Social Media Managers: Is Your New Hire Socially Astute?

So you’re not Coca-Cola. You’re not Apple. You haven’t achieved built-in authenticity, storytelling or trust factor yet. But that doesn’t mean you have less at stake with your brand than the aforementioned bigwigs.

More and more a brand’s reputation is nourished or tarnished by a social media team, with day-to-day interaction and campaign implementation falling on the shoulders of a social media manager. In fact, the title “Social Media Manager” has recently exploded in popularity on the job scene, and with good reason. Increasingly in this digital age, a company’s success is ultimately determined by their brand perception.

Hiring a Social Media Professional: It’s more than Facebook, Followers and Frivolity…

With many companies only now realizing the importance of a social plan and presence, some are hiring social media managers straight out of college. The thought behind the hire being that social media is a product of Generation Y and entry level hires are budget-friendly.

It’s true, Generation Y may be savvy about social media bells and whistles, and young hires can bring a fresh perspective to any campaign. However, social media as a profession demands a skillful marriage of integrated marketing, storytelling, advertising, and content. Further, campaign construction, crisis management, and community development existed well before the digital age. It’s about aligning your objectives and strategies for the online world. Those with years of experience still know the right words to say and plans to implement.

More experienced professionals have relied on traditional media to spread their brand’s message. They’ve made mistakes that couldn’t be fixed by deleting a post or hitting backspace. And even though the social media world is instant, that expertise takes time.

Just getting your feet wet in the social world? Find out how you can get your organization in shape for the social web.