with. Do they fit with your brand or image? How many followers do they have? How do they engage with them? 

It’s also ideal to familiarize yourself with some social media jargons before jumping into a call with a candidate. This way, you’ll be more informed on the subject, making it easier to communicate your needs and expectations. 

When it comes to the interview, aside from the common getting-to-know-you questions, pick their brain out on their knowledge of social media. Ask them about their work, their past clients or jobs, and ask insights about certain situations like how to increase your followers.

As you go along, observe their behavior and their way of communication. Do they seem like a professional to you, or are there any signs indicating otherwise?

If you want, ask a potential candidate to do a trial test before hiring them. This way, you can further ensure they have the right skills for the job, and that they can follow instructions.

4. Onboard your social media specialist.

Once you’ve found the one, it’s time to onboard the social media expert to your team. Before they start to work, discuss all the nitty-gritty of their workflow, such as:

• Work schedule
• Roles and responsibilities to be fulfilled
• Tracking and auditing system (for checking if you’re reaching your goals)
• Communication system
• Billing and payment

Looking for a social media specialist for your business?

Emerge Offshore has the perfect pool of experts ready to give you the social media victory you crave. We’ve already got the hiring part covered. Just tell us your social media goals and needs and we’ll recommend the most suitable specialist for you. 

To learn more about how it works, check out this quick guide.