The success of any social media strategy is based on analytical data and results, so to prove that you have what it takes to bag the job, you’re going to need to know a lot more than the ability to post on social channels like Facebook and X.
In your interview, you should be able to explain what scheduling tools you’ve used in the past and how you’ve created and tracked the success of your strategies. So, if you’re wondering just how you can do that, you’ve come to the right place!
Here we’ll walk you through the most common social media interview questions and how to answer them.
1. “What social media tools do you use?”
To understand what your knowledge of social media marketing is, hiring managers will likely ask you this question. If answered correctly, you’ll prove that you’ve got the knowledge and experience that’s needed to succeed in this role.
To successfully tackle this question, list the tools that you’ve used in the past and what you’ve used them for. Don’t be afraid to discuss tools that you haven’t been happy with, too. It will spark conversation and prove that you have plenty of experience in this role.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
In my last role, I primarily used Hootsuite for scheduling posts and Keyhole to identify hashtags and find trends. I’m also very familiar with project management tools like Trello, which allows easy coordination with the rest of the creative team.
2. “What metrics do you use to measure the success of your social campaigns?”
Posting on social media is one thing, but measuring the success of your efforts is a whole other story. To ensure that you know how to analyze social media campaigns, recruiters typically ask this question.
So, when answering, be sure to explain how you measure engagement and leads. Whether it’s analytics on YouTube, insights on Instagram and Facebook, or a third-party tool, explain how you monitor the success of your hard work in detail.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
The metrics I analyze depend on the objectives of each campaign. Recently, I built a campaign to grow our follower base at work. That meant keeping an eye on how many new followers we got over the course of the campaign compared to our average rate beforehand, and viewing how many new followers we gained per post shared.
3. “What do you like most about working with social media?”
Avoid the faux pas of saying that you enjoy being on Instagram all day, and instead give a detailed answer of why you’re drawn to the profession. You most likely started off working in a marketing role before progressing to this position, so explain how that transpired.
Think about what has drawn you to the role: do you like creating short-form content and get excited about collaborating with other brands and influencers? If yes, explain this when answering, and give a detailed example of a past experience that made you really love your job.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
What I love about social media is how it allows brands to connect with their audience meaningfully. Not only are you displaying your identity and values, but you’re also maintaining an ongoing conversation with your audience — all the while pushing your creativity to its limits.
4. “How do you get inspired?”
When posting on the same channel for months on end, you can quickly lose inspiration and run out of things you want to say, without repeating yourself. Therefore, a good social media manager needs to be creative and inspired to try new things and stay informed about recent trends.
So, when answering this question, be honest about what keeps you inspired. There’s no right or wrong answer here — a competitor’s page could bring you inspiration, or a scene from a movie or book.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
One way is looking at what other brands are doing; not just similar brands, but ones that successfully maintain an engaged audience and dare to try new things. Another way, unrelated to the office, is by taking long walks. After I do my research and brainstorming, I like to clear my mind by walking in nature. That’s when the best ideas seem to come, usually!
5. “What do you think of our social media efforts, and what would you suggest to improve them?”
Before you interview with a company, it’s vital that you check out their social channels in detail. I’ve interviewed countless candidates who didn’t actually take the time to review the organization’s work and, as you can imagine, they failed to secure the job.
Make a list of improvements that you’d make when preparing for your interview, and be sure to clearly explain your reasoning, giving constructive feedback, without tearing apart the entire current social strategy.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
One thing I would change is increase the frequency of the posts. A consistent presence is essential for consistent engagement and reach. Otherwise, I like the content both visually and in terms of the captions!
6. “What channels do you think are most relevant to our business?”
Your answer to this question will prove whether you have the required knowledge and can differentiate the use and purpose of each social platform. The answer will obviously depend on the business and their needs.
