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Summary.Candidates for social manager roles should research the role and the company to help give thoughtful answers to the interview questions that relate to the company and it's values. Interviewers should have a clear understanding of what they want from a candidate and what they need to fill the position.
Social media is an essential part of any marketing strategy.
A company can increase its brand awareness, generate leads, increase website traffic, and build customer loyalty. It also provides insight into target audiences and potential buyers.
When done right, social media marketing helps to increase sales and revenue.
Social Media Managers control an important part of the company’s marketing strategy. Sometimes referred to as the “voice of the company,” Social Media Managers create and maintain marketing campaigns and brand promotions across social media platforms. They monitor social media analytics and engage with the brand’s audience.
With social media playing such an important role in the overall marketing plan, hiring the right person to manage company accounts is important.
Key Takeaways:
Candidates should review common interview questions and technical questions relating to social media manager positions.
Interviewers should review the candidates resume before the start of the interview to come up with questions relating to their resume.
Looking for a job? These position are hiring now near you:
As the Candidate:
Research the company and the role. This is an important part of preparing for an interview. Researching the company will help you be able to give thoughtful questions and answers during your interview. You should research the products or services that they sell, the role, and the company culture.
Do a mock interview. Mock interviewers will not only help you have a better understanding of how interviews work, it will make you more comfortable and confident when it's time to walk into the interview. It will also allow you to get feedback from your mock interviewer to help you improve for your real interview.
Practice communication skills. Before the interview, you should practice communication skills by speaking clearly and concisely. You should also practice active listening skills so you are able to listen to the interviewers questions and respond thoughtfully.
As the Interviewer:
Understand what you want from a candidate. Interviewers should have a clear understanding of what you want from the candidate. The candidate should improve any aspect of the company, so be sure to to base your candidate off the needs of the position.
Prepare your interview questions. Once you have an understanding of what you want from a candidate, you can choose the questions that best fit what you are looking for. Your questions should fit a standard rating system to avoid any bias or discrimination between any candidates.
Review your candidates resume. Review the candidates resume before the start of the interview to help familiarize yourself with their qualifications and experience. This will also help you come up with any additional questions relating to their resume.
Tell me about yourself
This is a common interview question to help break the ice at the start of the interview. Your answer should highlight your relevant skills and experience and relate it back to the position that you are applying for.
I have eight years of experience managing social media campaigns for XYZ Company. I have a deep understanding of understanding of various social media platforms, their algorithms, and best practices, which allows me to create engaging and effective content that resonates with a target audience.
I am a data-driven individual who is always looking for opportunities to improve and optimize social media performance. I stay up to date on the latest industry trends, tools, and best practices by reading blogs, attending webinars, and networking with other social media professionals.
How do you handle customer complaints on the company’s social media profiles?
People like their voices to be heard. Unfortunately, that often means airing their complaints in very public places. Social media is a favorite for this.
Customers, or potential customers, will comment on posts, mention company pages in their posts, or share your content with angry words attached. It’s a very public way to show dissatisfaction and requires the right response.
Example Answer:
I make an effort to actively respond to every legitimate complaint, using my judgment to separate legitimate problems from trolls. It is important to assess the situation and approach with caution. But, I will always do my best to find a way to remedy the situation or assist the customer.
What social media platforms have you managed?
Each platform is unique. They employ their own algorithms, require specific strategies, and attract different demographics. Your ability to work with specific platforms lets the employer know how much of an asset you would be should they hire you.
Example Answer:
I am currently managing accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Meander Co. I have also previously managed on Pinterest and LinkedIn.
Which social media channels would you recommend for our business? Why?
Expect this question. If you haven’t done your research, it will show immediately here. If you have done your research—which you most definitely should— your response will show the employer how well you understand what purpose each platform serves.
Example Answer:
You should never neglect Facebook and Instagram as a B2C company. They are excellent for building brand awareness and connecting with your customers. That said, I’ve looked into your current strategy as well as your main competitors, Brand X and Yellow. They have both found success on Pinterest and TikTok. You all target a similar audience, so expanding into those platforms would be a smart strategy.
What strategies would you use to generate leads through social media?
While it may seem like growing an audience and getting engagement are the only goals you’ll have as a Social Media Manager, they aren’t. Far from it.
Both of those goals feed into the larger goal: leads. Social media is just another way to feed the sales funnel. You should be able to outline strategies for generating quality leads.
Example Answer:
There are a few strategies I think would work for your business. Lead magnets provide incentives to share information and engage with posts. We would need to find what has worked in the past for your audience and what is currently working for competitors and develop a strategy. Quizzes and contests are also an excellent way to get a lot of attention and interaction. I would also recommend retargeting ads to get yourself back in front of a customer who has shown interest.
How would you use metrics to track ROI on social media?
You won’t just be managing social media on the front end. You should also be aware of the results you’re yielding. Being able to read the analytics and understand the metrics will matter.
Companies want to know that the money they are putting in is money they are getting back out—and then some. Tracking ROI is a necessary part of any marketing strategy.
Example Answer:
ROI can be a bit tricky to track through social media metrics. I would recommend using UTMs or another means of tracing clicks in addition to metrics. To track ROI through social media, I would use engagement, reach, leads, and conversion metrics.
How do you stay on top of new trends and features on social media platforms?
Social media is always changing and evolving. What worked in 2020 may not work in 2021. The platforms are changing their algorithms, and your audience is changing its preferences. New social media networks are popping up—constantly.
Trends are always changing too. Social Media Managers need to be constantly learning to stay on top of things and not fall behind.
Example Answer:
I use a few different strategies for staying ahead of trends and being aware of feature updates. I follow blogs like Sprout Social, BuzzSumo, and Marketo. I also follow certain industry hashtags and influencers on Twitter, and I make it a habit to attend one conference each year.
