How can you answer interview questions about Social Media?

In my experience, I have never actually asked a question like this because the response you would get is a little too generic. Instead, I would ask a question like: “Based on the research you’ve done on our channel strategy, give me an overview of what you think we’re doing on each one.” This question not only helps me understand if the marketer is able to think about channel-specific strategy but also helps me know if they’ve actually done research before the interview. The number of candidates who has only looked at our Instagram or Tiktok beforehand was far too high.

You can prepare in advance by conducting thorough research on the company and crafting a tailored social media strategy. Consider developing a brief social media campaign or outlining a product marketing approach using various social media channels. This not only demonstrates your expertise but also showcases your genuine interest in the job and your dedication to aligning your skills with the company's specific needs.

It can give you a leg up in an interview to not only demonstrate your knowledge of platforms, but how the brand you're interviewing with is currently posting on those platforms. Conducting a mini-audit prior to your interview shows you're invested in the brand and the process. But be careful not to step into consulting territory. We don't do free work around here, bestie :)

In my experience, if you are doing end-to-end social media management daily and have in-depth knowledge of your niche, all you need to do is summarise before going to any client or for a job. Few things you can keep in mind: > Always do a thorough analysis of all the social platforms for your ideal client/company. > Identify strengths and areas for improvement. > Now merge all these insights with your existing knowledge, and take pointers on what you can bring new to the table, that they are not doing yet. > Bonus: Always try to add statistics, as it builds authority and shows that you can bring results. Keep it simple. As far as you know your channels, trends, strategies, and analysis, you got it.

Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of social platforms is the key to seeing successful results. This is where repurposing content becomes so important—saving you time and money. Adjust your copywriting and imagery based on each platform. For example: LinkedIn = long-form thought leadership content, professional achievements, upskill education Instagram = nurturing your audience by staying in front of them at all times. Research shows it takes at least 7 interactions with your brand for customers to make a purchase or convert. X (Twitter) = short and long form writing based. Learn each platform inside and out, and create your strategy accordingly.

I would encourage candidates to think about how you can demonstrate results that materially impacted the financial success of your business. Growing social media reach, engagement and the like is good to see; but business decision-makers are more likely to be swayed by you having been responsible for an X% increase in sales calls booked through social media, or for having initiated meetings that resulted in your business winning A, B or C as new clients.

Not all social media professionals are viral sensations or influencers with huge followings. And that's okay. What you can't show from your personal accounts should show in previous work you've done. This is why it's important to keep a portfolio constantly updated. Make sure to highlight big wins and notable impact for your brands.

In interviews about social media, emphasize your strategic approach, showcasing quantifiable results. Discuss achievements, such as engagement increases and follower growth, and highlight successful campaigns, demonstrating their impact on brand objectives. Mention adaptability in response to platform changes and your proficiency in tools and analytics. Address challenges you've successfully managed and your commitment to continuous learning. Providing specific data-driven examples will illustrate your expertise effectively.

When showing your results, make sure to include scale (ex. how many followers, how many subscribers, etc). This is going to help the interviewer understand your results better.

Showing your previous results with social media demonstrates your ability to get results. Interviewers want to see that you can actually use social media to achieve results, not just talk about it. It helps you to stand out from the competition. The social media landscape is crowded, so it is important to stand out from the competition by showing that you have a history of success. It builds trust with the interviewer. If you can show the interviewer that you have a proven track record of success, they will be more likely to trust you and believe that you can deliver results for their company.

Some of the best social media professionals I know aren't influencers with huge followings but they are participants of the social media ecosystem. By checking in and staying in touch with functionality updates and cultural shifts of each platform (which feels like a full time job on it's own), you'll be armed with the knowledge to make logical recommendations to the brand(s) you represent. We can't predict what will be trending in social tomorrow, but we can make sure we don't miss the boat by participating on the platforms.

This portion of the article has a lot of great suggestions. I would add *be curious. For example, the article suggests 'you should be able to outline what platforms you would crate, what tone you would adopt', etc. Unless you ask during the interview, you won't know what platforms they would like to be on, what tone the company culture is, etc. Ask questions. Be curious. Be adaptable.

In my experience When you share your strategies It shows that you've done your homework. You've researched the company, the platform, and the industry. You're not just winging it. It highlights your expertise. You know what you're talking about. You can speak intelligently about social media trends, audience demographics, and campaign metrics. It demonstrates your ability to think strategically. You understand how social media fits into the bigger picture. You can align your strategy with the company's overall marketing goals. It sets you apart from the competition. Other candidates might just talk about their past experiences. You're showing that you're ready for the future.

This is a topic to tread lightly around. While some specificity will likely be needed to articulate a particular strategy around a product launch, how to respond to a PR crisis, etc... be wary of companies who may "adopt" your strategies and not hire you. I can think of one particular example someone shared recently, where they built a massive strategy deck during their interview process, only for them not to be hired, and the company use said strategy. It can be an area to be transparent during the interview process as well. You can highlight previous examples of what worked, and why it worked... without giving away the farm.

Leverage your network! Use LinkedIn to find and connect with fellow social media managers. It's surprising to learn what brands do on socials and their strategies.

One of the biggest challenges in social media, specifically in B2B, is being relatable to your audience (and let’s be real, people buy from people, not brands) so it’s important to keep a pulse on the trends that are happening on all social platforms. As a brand, your mission is to educate, inform, and entertain your audience. Trends are a great way to facilitate those three points in a “snackable” way. Another key skill for B2B social media managers is tying in a trend to your niche. This requires brainstorming and creativity and should involve folks on your team who are 1. Familiar with the trend 2. Familiar with the audience and their pain points. Finally, not all trends are appropriate, so keep that in the back of your mind.

