When I started at SmartBrief, my orientation included a reminder from human resources that when at meetings, conferences or any corporate event, we are representatives of the company and should act accordingly. Professionalism is paramount in business — this lesson is not new. What has changed, however, are the places where this lesson applies.
As we forage ahead into new social-media spaces, this lesson becomes extremely important. Writing a corporate social-media strategy is one way to keep your employees on message –- but another important another big piece of the puzzle is who you hire to execute your strategy. At this summer’s Buzz 2010 social-media event for association leaders, Charlene Li noted that to represent an organization effectively, social-media hires need a stellar combination of experience and the trust of their peers.
As companies become more “profersonal” (personal/professional) on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social platforms, it becomes increasingly important to ensure they have the right people representing their business and its mission in the social space.
When I applied for the social-media-practitioner position at SmartBrief, the job description outlined the following qualifications:
- Passion for social media and platforms. An understanding of the various platforms, how they work and how they can leverage each other is necessary to develop and execute this type of work.
- A people person with solid communication skills and a proven track record of translating online relationships offline.
- A great collaborator to work with teams across the company. Social media touches every department at SmartBrief in some capacity — and a social-media practitioner must be a team player to ensure that all departments and their goals have a voice.
- A keen listener who can watch the conversations about our brand and jump in when necessary.
- A strategist with a solid understanding of our business who could set and achieve specific goals.
What do you look for in a social-media practitioner? What level of experience (in social media, marketing, communications, education (MBA) etc.) do you expect or require?
If you are hiring a social-media practicioner, check out SmartBrief on Social Media’s new job board. Post your listing today!
Image credit: SchulteProductions , via iStockphoto
