Hire Social Media Manager

If you’ve ever wondered how to find the right social media manager or what it really takes to hire one, this guide is for you. We’ve created a practical, step-by-step resource to help global companies understand the entire hiring process from defining goals to managing performance. Whether you’re hiring your first manager or scaling a global marketing team, this guide will help you make confident, informed decisions.

Why hire a social media manager?[toc=Why Hire Social Media Manager]

If your brand’s social media feels inconsistent, engagement has dropped, or you’re spending too much time “figuring out what to post next,” it’s probably time to hire a social media manager.

A social media manager brings structure and direction to your online presence. They craft tailored strategies, manage multiple social channels, and ensure every post aligns with your brand voice and business goals. Beyond scheduling posts, they analyze performance metrics, build community engagement, and turn your social media into a real driver of awareness and leads.

From our experience helping global companies build marketing teams, most founders realize the need for a professional when:

• Posting becomes irregular or reactive
• There’s no clear strategy or analytics tracking
• Engagement and reach plateau despite good content
• Competitors are outpacing them online

A dedicated expert doesn’t just “manage posts”, they build a consistent narrative that grows your audience and strengthens your brand across platforms.

What does a social media manager actually do?[toc=What Does They Do]

A social media manager is the person behind everything you see (and don’t see) on a brand’s social platforms. They don’t just post pretty pictures or catchy captions; they run the entire show.

Here’s what a social media manager typically does:

1. Plan and manage content calendars to keep your posting consistent and strategic.
2. Write and schedule posts across platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
3. Run ad campaigns that align with your business goals and target the right audience.
4. Engage with the community by replying to comments and building meaningful relationships.
5. Track analytics and performance to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
6. Collaborate with marketing, design, and customer support teams to keep messaging aligned.
7. Adapt content across global markets by managing time zones and cultural nuances.

A good social media manager turns engagement into real leads and builds a loyal audience that sticks around.

For global teams, they also manage content timing and tailor messaging for different markets, which truly separates an expert from an average hire.

What skills should you look for in a social media manager?[toc=Essential Skills]

Hiring the right social media manager means finding someone who’s both creative and analytical. You want a person who can craft engaging content, but also understands how to read data and turn insights into better campaigns.

From our experience helping global companies hire digital marketing talent, here’s a clear breakdown of the skills that separate a good social media manager from a great one:

Hard Skills (the technical side):

• Platform expertise: Knows how to grow across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and emerging platforms.
• Analytics tools: Comfortable with tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Meta Business Suite to measure performance.
• Content creation: Skilled in writing, video editing, and creating visuals that match your brand voice.
• Paid ads and targeting: Understands how to run campaigns, track ROI, and optimize ad performance.
• SEO and copywriting: Can write posts that rank well and capture attention instantly.

Soft Skills (the creative and human side):

• Creativity: Knows how to make your content stand out in crowded feeds.
• Communication: Can collaborate smoothly with design, marketing, and leadership teams.
• Consistency: Keeps your social presence active and aligned with brand tone.
• Trend awareness: Always stays ahead of social media trends and platform updates.
• Cross-cultural understanding: Especially for global roles, they should know how to engage diverse audiences and manage time zones effectively.

A skilled social media manager won’t just “run your pages.” They’ll shape your online identity, build meaningful engagement, and help your brand grow in the right direction.

How to hire a social media manager?[toc=How to Hire]

Here is a complete guide to hiring a social media manager, covering everything from defining your goals to finding candidates, evaluating their skills, and asking the right interview questions:

Step 1: Define your needs

Before you start looking, get clear on what you actually need from a social media manager.

Audit your current presence: Take a close look at your existing social channels. What’s working? What’s falling flat? Use analytics tools (native dashboards or options like SEMrush and Hootsuite) to pull real data and spot patterns.

Clarify your main goals: Decide what success looks like for you.

Some common objectives include:

• Growing brand awareness
• Generating leads or boosting website traffic
• Building and engaging an active online community

Outline the role’s scope: Be specific about what the person will handle. Do you need someone to manage daily posting, run ads, handle customer DMs, or all of the above? The answer determines how experienced they need to be.

Step 2: Write a detailed job description

A strong job description filters the right people in and the wrong ones out.

Role summary: Clearly state that this person will own your social media strategy from planning through execution and reporting.