Not every trend is a perfect fit for your brand, but it's crucial to recognize and capitalize on the ones that align with your identity. To effectively harness these trends, it's essential to not only follow them but also integrate them seamlessly into your brand's unique image. Highlight past instances where you successfully incorporated trends to propel your brand to greater heights. Emphasize the process of making these trends an integral part of your brand's identity, ensuring that they don't come across as mere imitations of popular fads. Backing your claims with solid analytics is key. Demonstrate the tangible impact trends had on your brand's growth, using data and metrics to show your success stories. Show off your Kenergy!

Be tactful in how you use trends. Don't base your entire social media strategy on them. Instead, create a social strategy that reaches your business goals without heavy reliance on trends.

Just a tip for anyone seeking to get a role in social media: please know what other brands/competitors are doing. One of the most common interview questions people stumble on is failing to give concrete examples of success and failures from comparable brands.

Know your trends is not the same as jumping on every trend on social media. Yes, you want to be relatable.. you want to cut through the noise. That doesn't mean posting thoughtless content to jump on a trend for quick "engagement." Understand what your audience and community are seeking via your analytics. Then, you can tailor the content approach based on what resonates most with your audience (while still leaving room to test other formats/platforms). Also, there are several fantastic subscription (free or low-cost) newsletters out there highlighting what's trending on said platforms. Finally, take advice as guidance. What may work for massive companies/brands may not work for yours.

Make sure you're also aware of best practices around accessibility. It's important to know what each platforms offers for accessibility and how to make your content inclusive. Here are a few things you should know: alt text, camel case hashtags, caption use in videos, and issues with emoji use and ASCII art.

Also you should have some trouble shooting processes - e.g. who is responsible when X happends and which stepps should you follow. Prepare the process before and get everyone on the same page who are involved. Would recommend to use some online learnings to get know how in copyright and privacy themes and stay up to date.

Talk about your philosophy on responding to comments with negative sentiment. Share a couple of examples where you had to ask for a second opinion or approval before responding to a negative comment on behalf of a brand. What did you do?

I worked for a company who wanted to occasionally share news from a subscription-based industry news publication that was positive about our firm. I refused to share the full article publicly on social media, because it was not ethical to share paywalled content for free. While it wasn't what the executives initially wanted, having an honest conversation about why it wasn't ethical to share the full article led to an agreement on their part.

Wie heißt es so schön: "Mit großer Macht kommt auch große Verantwortung"... Daher sollte man sich in jedem Fall bewusst machen, was die eigenen Werte sind und was man kommuniziert. Ein verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit den sozialen Medien ist von großer Bedeutung, da besonders Kinder und Jugendliche leichter zu beeinflussen sind und daher in jedem Fall geschützt werden müssen.

Lean into your strengths. Take a Clifton Strengthsfinder or Working Genius assessment to learn them. You can also look at your LinkedIn recommendations and the work you frequently receive positive feedback on to get a pulse on your strengths. Make sure to highlight them in your personal brand and professional portfolio.

Understanding platforms is fundamental, but I particularly appreciate the emphasis on showcasing tangible results. In today's data-driven age, the ability to quantify and articulate the impact of one's strategies is crucial. Furthermore, the forward-looking approach of sharing strategies not only displays your expertise but also showcases your proactive mindset and dedication to the evolving landscape of social media. It's essential to remember that, in this field, a blend of analytical thinking and creativity can set candidates apart. Know your KPIs :)

Your experiences and knowledge outside of social media can set you apart from the competition. For example, if you worked in a restaurant through high school and/or college, you learned to pivot, to be flexible, to quickly assess situations and keep your cool under stressful circumstances. These are important skills that translate in any field, but especially social media because it moves so fast.

Don’t forget you are unique, nobody has an identical skill set and examples as you, so use them! Don’t shy away from them and explain how and why your passion for social media is unparalleled.

Demonstrate your exceptional adaptability in the ever-changing digital landscape by showcasing your proficiency in swiftly mastering novel platforms, cutting-edge technologies, and emerging trends. Discuss your knack for turning challenges into opportunities, your knack for experimenting with innovative strategies, and your commitment to staying agile and open-minded.

Social media can build an reputation and also destroy/damage an reputation of any organisation. This tool should be used effectively and handled with care. Prepare oneself to know the pros and cons of social media before putting it to use.

Know about social media itself To commence, one needs to know and understand how various social media platforms operate, their mode of operandi, features and major basics about the platform. Also, understand what works for which. This would help your insight on what to do on each. For example, Instagram is all about visuals - pictures and videos, unlike others.

Here are two gauranteed ways to separate yourself from everyone else. 1) Passion. If you want to work in social media, show whoever you are interviewing how much you love it. Reference the latest trends, memes, influencers, platform updates, etc. Chances are whoever is interviewing you won't be nearly as well versed and seeing this passion and knowledge will make them want to hire you to bring that knowledge and excitement into the company. 2) Personal usage. You don't have to be an influencer and I have written on why hiring influencers to do in-house brand social doesn't make sense, but having an active profile will show people you can walk the walk.

Learning never stops. Be a stalker of your competitor's strategy, a silent observer to observe your competitor's negative comments, and build your strategy accordingly.

Interview the interviewers. You will want to get a pulse on the team culture, morale, what you'll be working on, why the role is open, etc.