There are as many titles for those of us that work in social
media as there are people doing it. And that number, in both instances, is
growing daily! Whether call ourselves “Social Media Managers,” “The Person that
Runs Social Media for X-Brand” or “Community Managers,” we all have a lot in
common.
So what makes for a successful Social Media Manager? What do
you aim to look for in the people you hire for this highly exciting, super
busy, changing-as-we-speak position? This position didn’t exist even as
recently as five years ago – do we even know what we should be looking for?
Generally speaking, you are looking to your social media
manager to be the voice of your brand (and often the face, as well). This is
someone that espouses who your company is, and often represents the first
impression people will have with your brand. Therefore, the person will stand
for what your company as a whole stands for and not only understands and buys
into, but understands your brand’s overall strategy and objectives.
Here are 10 qualities I believe people need to possess, in
order to be successful managing social media for a brand:
1.
Someone
who is friendly and responsive: Social media managers are conversational,
able to speak with people from all sorts of demographics, and enjoy doing so.
They draw their energy from their communities and are highly attentive to the
members of their communities daily. They look forward to discussing a variety
of ideas and topics, and are timely in their responses to comments and
questions.
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| It's true. We are always on our phones. |
2.
Someone
who is highly passionate: Exactly what they are passionate about can and
will vary, but they need to be able to tie into their passions, and those of
their communities. They enjoy social media and enjoy their job and the work
they do, and it is evident through their communications. To get other people
excited about something (i.e. your brand!) you need your social media staff to
be just as excited. Excitement is contagious!
3.
Has
experience in online/digital communications: I see people discussing this
on Twitter a lot lately, in highly charged chats and direct messages. The idea
that “everyone is a consultant these days.” You want someone that doesn’t just
have a Facebook and Twitter page set up. In my opinion, you want someone with
experience. A person who isn’t just learning on the fly as they go along, but
someone that has a proven track record of success online. You get what you pay for,
right? If you want to get the best, I believe it’s in your best interest to
hire someone with at least 2 years of experience leading communities, putting
together and tracking online campaigns. Remember, someone with less experience
might have a much more amazing personal Facebook page, but that doesn’t mean
you should automatically trust them to run yours for your business.
4.
Someone
with a passion for constantly learning: It goes without saying (but does
it, really?) that your social media manager is staying on top of what people
are talking about: reading blogs, subscribing to feeds, learning all they can
about social media and technology, and helping to ensure they know not only
what tools, apps, and media are available to them and your brand, but more
important what is coming. If you’re not a step ahead, you run the risk of being
10 steps behind. Are they just as consistent in looking to learn more about
themselves? About other people? It’s not brought up often, but something I
always admire in social media/community managers is the quality of
self-awareness and confidence. These people don’t have to be told not to go
after shiny new objects all the time. They know how to take time and vet
opportunities. They are patient, realizing that while social media is
constantly changing, they don’t need to follow the crowd. They are strong
enough in themselves to be willing to openly engage with people, making their
voices heard, without worry about being disliked for having an opinion.
5.
Has a
thick skin: I think this is a continuation of #4. It’s a long road to
social media success. It’s hard, takes a lot of time and isn’t all puppies and
sunshine. (and anyone that says it is, or makes it LOOK like it is 24/7 isn’t
being as transparent as they’re most likely telling you they are) You’ll make
mistakes. You’ll send out errant tweets for your brand, thinking you’re still
signed into your personal account. It helps to find someone who is calm under
pressure, realizes not everything is an emergency, doesn’t have a lot of drama
surrounding them, and isn’t found on most days crying under their desk. Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not the voice of doom and gloom for those of you looking to
get into community management positions – it’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve
ever had. I thrive on the daily excitement of my online communities. I am just
being realistic and trying to manage expectations from the very start.
6.
Does not
call themselves an expert or a guru: Self-confidence is admirable, yes, but
not when it is seen as ego, or is entirely misplaced. I was talking to someone
about this the other day and mentioned that I think “ego is the enemy of influence.”
Overconfidence prevents people from asking questions, admitting and being
willing to learn what they do not yet know. I’d take a step back from anyone
with the words guru, expert or maven in their online bios.
7.
Possesses
analytical skills: Here’s another one that is really more of a two-parter
from #6. Social Media is a “must” for pretty much any and every brand, but it’s
not EVERYTHING. A good social media manager realizes that social media isn’t
the “be all end all,” but another element in your overall marketing mix. Your
social media should always be a part of the larger plan, the overall company
strategy. You want your social media manager to keep tabs on what is and is not
getting you closer to your goals every single day, and going back to having a
thick skin, is able to adapt in a moment’s notice when necessary.
8.
Has clear
motives: For better or worse, there is a rather low barrier to entry for
social media professionals. In today’s digital world, anyone can simply call
themselves a social media consultant and begin consulting people. And they are.
It is increasingly easier to become “internet famous” these days. Some people
are pretty obvious in their goal to become an insta-celebrity, but there are
people (admittedly, I’ve fallen prey to a couple) that hide it too well, and
only disappoint you once you realize who they really are. I’d recommend finding
someone that is in it for YOU, for your brand. And by that, I mean someone that
realizes it’s actually not about your brand at all! Contradictory? Maybe.
Absolutely necessary? Without a doubt. True social media “professionals”
recognize that everything they do needs to be done for the consumer. The people
without whom, you wouldn’t have a brand at all. I look to people that are
rarely talking about themselves, whose accounts are not devoid of @ replies
solely pushing out their own content, those that believe in their brand and the
fact that their brand was founded on the ideals of helping people.
9.
An
understanding of how people think: I’m not saying we have solved the Men
are From Mars, Women are From Venus conundrum. But success in social media is
tied into finding emotional connections with people and your manager needs to
be able to do that. Not by phoning it in or saying what they think people want
to hear, but via truly connecting with people hearts first and then their
minds.
10.
They are
insomniacs: Just kidding. Kind of. This might be the only time those of us
that struggle to sleep have found an outlet for our late-night lives. Social
media management cannot be done by someone looking to keep 9-5 hours. Social
media doesn’t sleep, but that doesn’t mean your manager can’t. It just means
that they need to be able to manage their time better than most people. Can it
be intrusive into our lives at times? Perhaps, but I think it's all a matter of
perspective.
Your turn! This is by no means an exhaustive list. Tweet me at
@lucyrk78 and let me know what qualities YOU admire in social media managers?
What do YOU think makes them successful?
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