How to hire a social media content manager

How to hire a social media content manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social media content manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a social media content manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social media content manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a social media content manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a social media content manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a social media content manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents social media content manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Social Media Content Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Media Content Manager	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$14-44
   Manager, Strategy	A strategy manager is a professional who reviews a company's objectives for growth and works with executives to formulate actionable plans to achieve these objectives. To make comprehensive recommendations, strategy managers must conduct data analysis of the organization as well as the overall industry... Show more	$37-73
   Content Editor	A content editor is a professional who is responsible for proof-reading articles written by content writers and write blog posts to promote the products and services of an organization. Content editors are responsible for producing monthly newsletters and optimize written pieces to increase user engagement... Show more	$19-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Media Marketing
   • Digital Marketing
   • Instagram
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Content Strategy
   • SEO
   • Content Calendar
   • Editorial Calendar
   • Social Content
   • Media Management
   • Web Content
   • YouTube
   • Digital Content

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage social media campaigns that increase ROI, build brand advocates.
   • Achieve a following of over 10k on official Instagram profile within 3 months of management3.
   • Manage and build online social platforms (SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify, etc . )
   • Perform administrative duties including ordering photography supplies, managing expenses bookkeeping, updating photography inventory and archives.
   • Content includes videos and photos on company s website, twitter, facebook, and instagram account.
   • Film and edit YouTube videos.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your social media content manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A social media content manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, social media content managers' average salary in florida is 48% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level social media content managers earn 66% less than senior-level social media content managers.
   • Certifications. A social media content manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a social media content manager's salary.

   Average social media content manager salary

   $54,354yearly

   $26.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social media content manager salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a social media content manager job description

   A good social media content manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a social media content manager job description:

   Social media content manager job description example

   Experience Requirements
   • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or related area
   • Minimum five (5) years of hands-on experience in planning, implementing, and evaluating social media
   programs, including social ad campaign management
   • Hands-on knowledge of and experience with a variety of channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter,
   Instagram, YouTube, etc.), particularly within the context of overall integrated organizational
   communication efforts
   • Experience creating and managing social ad campaigns, including audience targeting and performance
   optimization for best results, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)
   • Knowledge of current social media best practices for both B2B and B2C audiences
   • Proficiency with applying the principles of style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, to different
   types of writing
   • Mastery of spelling, grammar, and punctuation and ability to make constructive suggestions
   • Experience with a membership-based, B2B non-profit preferred; experience with a health-, scientific-, or
   food-related organization a plus

   Competency Requirements
   • Exceptional writing, editing, and communications skills
   • Ability to translate highly-technical information for a variety of audiences
   • Demonstrates an “entrepreneurial spirit,” taking ownership of his/her areas of responsibility; actively
   engaged in learning and continuous improvement; offers solutions to challenges/issues; demonstrates a
   commitment to follow-through; has a bias toward results
   • Understands and embraces the tenets of integrated marketing communications and content marketing
   • Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
   • Metrics driven

   Manager Skill Requirements
   • Help facilitate initiatives to improve customer experience & enhance engagement; take ownership of
   customer issues and follow problems through to resolution
   • Manage projects, processes, and/or people to accomplish individual, departmental, project, and
   organizational goals; when supervising, provide effective feedback and help develop direct reports
   • Recognize and address issues that are outside a single perspective/role; promote creative, novel thinking
   and apply it to existing and emerging situations
   • Pivot when change occurs or priorities shift; be an enthusiastic supporter of new processes or initiatives;
   continuously offer suggestions for improvement
   • Maintain fiscal accountability while ensuring appropriate use of resources; may oversee budgets and
   contracts
   • Successful collaborator; foster effective working relationships with colleagues, especially those on teams,
   projects, and within the reporting relationship

   Work Conditions
   • Physical demands
   o Sitting for extended periods of time and occasionally walking or standing for periods of time.
   o Ability to exert up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to
   lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
   o Use of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and handling of other office
   equipment
   o Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work

   • M

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social media content manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your social media content manager job on Zippia to find and recruit social media content manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with social media content manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new social media content manager

   Once you've selected the best social media content manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new social media content manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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