Finding a social media professional to help you with your online activities can sometimes be a tough process. There are plenty of “experts”, “gurus” and “wizards” out there and many of them don’t have the experience you need.
Hopefully, these 10 questions can help you in the process of finding someone who really understands your business and can help formulate and execute a plan to engage with your community online.
1) How long have you been engaged in social networking and/or social media channels? Will you provide me with links to your accounts?
Believe it or not, online social networking didn’t start with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Plenty of social media professionals have experience that goes back to online bulletin boards, forums on CompuServe, Prodigy, and AOL, and online forums. Look for professionals who have been building online relationships for more than five years. Most social media professionals will be willing to share links to their profiles and it would be a good idea to look them over for professional activity. If your social media “expert” spends more time talking about their Friday parties and drops F-bombs frequently, think twice…
2) Are you familiar with any restrictions or limitations on social media activities that might impact my industry?
Every business and organization is not the same, so a one-size-fits-all social media strategy is generally a bad idea. If you’re in non-profit, you might want to look for a social media professional with experience in that sector. If you operate in a regulated industry such as pharmaceutical, tobacco, alcohol, finance, insurance, or a host of others….it would be a good idea to find a professional who has significant experience in your industry and understands any limitations or restrictions.
3) What are my competitors doing?
Any professional worth their salt will do some preliminary research before sitting down with you. If the person you interview doesn’t know (at least at a high level) what your competitors are doing, it might be a cause for concern. IMHO, they should be able to give you insight on the way your competitors are using the major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
4) What social networks do you specialize in? Why are these networks right for my business?
Every social network is not right for every industry. Just ask anyone in the pharmaceutical industry how they could possibly engage in drug marketing on Twitter. The reality is that most organizations can take full advantage of the networks out there, but if there are limitations, you want your social media professional to be aware of them.
5) What does “community management” mean to you? Do you include community management in your social media services?
Social media engagement doesn’t end when you publish your Facebook page or launch your Twitter account. Heck…creating those channel profiles is often the easiest part of the process. The community engagement/management process that follows is the more difficult (and more expensive) element. It’s important that you know how your social media professional approaches community management and what strategies and tactics they will use to interact with the members of your community (a.k.a your customers, members, employees, etc…)
6) Can you provide me with a list of client references in my industry?
Pretty self-explanatory. If they don’t have references….be cautious.
7) What is your perception of social media marketing and how will it help my in my business goals? How will we measure success?
This one forces them to explain what they perceive to be your business goals. Are you selling product or services? Are you attracting members to your professional organization? Your social networking approach should be tailored to your business goals and your activities should be measurable. They might not be hard metrics in terms of sales or conversions, but there should be some measurement involved, even if its the increasing the number of positive online interactions and reducing the amount of negative chatter around your brand.
8 ) How do you evaluate new social networks and do you alert your clients of new opportunities?
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube may be the juggernauts right now but remember the days of AOL, CompuServe, MySpace and eBay? Would you hire a social media professional who pitched engaging your customers on Prodigy? Probably not. My point is that social networks come and go, and your social media professional should be constantly evaluating new platforms and making recommendations on whether you should explore them.
9) What distinguishes you from your competitors?
Social media “experts” are quickly becoming a dime-a-dozen. There are thousands of self-proclaimed experts out there, but you need a professional who knows your business and cares about your success. Be sure that the person you engage as your company/brand representative knows what sets them apart from their competition.
10) Can you give me an example of a limitation of a social network that you have experienced and overcome or worked around?
Bandwidth limitations, API calls, character limits…social networks come with limitations. Beware of an social media professionals who have never run into limitations and don’t have experience overcoming them. If they haven’t run into limitations, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist but, instead, likely means that this so called “expert” hasn’t had the range of experiences you might need.
I hope these 10 questions are helpful! Do you have questions that you consistently use to find the best social media professionals out there? Feel free to share them via comments or tweets!