Consider the business and who their target audience is. For example, if you’re interviewing for a makeup brand, Instagram and YouTube will be at the forefront of the company’s social strategy.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Given the demographics you are looking to target, which will primarily be women — and possibly younger women — I would say that Instagram, YouTube and TikTok should be prioritized over other channels.
7. “Tell me about a successful social media campaign that you were involved in.”
Since you’ll be responsible for devising and executing social media campaigns, the hiring manager will want solid proof of prior achievements.
Answer this question by giving insights into how you have approached similar tasks in the past, set goals and measured your results.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Last month, we wrapped up a campaign that increased website traffic and boosted sales by 10%. The campaign was divided into three parts: the awareness, consideration and conversion stages.
8. “How would you handle a crisis on one of your channels?”
Regardless of the company’s success, there’s bound to be at least a handful of people who will take to social media to slate the brand. So, not only do you have to be good at managing the account, but you also need excellent customer service skills to defuse any bad situations.
If you haven’t had to deal with conflict on a social channel before, walk the hiring manager through the steps that you would take in a hypothetical scenario.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
In my previous role, a customer once complained about the company’s services — very publicly, and not so politely! To avoid fueling their anger, I acknowledged their complaint by replying to their comment and also sent them a private message to request additional information.
9. “What brands serve as your inspiration on social media?”
This question is usually asked to see if you have a genuine interest in the industry or are simply looking for a role to get you by.
Therefore, thorough research is essential when preparing for your interview to identify industry leaders that you can learn from and use for inspiration if you get offered the job.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Two brands I always find inspiring are Calvin Klein and JACQUEMUS. What I love about them is that their campaigns are unique, and they harness user-generated content a lot, which is excellent for pushing brand awareness and user engagement.
10. “How would you track mentions of our brand online?”
As mentioned above, posting and engaging with other accounts isn’t enough when working with social media. You must be able to track when anyone on the web is talking about the brand. Luckily, there’s plenty of tools that do the work for you, so you don’t have to spend hours manually surfing the web and documenting each link.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Two great tools to use are Mention.com and AgoraPulse. They both monitor mentions on the web and social media. In addition, I’ve also used simple Google Alerts before, as that can also bring specific keyword mentions directly to your inbox.
11. “What is social media marketing?”
Sometimes, the most obvious interview questions can throw us off.
If you’re applying for a more junior position with limited relevant experience, however, this question might get thrown at you. Essentially, the more specific and concise your answer is, the more knowledgeable and confident you’ll come across as.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Social media marketing refers to utilizing different social media platforms to promote products or services. By sharing content and interacting with customers through polls, likes and comments, brands can communicate their values and identity, and build a relationship with their followers.
12. “Which social media platforms should our company avoid?”
Questions like this (which are specific to the company) come up often. That’s why it’s important to research prospective employers and be as familiar with their brand and audience as possible.
User demographics differ a lot across social media platforms. That’s what you should build your answer around!
EXAMPLE ANSWER
For an insurance provider targeting Millennials and older adults, I would recommend establishing a consistent presence on Facebook, X and Instagram. These platforms are very popular with the 30+ age group. I wouldn’t invest time on platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. Quality is better than quantity, after all.
13. “Walk me through the steps of creating a social media calendar.”
The hiring manager wants to understand how you go about planning your upcoming social media posts. You’ll want to convey your strategic thinking ability as well as your time management and organizational skills.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
If it’s the first time I’m working with a brand, I’ll first identify the channels I want to be posting on, as well as the formats and frequencies. Then, I would create guidelines for each post, and discuss turnaround times with the designers and writers to determine deadlines that everyone is comfortable with. Finally, I would monitor the performance of different types of posts — plus posting times and days — to optimize the schedule.
14. “How would you measure social media marketing success?”
You can’t measure the success of your efforts on social media unless you have a clear objective in mind. For example, if it’s to increase brand awareness, the metrics you look at will be different to when you’re looking to boost conversion rates.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
This will depend on how we define success. Each campaign will have a different objective. If, for example, the goal is to increase engagement, we would be looking at the reposts, comments and likes our posts generate. If, on the other hand, the goal is to drive traffic to the website, then we might be tracking clicks, URL shares and conversions.