Key responsibilities: Spell out what you expect day-to-day, such as:

• Building and managing a content calendar
• Creating and publishing high-quality posts (text, visuals, and video)
• Engaging with followers and managing community interactions
• Tracking performance and optimizing based on analytics
• Staying ahead of new trends, platforms, and algorithm shifts

Skills and experience required: Highlight what’s non-negotiable, such as:

• Proven success running campaigns that delivered results
• Proficiency with tools like Hootsuite or Buffer
• Excellent writing, communication, and creative instincts
• Comfort with analytics and interpreting data

Customize for your brand: List the specific platforms that matter most to you (for example LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok).

Step 3: Find potential candidates

Where you look depends on your budget, timeline, and hiring model.

1. Freelance platforms: Browse sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or PeoplePerHour for flexible project-based hires. You can review portfolios and ratings before reaching out.
2. Job boards: Post on general boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, or use niche marketing boards to target more specialized candidates.
3. Social media: Announce the role on your own channels. The best social media talent is often active on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
4. Referrals: Tap into your network. Ask peers, colleagues, or agency contacts for recommendations. Good people often know other good people.

Step 4: Evaluate and interview candidates

Once you have shortlisted a few promising profiles, it’s time to test their skills and fit.

What to look for:

• Creative and analytical balance: They should craft engaging content and know how to measure its impact.
• Strong communication: They must engage both your audience and your internal team effectively.
• Brand enthusiasm: The best candidates will genuinely care about your mission and audience.
• Adaptability: Social media changes fast. You want someone curious enough to keep learning and experimenting.

Interview questions to ask:

• Can you walk me through a campaign you managed end-to-end?
• How do you define and measure success on social media?
• What’s your workflow for content creation across platforms?
• How would you handle negative feedback or a PR issue online?
• How do you stay on top of new trends and algorithm updates?

Step 5: Run a short trial project

Before committing long-term, assign a small paid test, such as a week’s worth of content or a mini campaign concept. This helps you see how they work in real conditions.

Step 6: Onboard the new hire

Once you’ve made your choice, set them up for success. Clearly communicate goals, brand guidelines, tone of voice, and give access to the right tools and data. The clearer the runway, the faster they’ll deliver results.

Hiring the right social media manager is part process, part intuition. Follow these steps, and you’ll find someone who can take your brand’s digital presence to the next level.

How much does it cost to hire a social media manager?[toc=Cost to Hire]

The cost of hiring a social media manager depends on where they’re based, what platforms they’ll handle, and how experienced they are. A beginner might focus on content scheduling, while a senior professional can plan campaigns, run ads, and analyze performance, which naturally comes at a higher price.

Here’s a quick look at average salary ranges across regions:

Note: Keep in mind, salary isn’t the only cost. You’ll also invest in management tools, ad budgets, and creative support. When planning your budget, include both the professional and the systems they’ll use to deliver results.

From our experience helping global companies hire marketing talent, here are the main cost factors that influence pricing:

• Scope of work such as paid campaigns or analytics reporting
• Experience level and proven results
• Number of social media platforms managed
• Time zone alignment and collaboration needs
• Location and currency differences

How to manage and measure a social media manager’s performance?[toc=Manage & Measure Performance]

Once you hire a social media manager, the real work begins. Managing and measuring their performance helps you understand what’s working, where to improve, and how to get the most out of your social media presence.

From our experience helping global companies build marketing teams, a good performance plan blends strategy, data, and consistency.

Here’s how to manage your new social media manager effectively:

• Set clear social media goals such as engagement growth, lead generation, or stronger brand awareness.
• Define key metrics like engagement rates, reach, follower growth, conversions, and click-through rates.
• Create a 30-60-90 day plan to track early wins and progress.
• Use the right social media management tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Meta Business Suite for scheduling posts, analyzing data, and tracking social media performance.
• Review analytics regularly to understand which social media strategies are driving results and where optimization is needed.
• Encourage collaboration between your social media specialist, marketing team, and design team to maintain a consistent brand voice across social media channels.
• Focus on community management by tracking response times, message quality, and overall customer engagement.

To manage effectively, schedule regular performance reviews and make data-driven decisions. This keeps your social media marketing aligned with your overall business goals and helps your team stay accountable.

What mistakes should you avoid when hiring or managing a social media manager?[toc=Mistakes to Avoid]

Hiring a social media manager can be a game changer, but only if you get the process right. Many companies rush the hire or overlook crucial details that later affect their social media performance. Knowing what to avoid can save you time, money, and a lot of frustration.

