Interviewing A Social Media Consultant? You may want to add these questions to your list!
1. Can we talk credentials?
The first thing you probably want to find out about a consultant is whether or not they are any good at their job. Much like a job interview, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for references from other clients to solidify your confidence. If the consultant seems edgy or reluctant, that could be a red flag. Most artists wouldn’t be foolish enough to walk into an art gallery without samples of their work and your consultant should be equally prepared.
2. How many other clients do you manage?
This isn’t being nosy, just realistic. If the consultant says that you are their second client ever, for instance, you may want to take that into consideration when negotiating costs and pay very close attention when exploring the first question with them. On the other hand, if they have 89 clients managed by two individuals, you may want to think about what that means with regard to the amount of time and attention your business will receive.
3. On what platforms of social media will you be consulting me?
As a business person, you should already be aware of your particular brand’s demographic. Your consultant’s job should be to help you maintain satisfaction within that particular demographic, as well as helping you reach out to other potential client bases. By educating yourself on the methods by which your potential consultant intends to achieve these goals, you will hopefully avoid dilemmas stemming from mismatched platforms and demographics. Your consultant should be up to date and familiar with current trends and their intended consumers.
4. How will we communicate?
This may seem obvious, but everyone has a preferred method of communication and it is important that you and your consultant be aware of each other’s preferences and come to a compromise if need be. As most people in the business world will attest, time itself is a very valuable commodity and you will need to know the quickest way to reach your consultant (and vise versa). A big part of social media is timely content, so the more effective the communication, the better.
5. How involved will I be in this process?
Successful businesses usually rely on a healthy balance of logistics and creativity. Perhaps the reason you wanted to hire a social media consultant in the first place is because you despise writing your company’s Facebook posts. On the other hand, maybe you dabble in photography and would like to supply the pictures. Either way, you and your potential consultant should have a set expectation as to how hands-on you will be in the marketing process.
6. How will I know if this is working?
First, you and your consultant should map out some key goals with regard to your business. Even with something as vast and abstract as the internet, there has to be some way to measure success. Likes on your business page, a tally of new and returning customers, and traffic (whether increasing, stagnant, or decreasing) are all very trackable and can lend to your progress reports. After all, there is little to no point in trying to track a business’ success rate if there are no objectives set up to begin with.
For further expansion on these topics, or to explore more questions that you may want to consider in your interview, visit this helpful little article by Social Media Today.
