How to hire a social media manager

You’ve built a world-class product. You’ve prepared the announcements and the talking points. You finally release your product to the world and… silence. People don’t know it exists, and when they do, they have no idea what it does.

You need a better way to engage with your audience. You need a social media manager.

In this article, we’ll help you understand everything you need to know to hire the right candidate, such as:

• What does a social media manager do?
• Which skills should a social media manager have?
• Which traits should a social media manager have?
• Where can I find a job description for a social media manager?
• Which interview questions should I ask a social media manager?
• How much should I pay a social media manager?
• How The Predictive Index can help you hire the perfect social media manager

What does a social media manager do?

Social media managers use social media to expand an organization’s brand and influence. Social media management involves more than just creating hashtags or contacting influencers. It requires a strategic vision and a strong sense of the brand voice and target audience. 

In other words, social media managers need to think big: How does my post drive sales or other business needs? Does it connect to our overall marketing plan?

Small business owners sometimes employ social media managers as part-time workers. They may also outsource the work to consultants or freelancers. In medium-to-large businesses, it’s usually a full-time job.

What skills should a social media manager have?

A strong candidate should have several years of experience in social media marketing, digital marketing, content marketing, or copywriting positions. They should also be able to:

• Create a detailed social media strategy for the company.
• Plan and execute social media campaigns.
• Use a content calendar to schedule social media posts.
• Use metrics to set strategic goals, evaluate success, and optimize engagement.
• Understand how lead generation impacts sales.
• Coordinate with other members of the marketing team.
• Internalize the brand voice in their writing.

Social media managers often have experience in other creative areas, like graphic design or video.

What traits should a social media manager have?

It’s important that your social media manager has the right skillset. But skills alone don’t predict a candidate’s success. 

For example, successful social media managers often need to change their strategy in response to data. If your candidate likes to choose one plan and stick with it, they may struggle—even with the right qualifications. Behavioral assessment software can help identify these mismatches.

In general, a social media manager should have certain behavioral traits. Ideally, the candidate should be:

• Collaborative.
• Comfortable working either alone or with others.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.
• Self-organized and detail-oriented.

Where can I find a job description for a social media manager?

We’ve included a job description template you can adapt to your own social media manager opening below. You may also want to consider our guide to writing great job descriptions.

Job description template

At [your organization], we believe in the power of optimism to achieve results. That starts by spreading joy through our existing social media channels. We want to take our social presence to the next level, which is why we’re hiring a sharp, savvy Social Media Manager. 

Job duties

• Create a fun, lighthearted social media presence that spreads brand awareness.
• Curate content for all our social media platforms—from LinkedIn to TikTok.
• Create innovative social media marketing strategies.
• Use metrics to drive growth.
• Take the initiative on new campaigns and projects.
• Create joint marketing efforts and business plans with the rest of our team.
• Polish and update our social media profiles as needed.

Required qualifications

• Associate’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Graphic Design, or a related field.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects (and social media accounts!) at once.
• Self-organized.
• Loves to experiment with new approaches to social media content.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud products.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Graphic Design, or a related field.
• 2-3 years marketing experience.
• Bonus points if you have a strong online presence.

Which interview questions should I ask a social media manager?

You should always start by asking questions about a candidate’s job experiences. Afterwards, you should shift to strategic interview questions tailored to the job and the candidate. These use a candidate’s behavioral pattern to help guide the process.

What if I don’t have time to customize the interview?

If you’re short on time, but know the behaviors that align with the role, some basic questions you could ask a social media manager include:

• Tell me about a time you took a creative risk. What did you do? What were the results?
• Suppose a coworker showed you a new marketing asset, but you were worried it wouldn’t connect with your brand’s audience. How would you approach the situation?
• Tell me about a time you used metrics to influence your marketing strategy. What metrics did you use? Why did you use them? What was the result?
• What are the most important skills for a social media expert?

How much should I pay a social media manager?

According to Glassdoor, social media managers typically make $55,000 per year, or $26.50 per hour. This varies based on the region and local cost-of-living. 

We don’t recommend paying a social media manager significantly less than this wage. Otherwise, you risk a limited candidate pool and high employee turnover.

How The Predictive Index can help you hire the perfect social media manager

No more relying on instinct. PI’s Hire module gives you all the data you need to make the right decision—backed by 60+ years of science.

With PI, you’ll receive an in-depth summary of every candidate that passes through your pipeline. This summary is matched against the job requirements, giving you the best candidates for the job at a glance. We also provide you with a customized interview guide, to optimize your hiring process and make sure you’re asking the right questions.

Hiring a social media manager isn’t easy, but you don’t have to settle for hit-or-miss hires. With a strong knowledge of the job, the required traits, and your candidate pool, you can stop struggling and get candidates you’re