Based on our experience helping global businesses hire and manage social media experts, here are the most common mistakes to steer clear of:

1. Hiring without clear goals: If you don’t know what success looks like, even the best social media manager will struggle. Define measurable goals like increasing engagement rates, improving organic reach, or generating new leads through social media campaigns.
2. Ignoring strategy and analytics: Posting consistently isn’t a strategy. A good social media manager uses analytics tools to analyze data, test different approaches, and refine campaigns based on real performance metrics.
3. Focusing on vanity metrics: Likes and followers don’t always equal business growth. Track meaningful social media metrics such as conversions, click-through rates, and engagement quality to understand the true ROI.
4. Rushing the hiring process: Choosing the first person who “seems good at social media” often leads to disappointment. Always review portfolios, conduct interviews with scenario-based questions, and assess their understanding of various social media platforms.
5. Skipping onboarding and communication: Even a skilled media manager needs a proper onboarding plan, access to tools, and clarity on your brand voice. Without this, their content can feel disconnected from your overall marketing strategy.
6. Neglecting global compliance when hiring remotely: When hiring a freelance social media manager or a full-time employee in another country, compliance is key. Contracts, payroll, and local tax laws can get complicated. That’s where Wisemonk helps global companies hire and manage talent across borders without legal or compliance risks.

Avoiding these mistakes sets you up for long-term success. When you combine the right person with the right process, your social media channels will not only look good but drive measurable engagement and growth.

How can global companies hire and manage social media talent seamlessly?[toc=Hire & Manage Seamlessly]

Hiring a social media manager isn’t just about finding someone creative. It’s about managing compliance, payroll, and time zone differences without slowing things down.

Social media is now a global conversation. Whether your team is in the US, UK, or Singapore, your audience is everywhere. Hiring globally gives you access to talent that understands different cultures, platforms, and engagement styles. But it also adds complexity with contracts, taxes, and local labor laws.

That’s where Employer of Record (EOR) solutions make life easier. They let you hire and manage talent in any country without setting up a local entity.

Here’s how an EOR simplifies global social media hiring:

• Compliant contracts: Legally sound agreements that protect both sides.
• Payroll and taxes: Local currency payments with all statutory deductions handled.
• Localized onboarding: HR processes adapted to each country’s regulations.
• Full HR support: Benefits, leave, and equipment provisioning all taken care of.

With Wisemonk, you can hire remote social media managers or full marketing teams within days instead of months. We manage compliance, payroll, and HR operations so you can focus on what really matters: content, community, and growth.

What should be on your hiring checklist?[toc=Hiring Checklist]

Before you post that job ad or start reviewing portfolios, make sure you have a solid hiring checklist. A structured approach helps you move faster, stay compliant, and choose the right social media manager for your business.

Social Media Manager Hiring Checklist

Here’s a simple checklist you can follow to stay organized:

1. Define your social media goals: Be clear about what you want, brand awareness, lead generation, community engagement, or customer support through social channels.
2. Finalize your budget: Decide on salary, tools, and paid ad spending. Consider different markets if you’re hiring globally.
3. Write a strong job description: Include required skills, platforms to manage, key responsibilities, and metrics you’ll track.
4. Shortlist and interview candidates: Use job boards, LinkedIn, and marketing communities. Ask scenario-based interview questions to understand how they plan campaigns or handle engagement challenges.
5. Review their portfolio and analytics reports: Look for experience across various social media platforms, creativity in campaigns, and proven results in metrics like engagement rates and reach.
6. Prepare an onboarding plan: Give access to your content calendar, brand guidelines, and social media management tools. A well-structured onboarding helps new hires perform from day one.
7. Handle compliance and payroll: When hiring across borders, ensure all legal and payroll requirements are met. Wisemonk can help you manage contracts, local compliance, and payments easily.

A clear checklist prevents hiring mistakes and keeps your social media strategy on track from day one.

Conclusion

Hiring a social media manager is one of the smartest moves a growing company can make. The right person turns your social presence into a powerful brand voice that drives engagement, community, and growth. Whether you hire locally or build a global team, focus on clarity, consistency, and compliance. And if you want to simplify global hiring, Wisemonk can help you hire, pay, and manage top social media talent anywhere in the world, quickly and compliantly.

Ready to hire social media manager? Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs!