How to Choose a Social Media Marketing Manager

So you want to add social media into your marketing mix? Here are some must have qualities that any potential hire should possess.

• Hands on Experience- with the main social networks and media sites. Theory is great but do they know their way around the networks? The candidate must have actual experience meeting business objectives through blogging, Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, application development, etc.

• PhotoShop and Design Chops. Unless you have unlimited resources, the candidate should be selfsufficient and able to do basic design tasks themselves.

• Writing Skills. If this person is going to be the face of your company online, they must be able to write in a way that is in line with your overall marketing message. The various social media channels have their own styles of communication. The candidate should be able to take a company's message and clearly articulate it across multiple channels.

• SEO Experience. Understanding how search engines work, how people search & how to measure success online, are important skills for taking social media from a communications tool to a powerful method for meeting concrete business objectives. Implementing and decifering analytic reports is critical to understanding the success or failure of all online marketing efforts including social media.

• Social Intelligence. Your candidate must be able to think on their feet and respond appropriately. They must be able to engage with people easily and according to the culture of the particular social network.

• Strategy. Your candidate must be able to plan and execute campaigns, establish and maintain profiles, seek out new opportunities, tryout new and varied techniques, while keeping the overall business objectives at the forefront.

• Creativity. To get your message across in the social media space, your candidate must be able to package it in ways that are worth spreading. Developing ideas that people want to pass around to each other through social media channels requires out of the box thinking and creativity.

• Research Skills. The social media landscape changes on a daily basis. The ability and desire to stay on top of new developments and trends in social media technology and marketing is crucial to establishing your company as a forward thinking leader. You don't want to be in the position of having to play catch up to your competitors. Look for someone who can get you there first.