New post: 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://www.socmedsean.com/2011/03/16/10-…
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For those of you who fall under the Social Media realm, these are also actually good questions to practice in job interviews as well. They help you convey your knowledge and experience, as well as how you can help your prospective employer. And of course, they separate you and your skills from the “Gurus.”
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” – http://t.co/OYLw6M8H
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/GS5zpLIs via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/oRtEQ4cB via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/yVrQHQrk via @socmedsean
Holy hell, there’s “wizard” now? MT @nwjerseyliz Qs to Ask Your Social Media“Expert”,“Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/kLHy45GN via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/F21kORfH via @socmedsean
Wow… I’ve seen so many of these lists, and this is, truthfully, the first one I’ve agreed with every single point on.
I also appreciate the point you make about “using caution” in a couple of cases — those aren’t absolutes. There are some brilliant social media people who drop f-bombs and talk about Friday parties, and while you might not want to hire them to help your law firm, they might be great helping promote your night club, band, or the next 4 LOCO.
Another example… yes, generally speaking, it’s good to have someone who has references in your industry, but that’s not an absolute…it’s just one factor to consider. Do you want the person who has half a dozen references in similar industries, or one and only one reference, and it’s in your industry? Also, it really depends on your industry. If you’re talking about a publicly traded company, or a highly regulated industry like law or financial advisors or stock brokers, they really need to be familiar with the requirements of the industry. If you’re talking about, say, helping a furniture store, then really, any retail experience is valid.
I think one other must is their written communication skills. Even if they’re not going to be actually producing your content, they need to be able to communicate professionally and accurately, both with you and on your behalf, period. Spelling and grammatical errors are a red flag.
How long have you been engaged in social networking? #sm http://t.co/YsZwbTV9
Interesting question to ask a possible Social Mrdia Expert. I might need one and maybe I’ll use the questions. Thank you. Clear and useful
Have a Fantastic Sunday, Relax and Enjoy!
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/ZquX2exX via @socmedsean
Good questions! RT @loriruff: 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/83JXIqfw
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/G2Km9ywP via @socmedsean
Love this post! I had to think about how I would answer the questions
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/9ouHkFWL via @socmedsean
Great points for someone to ask someone.
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/Jk8JyJ2B via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/Lm0pnpz5 via @socmedsean
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/GgSrsndm via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/AcBkIt2J via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/GgnWHLSv via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/R2yXdLFr via @socmedsean
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Sharing from Jeroen van Zelst http://t.co/yhqdquOE
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/EPSrGL4i via @socmedsean
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your #SocialMedia “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard”
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I like these tips… RT @comminternships: 10 questions to ask your social media “expert”: http://t.co/Ticc35fa #internship
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/X37h3nwK via @socmedsean
I agree with you that social media experts are now dime a dozen, so these questions that you’ve shared can really help a newbie to choose the expert that will be perfect for his business.
These seem like great/helpful tools. Definitely good to know. 4 Facebook Features Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore: http://t.co/mZKEwKGr
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/zqNwg90c via @socmedsean
this all seems common sense yet I am sure it is frequently overlooked. Helpful to have all in one place.
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/1lsCTLYt via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/TCDIb9fh via @socmedsean
Make sure your social media professional can answer these 10 questions. > http://t.co/fhSEsvBI
Yes! Good advice – RT @badrhinoinc: Make sure your social media professional can answer these 10 questions. > http://t.co/MjInYIRd
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” | http://t.co/suwATcOw
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/MDSY708w via @socmedsean
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media “Expert”, “Guru” or “Wizard” http://t.co/zU71J9vE via @socmedsean
If they are selling magic by calling themselves a guru or wizard, believe them. Find someone who deals with reality.
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10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media Expert, Guru or Wizard http://t.co/Kb8T1LrUby via @socmedsean #SOCIALMEDIA
10 Questions You Should Ask Your Social Media Expert, Guru or Wizard: http://t.co/tZunkVG8Lh vía @Codefetti