How to recruit a social media assistant

Recently, a hotel manager I know was looking to hire a social media assistant. While I generally recommend making use of the people you already have in-house instead of hiring outside for social media, the workload was just stretched too thin in this case. Bringing in some additional help was needed.

This question has also been brought up by a number of other people recently, so I wanted to address it now – and give you some of my thoughts (along with Katie’s) for recruiting someone in this role.

• Try hiring a college student to write a few hours each week about things to do in your city or area. Content is one of the most time-consuming, but important tasks in social media participation. It serves as a foundation for everything else.
• Writing ability is the #1 skill I hire for in social media. The other skills I can train them to do, but it’s very difficult to train someone to be a writer.
• Ask them to show you their own social networking skills: a blog or Twitter account. It’s helpful if they use these technologies on their own for fun.
• You may even want to check their Klout score – recruiting an existing influencer can give you a distinct advantage. (Some even predict influence scoring will replace resumes/CVs in the future)
• This isn’t a role that can be heavily micro-managed, but that can be a good thing. You just need to identify someone who meets the qualifications for social media brand ambassadors in general.
• Your social media assistant should be social off-line, too. The best writers are actively engaged in their communities and passionate about more than just work. (A good example is Rishad Daroowala at Pan Pacific Vancouver) Their varied interests bring fresh perspective to your business and make it easier for your assistant to relate to – and engage with – your customers.