How do you find a GREAT Community Manager?

By Natalie @bubblejobs

As Social Media is becoming more prominently used within businesses to develop and improve relationships with clients and customers, the number of Community Manager jobs being advertised are increasing. However, many employers are unsure what is required to be a ‘great’ Community Manager and they end up settling for someone that is ‘just OK.’ This is mainly because there is a distinct misunderstanding of exactly what a Community Manager is supposed to do for your business. So, to make it all a little bit easier, here’s my thoughts on how you can identify a great Community Manager for your business.

Hire a genuine people person.

These people are not easy to find, but very easy to spot when you do find one. Social Media, in particular, requires an engaging individual who is confident and regularly communicates with others. Intelligent conversation through Twitter or Facebook can lead customers or clients directly to your website (and that is the ultimate goal after all).

They need to be able to develop an online personality.

Those on Social Media sites do not join to be force-fed marketing messages from everyone that they are following, and yet this method of delivering marketing content has been developed by both larger and smaller companies worldwide. The most common mistake is to set up a profile and ‘broadcast’ your marketing messages, using an automated system, with little or no engagement. This, inadvertently, does not direct traffic to your website and you will lose a lot of ‘followers’ and ‘likes’ rather than gaining a new audience. Give your business a personality and other users will relate to it and actively consume your online marketing messages.

They should possess a real understanding of your business.

It is essential that the person you employ to promote your business understands your business entirely. This will allow them to interact with clients and customers in a more effective and informative manner. I know that this seems to be a very basic requirement, but you will be surprised how many Community Managers know very little about the company that they are representing across the social media platforms.

Find someone with passion.

Your Community Manager should eat, sleep and breathe all things digital. They need to display a real passion for everything online. Only those with a real interest in digital marketing will be able to represent your business effectively.

So, if you are looking for a Community Manager, make sure they tick all these boxes for you. Are you an employer looking to hire a Community Manager? Are you a Community Manager with some thoughts on what else it takes to be great at the job? Leave us a comment below to let us know what you think.

Tags: Community Manager, employers, social media