Contents
Introduction
Social media is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses. Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) who is a specialized social media manager can be an invaluable resource.
Social media is a great way to find and hire a virtual assistant. Social media connects you to millions of people worldwide who are available for hire right now, including many social media experts who can help you grow your business online. You can use hashtags or keywords when searching on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even Google+ to find potential candidates in your area. Some examples are:
- Hashtag #socialmediavitualassistant
- Or hashtag #socialmediavirtualassistant
- Hashtag #seocodehelp
- Or hashtag #onlinemarketing
- Hashtag #socialmediamanager
2. Have a questionnaire (and initial meeting) to gain an impression of the candidate.
First, you’ll want to create a questionnaire for the candidate. This can be achieved in a few minutes and should include questions like:
- How would you describe your experience with social media management?
- Are there any areas on social media that interest you more than others (for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Pinterest)?
- What do you like about working for yourself/your clients? What do you dislike about working for yourself/your clients?
- Do you have any special skills or certifications that might make this job easier for us both (like knowing how to use scheduling software)? If so, please list those here…
3. Ask for references, past work samples, and proof of proficiency.
When hiring a social media manager virtual assistant, ask for references and past work samples.
If the candidate cannot provide these, this is a red flag. They may possibly be hiding something—like their lack of experience or skills.
It is especially important to examine the candidate before hiring an independent contractor who works remotely without any supervision from your team.
Once you’ve found a candidate who seems like the right fit, it’s time to put them to the test. Do one trial run with them before offering them a job. Make sure they’re the right person for your business.
Make sure they are a good fit for your business
This means that they should share your company’s values, work ethic, and goals. Questions you can put to yourself include:
- Are their social media skills relevant to my brand?
- Would this person be able to grow my audience?
- How do their ideas align with mine?
- Does working with this person feel natural and organic or forced and unnatural?
If the latter, this could mean that this person is not quite right for you yet! It’s better not to hire someone who does not ‘fit’ than to suffer regrets at a later stage.
Check how well the candidate would work within your team dynamics—not everyone works well in groups. Some people thrive in collaborative environments in which teamwork is necessary for success. Social media managers should be able to communicate clearly with others either verbally, via written text, or per video chat platforms such as Skype or FaceTime. Also, make sure there are no language barriers between you and your VA. Regular communication beyond emails will be necessary.
Set expectations on the first meeting
You should meet with each candidate before making a hiring decision. This meeting is an opportunity of answering any questions they may have. You can also ensure that there is clarity on what you want from them, what they can do for you, and whether or not there are any potential conflicts that would prevent them from working for your company. You will also want to assess whether their personality matches well with yours.
Finding the right person to help your business grow can increase your focus on strategy and reduce overall stress
Think about how much time you spend on social media each week, and how much time you’d like to dedicate to it. You may be spending hours every week managing social media accounts (or sharing content, posting inspirational quotes, etc.). Therefore, finding someone who can take care of that for you frees up some of your time so that you can focus more on strategy.
Set expectations early on in the hiring process before there is any commitment from either party. This helps avoid misunderstandings. It will allow both sides to feel comfortable with what each is looking for in this partnership—and there shouldn’t be any surprises when it comes time for the first trial run or meeting, after signing an agreement with a potential new assistant.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has provided helpful advice on how to find and hire a social media manager virtual assistant who can help grow your business. Naturally, there are many ways to go about choosing such an assistant. Most important is that you find someone who knows what they are doing and who fits into your budget.
Remember:
You do not need to spend large amounts on expensive tools if they are not fit for purpose.