Update May 22, 2012: Michael Brandvold, Music Marketing Master, used these points to create a guide for artists. Check it out here.
A smart social media strategy starts with the person you hire to run it. Your plan could be flawless, but it’s the execution that counts. To get off on the right foot, choose someone who
1. Is An Online Social Butterfly
Check out his Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube accounts. If your prospect is already active online, it will be more natural to extend that knowledge of social media to your station accounts. Remember that someone may be an introvert in real life but an extrovert online. For this job, it’s what’s behind the scene that counts.
2. Has An Understanding of Your Target Demo
Can this person speak in the voice of your brand in a way your demo can relate? The prospect doesn’t have to be in your demo; he just needs to understand how to market to your listeners. If you’re a Top 40 station with an 18-34 demo and your Social Media Manager (SMM) still calls a new song a “good tune”, you might want to reconsider.
3. Gets Customer Service
You have a loyal listener who has listened to your station for twenty years, but the first personal contact he has had with your brand is through Facebook. Your SMM should get that he is the face of the brand in the eyes of the public. Every status, tweet or comment must represent the station in a positive light. Dealing with listener complaints is an important part of the job, and is not to be taken lightly.
4. Knows What’s Going On
Your SMM should stay abreast of what’s going on at the station, within the market, and in the world. It’s difficult to curate content without knowing what’s going on, and impossible to answer questions or promote station events if you aren’t in the loop.
5. Can Spell
There is nothing worse than a business whose comments are not well written or spelled correctly. Enuff said.
6. Knows The Devil is in the Details
If you post that Kylie Jenner is Kim Kardashian’s stepsister instead of her half-sister, expect your listeners to crucify you for the mistake. They expect you to get the facts straight. Get it wrong and you’ll lose their interest… and their trust.
7. Is At Least A Little Techie
While your SMM doesn’t need to be a web developer, he or she should be tech savvy. If your prospect needs to ask for help to change a profile pic or Twitter background, you should probably pass and look for someone else. In fact, the more “nerd” knowledge, the better.
8. Is Okay With Being “Plugged In”
Social Media is not an 8-5 gig. Your listeners expect a quick response, regardless of the hour. If your prospect has a problem with tweeting during Modern Family commercial breaks, he’s probably not a winner.
-written for Radio Ink