In our article, we will discuss six criteria you should bear in mind looking for an SMM specialist. They will also be helpful when an SMM specialist contacts you and offers services.
Portfolio
The most important thing for a specialist is a portfolio with at least three projects they have been working on. Some people add a portfolio to Highlights where they enumerate the things they have done: styled the account header, added visuals, worked on Stories — and carried out the account audit. But it is not exactly what a portfolio is.
One portfolio project is a full-fledged case with a detailed story behind it. It contains information about who the client was, what the tasks were, what the specialist did, and what the result was.
That is why if you are an SMM specialist writing that you have re-done someone’s header or made a banner is not enough. You need to show more results of your work, something more extensive than just rewriting the title on Instagram.
Interpersonal skills
The second criterion is not about the professionalism or the experience of an SMM specialist. However, it is just as important. We are talking about their interpersonal skills. It should be comfortable and pleasant to deal with an SMM specialist and easy to find common ground with. You will have to work with them side by side daily for years to come. If things work out fine and you are happy with the results of their work, you will be working in a very close connection. That is why the person must be easy and pleasant to deal with.
The speed of their work and reaction
From the first meeting, you can see how fast the candidate reacts and answers questions, fills the forms and does the test task.
A good SMM manager works very fast because it is vital to have good reactions on social networks. If it takes the person half a day to write a message, then they spend three days doing the test task, and they answer only in 6 hours, then further, this person is unlikely to be comfortable and productive to work with.
With Onlypult, save time you spend on SMM tasks — posting to all social media, analytics, multiple links, micro landing pages, web monitoring. All in one place.
A good eye for aesthetics
Does an SMM specialist have a good sense of taste? In general, they need to have a good eye for aesthetics when choosing pictures, colors, fonts, and designs. All these aspects matter on social networks.
Social media of an SMM specialist
You can see how good their visual skills are by looking at their social networks. How good are they? Is their account on Instagram or other social media attractive? Pay attention to how active and catchy their social media are, how regularly new posts appear there if they do. You would want to see how the person lives, what they think and write about, where they live, who they are friends with, and what they do in their free time. No doubts that personal qualities matter as well.
Our social accounts quite often represent who we are and what we like. If a person does not style their Instagram account properly and does not add good quality pictures, it is not a good idea to hire them.
Marketing knowledge
Another thing you should pay attention to is how well the candidate knows internet marketing and general marketing. How well they understand the way business, marketing, sales, and the psychology of buyers and sellers work.
SMM is primarily about marketing. All other aspects are secondary. Marketing always comes first, and only after you start brainstorming ideas, designing, packaging, creating content, taking photos, filming videos, and writing texts. The technical implementation is the last stage of the process.
If an SMM manager is a proficient Photoshop user but does not understand anything about sales — it will be hard for them to notice the vital aspects. And the devil is in small details.
<a name=”how-to-find-a-good-smm-specialist>
How to find a good SMM specialist?
A systematic approach should help you there:
- Specify who you are looking for.
- Make a questionnaire, for example, using Google forms, that a person should fill with such information as full name, location, links to social networks, links to a portfolio, clients, latest projects, and answers to questions.
- Make sure to add a small test task. You should understand if a candidate is ready to make efforts to do a test task for you, for a client, or to win a contract. Adequate specialists never mind doing a small test task.
- Check their social networks and evaluate their test task to choose the right candidate.
- Hold a face-to-face meeting. If you are hiring a person, it is crucial to have a live conversation with them. During offline interaction, even if it is online, you will be able to see what the person is like, how they behave, what they say, how fast they think, express their ideas, and respond to your questions and circumstances.