15. “Tell me about a campaign that didn’t perform as you had hoped.”
The interviewer wants to see how you handle mistakes and disappointments. Your ability to devise solutions on the spot as much as possible, as well as learn from such experiences, will determine your success as a social media manager — and benefit your employer’s brand, too.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
A few years ago, at a previous employer, we created a series of fun, educational videos and shared them across different channels. Our primary objective was to raise awareness and conversions, but what we achieved, primarily was to generate engagement — mostly with existing users.
In hindsight, we were lacking a clear call to action. And, as we were trying to reach new audiences, we could have benefited from boosting our content on new, additional channels.
16. “Why should we hire you?”
This is another way of asking “What are your strengths?” or “what makes you stand out from other candidates?”
To answer this question effectively, keep in mind the requirements mentioned on the job listing, and consider the company’s mission and values. By bearing these in mind, you can tailor your answer to cover what the interviewer is looking for.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Having worked in digital marketing for over a decade, I’ve developed a strong understanding of how to create content that appeals to different demographics and delivers results. Besides my expertise, I have a curious mind, meaning I really enjoy researching the latest trends and following other content creators, trying to come up with original, impactful ideas.
17. “How do you juggle multiple deadlines?”
Ah, working under pressure. A topic that will almost certainly come up in the form of a question during your interview.
Since anyone can claim to be able to stay productive while stressed, try to make your answer a little specific by sharing actual steps you take to ensure you keep up when your schedule gets demanding.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
The first thing I do is make a list of all my deliverables and order them in terms of urgency. Then, I rely on reminders, creating a few for each deadline at different intervals. Finally, I maintain open and ongoing communication with my team, as our work involves a lot of project dependencies. If someone starts to struggle, I reassign the task or take it on myself if I’m able to.
18. “How do social media and customer service work together?”
Social media not only provides brands with a space to promote their products and share their stories, but it also makes interacting with customers easier. So, there is a lot of overlap between customer service and social media marketing — so much so that, in smaller teams especially, account managers take care of both.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Social media and customer service can come together to improve the customer experience and strengthen the brand’s community. When you use social media to answer questions or address problems publicly, existing customers feel more heard, and like they have better access to you. At the same time, prospective customers can also feel more inclined to trust you.
19. “Why do you want to work for us?”
Like the “Why should we hire you?” question, this one provides an opportunity to show what you bring to the table and how your character, skills and vision align with those of the company.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Since completing my summer internship here five years ago, I’ve been determined to return. I learned so much during that time and thoroughly enjoyed the positive working environment. Now, I want to give back to the team, and help amplify the brand’s message, reach and growth as much as possible.
20. “Is there ever a time when you shouldn’t respond to customers on social media?”
Generally, brands should always aim to respond to customers on social media. Failing to do so can result in a loss of trust, both from existing and prospective customers, and increase customer churn. However, in some instances, it might not be worth the time.
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Typically, it’s good to respond to all comments and messages, whether they’re positive or negative. Maintaining a conversation with your audience and taking feedback on board only works in your favor!
Having said that, if a user is clearly spamming your posts or inbox with messages, and you’ve tried addressing their comments or resolving their issue more than once, then it may be okay to ignore repeated messages.
Final thoughts
A job in social media can be both fun and challenging, requiring you to switch between critical, analytical and creative ways of thinking. If the sound of this excites you, then be sure to invest ample time tailoring your résumé and preparing for your interview — when you do so, you’re almost guaranteed to land the role you’re after.
We hope our interview guide has been useful! Have you ever encountered any other social media manager interview questions before? Let us know in the comments section below!
This article is a partial update of an earlier version originally published on October 30, 2014, and contains contributions by Joanna Zambas.
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