We want to run a contest on our Facebook page. Can we have fans like and share our post to win?
Managing social media pages is more than understanding trends and strategies. You should have expert knowledge of the rules and regulations for each platform as well.
If you violate the terms of service, you can get your account suspended. That would not look good for your brand at all.
Example Answer:
The short answer is no. Facebook Guidelines state that Personal Timelines can not be used for promotions. So, you cannot use sharing as a stipulation for entry.
What is the most important thing a Social Media Manager should be doing?
They want to see how you think, how you strategize, and perform your duties. Your response will tell them a lot about you, including whether or not you’ll be a good fit.
Example Answer:
I think one of the most important things a Social Media Manager can do is monitor everything. What is the audience engaging with? What are our competitors doing? Who are the top influencers, and what brands are they working with? It can all help us shape a successful strategy.
What is your favorite social media platform? Why?
This gives them a little more insight into you as a person. Your response will also show them what you know about the platform you choose.
As a Social Media Manager, you should already know which platform you prefer and why.
Example Answer:
Instagram is my preferred platform. I use it every day, several times a day. It gives me more than just a way to connect with others; it provides a little glimpse into other people’s lives. You get insight into friends, celebrities, and brands that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s more creative and inspiring than some of the other platforms. Some of the pictures people post are just beautiful.
How do you decide when to post?
It’s not just about what to post but when to post. When you post on each social media platform has a direct effect on your reach and your engagement.
There are industry standards for each platform that shows when users are most active. It is important, though, to know when your brand’s users are most active.
Example Answer:
There are quote-unquote industry standards to follow for each social media platform. These are, of course, great guidelines as you start. But, it is much more important to understand your unique audience and their unique habits. I use analytics to determine the best times and days to post on each individual platform.
How would you define engagement?
Engagement is one of your main goals as a Social Media Manager. Your knowledge of what it means in definition and what it means for a social media profile matter.
How important is it to connect to your audience? Not just in terms of brand awareness and reputation but also in terms of the platform’s algorithms.
Example Answer:
Engagement means that a brand is not just reaching their audience; it’s connecting with them. Staying on-trend, creating interactive posts, focusing attention on posts the audience wants to see, and responding to comments can help build engagement. People love when brands connect with them, and so do the social media platforms. Engagement doesn’t just help you better connect with existing followers; it grows your organic reach.
How would you increase our brand awareness on social media?
Brand awareness is something all companies worry about regularly. Continuing to grow their brand and their reach is important to them. So, understanding how to achieve this is important for you.
Example Answer:
First, it’s important to develop a brand guide that you adhere to at all times. Consistency across all marketing, including social media, goes a long way in brand awareness. Your voice and tone matter just as much as your visual branding. Beyond that, I would leverage trends, connect with influencers, engage with your audience more, and utilize contests to help increase reach and build awareness.
How do you successfully manage multiple social media accounts at once?
It is unlikely that a company is hiring you to run a single social media account. They wouldn’t need to bring in extra muscle for something like that. You will more likely be in charge of multiple accounts across several social media networks. Your ability to successfully manage all of them is what matters to the employer.
Example Answer:
It is important to plan ahead when managing multiple accounts. I plan all content simultaneously at least a month in advance. This allows me to tie content into upcoming marketing campaigns and plan out posts accordingly. Each platform should have content tailored to the audience’s preferences without straying from the brand’s voice. It should be similar, but different to keep users interested and engaged regardless of where they see the content.
We want to attract a younger audience. Which network should we use and why?
This demonstrates your understanding of each of the platforms and their demographics. You need to know which platforms to use to target specific audiences or display specific content as Social Media Manager.
Example Answer:
To answer this properly, I would need a better understanding of the strategy you’re employing. Generally speaking, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are excellent for reaching younger audiences. YouTube and Tiktok are excellent for brand awareness, but Instagram is an excellent resource for B2C marketing.
What metrics do you monitor on a daily basis?
Unlike larger marketing campaigns in other forms, social media response is immediate. There are some metrics you should be checking and managing daily.
Example Answer:
All of the metrics are important, but some can make more of a difference in the short-term. I monitor the account engagements—the likes, clicks, comments, and shares—daily. Knowing what posts are working for our audience can influence my strategy for the future. If a post gets a lot of attention, I can boost it or reshare it later to get us even more. I also monitor impressions and reach daily
How do you measure the success of a social media campaign? What metrics do you use?
Can you describe your experience managing multiple social media platforms simultaneously? How do you prioritize your time and resources?
Have you ever had to manage negative comments or feedback on social media? How did you handle the situation?
Can you explain your experience using social media management tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social?
Can you describe a time when you had to pivot a social media strategy in response to changing market trends or business priorities?
Can you explain your experience with paid social media advertising? How do you determine your budget and target audience?
Can you describe your process for creating engaging social media content? How do you ensure that your content resonates with your target audience?
How do you stay up to date with changes in social media algorithms and best practices? Can you provide an example of how you have implemented a change based on new information?
Have you ever managed a social media influencer or brand ambassador program? Can you describe the process you used for selecting and managing influencers?
How do you collaborate with other teams within an organization to ensure that social media aligns with overall business goals and objectives?
To find success in this position, Social Media Managers should possess certain hard skills and soft skills.
But, you know that. You have already earned the interview. You’re doing something right.
Your resume and cover letter displayed the right qualifications; now they want to get to know you better.
You want to look for anecdotes and past experiences that demonstrate the following skills for your interview. Have them handy so that you won’t be scrambling for them come interview time.
Prepare examples of your:
Copywriting skills
SEO knowledge
Social media expertise