We live in an age where social media has more control over people when it comes to purchase decisions. It’s used by the majority of all people and it’s a platform all businesses can leverage to reach their target customers. Therefore, having a presence on social media is very important. Being active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram these days isn’t an option — it’s a necessity.
The growing popularity of social media along with its cost-effectiveness when it comes to advertising is what draws businesses to use social media as a marketing platform. This has resulted in the creation of social media manager jobs all across the globe. These people are responsible for the management and organization of the company’s social media pages and the content they produce.
It’s not always an option to hire an in-house social media manager, which is one of the main reasons freelancers are becoming increasingly popular. If you want to hire a freelancer to manage your social media, then check out the tips below.
Create a Compelling Job Ad
The first thing that you need to do is create a fabulous job ad to attract a quality freelance social media manager. Creating a job ad and posting it on the right freelancer websites is very important in order to attract the right talent.
“There are a lot of job boards, but it’s best to focus on the ones that specialize in freelance talent,” suggests Luqman Khan of Wireloo, a company that recently reviewed the best fitness watch 2018. “You want to avoid getting resumes and applications from people that are looking for an office job, so stick to the freelance marketplaces.”
Some of the most popular options include freelancer.com and upwork.com, which both allow you to post jobs for freelance positions. There are several filters that can be used in order to attract the right applicants for your company.
Share Interesting Information About Your Company
When you are posting a job ad for the position of a freelance social media manager try to share interesting tidbits about your company or team. This will help you get more applications from candidates that would be a good fit for your team.
When working with a team of freelancers, it’s important that everyone is on the same page. When you have the right personalities working together it makes it much easier. Don’t be afraid to keep your search open for a while until you find the perfect match for your company culture. The wrong energy can be cancerous to your team, so be sure to properly screen all applicants via video interviews.
Keep the Job Description Simple
Do not complicate the description of the job or this may confuse the candidates. It is better to post a clear-cut description so that the interested candidates can understand the job profile from the start.
“If you are too vague, you will attract the wrong applicants,” explains Dana VanDeCar, COO of Optimally Organic. “If you are looking for someone to curate content and also respond to customer service issues, then say so. If you leave out details or aren’t specific, you may hire an unqualified social media manager.”
For example, the title of “Social Media Manager” is likely to bring up thousands of job postings, but something along the lines of “Social Media Content Creator and Customer Service Rep” is a much more detailed and targeted search.
Describe Your Team Members in An Interesting Way
You can also add a brief introduction of all your team members but do so in an interesting way so it intrigues the applicants. You want potential new applicants to get to know the team that they will be working with if hired.
“Team chemistry is so important,” says Darryl Howard of NuWays MD. “If your team is lighthearted and fun, showcase that. If your work environment is strictly business-only, then convey that in order to attract like-minded freelancers.”
If you have an “About Us” page on your website that showcases your team, simply link to that in your job posting. Any serious applicant will want to check that out to make sure he or she is a good fit.
Be Clear About Your Expectations
“You need to be very clear about your expectations. If you expect the freelancer to work specific hours or adopt a specific time zone, state it and make it clear from the start. This will help avoid miscommunication in the future,” suggests Jake Braun of ChopperExchange, a company that helps you sell your Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
With many freelancers, especially if hiring overseas, there will be a language barrier, some larger than others. It’s important to be very detailed in your job description. If the applicant doesn’t fully understand it then they are not a good fit. When interviewing, reference information from the posting to see if they fully read and understand the position and its requirements.