Social Media

A social media strategist can develop marketing strategies, schedule social media postings & campaigns, and can persuade people with excellent communication skills. A candidate applying for the role must know the responsibilities like the back of their hand. This is what the interviewer is looking for through one of the most common social media strategist interview questions.

Elaborate on how a social media strategist analyzes the goals and objectives of a company to devise a marketing plan. Considering the rivals and the market falls under the responsibilities of this role. The strategist might also have to handle negative publicity and find ways to turn it into positive. For some, analytics may be of primary importance, and for others listening & communicating can be. Carefully look through the company’s social and tailor an answer accordingly.

This is one of the most complex but important Social media manager interview questions, asked with the purpose to assess if the candidate has the required knowledge about the metrics or not and if they have, how serious they are about these Metrics.

In this case, your answer should begin with explaining what Metrics are before moving on to answering how you keep track of them. Metrics are simply a benchmark of performance is the line you should begin your answer with and then explain how you would keep a track of these parameters like CTR, Time on Page, Conversion rate optimization, and ROI (Return on Investment) to analyze whether you have met your goals or not in that particular period. You should also emphasize how it is important to keep reusing these metrics from time to time to make sure you achieve or re-evaluate your targets at regular intervals.

The questions aim at knowing how much knowledge you have of the market. It is recommended to analyze the top 3 brands and choose your favorite. Talk about the brand in detail and break down their SMM strategy in front of the recruiter. Give pointers as to why the brand is so successful. Talk about all the aspects and KPIs in detail. The interviewer will understand that you know what ingredients go behind creating a successful brand and that you will bring the same ideas to the table while working for them.

By asking this question, the interviewer wants to evaluate your understanding of different metrics and wants to look at what metrics you think are important to measure the success of a business. 

Generally, a campaign of a business intends to achieve four results in the following sequences - Increased engagement, Increased reach, increased leads, and Increased customers. When you go on to answer the question, it is better to stick with these four elements only and set your KPI accordingly. When it comes to increasing engagement, you first need to see how the business engagement has been currently, you can use CTR as your metric here to measure that, and similarly, you can use different metrics to assess the brand’s performance over different aspects of the result.  

If you find the Clickthrough rate dropping, you can act upon it and try to change a thing or two to make things better but for that, you need to consider engagement as a key performance indicator, just like others.

Customer service will include a way through which the audience can interact with the business directly in the context of mentions, complaints, or even collaborations. It has become one of the hottest strategies of social media marketing as companies are rapidly following the route of social media platforms.

Consider this example while framing your answer, ‘Yes, I suppose inculcating customer service with your social media strategy can be highly beneficial. A company that offers direct support, responds, and cares about the opinions of its customers will have an upper hand over a company that lacks customer service. To maintain an edge and stay afloat in the industry, businesses must prioritize their customers. Social media has made it more convenient. Customer service can be offered through comments, direct messages, or on a customer's review post and is an important part of social media.’.

By asking about CTR, the interviewer is looking to test your analytical knowledge as CTR, which stands for Click Through Rate, is a vital cog for marketing as it helps the marketer know the effectiveness of their brand campaign.

For example, you run an ad campaign by paying money. The ad is now visible to everyone but it will be of hardly any use if no one takes interest in it by not clicking it. It will just remain a showpiece material.

In mathematical terms, CTR is the result when we divide the number of times an ad has been clicked by the number of times it has been shown and the higher it is the better it is so you should first show the knowledge of CTR in the interview and for that, you should demonstrate some ideas that can lead to achieving higher CTR.

If you are well equipped with CTR, it will come only as a surprise if you don't have an idea about Conversion Optimisation since both of them are correlated. 

A conversion is made when a user clicks on something the businesses want them to click on, i.e., to buy their products or services and a higher conversion rate means a successful business campaign for the brand.

Regarding conversion optimization, the interviewer wants to know your technical marketing strategies to optimize this conversion rate for its brand since this is the main core concern or target for all businesses.

To achieve a good conversion rate, you should talk about various marketing strategies you have in your mind that will result in making your brand visible to more and more people and constantly expanding its reach to a newer audience.

Since Keywords are one of the most important elements for search engine optimization, if not the single most important element, a brand loves hiring people who are acquainted with the concept of keywords, and henceforth, you should be showing your knowledge to win the interviewer's approval.

You can tell how correctly optimized content shows up on top of the search results but for that, one needs to know what keywords are being searched by the users to mingle them in their content to achieve the desired and effective results.  

For example, your content on the ‘best pasta recipes’ can rank higher and show up in search engine results not only if you know how to make tasty pasta, but how to put together the keywords around pasta in your content in an appropriate way. It is only when people will search " how to make the best pasta " that your brand will show up in search results. This is the perfect example of a keyword you can present in your interview.

All businesses love knowing how efficiently they are running a campaign and what better than a quality score to use as a parameter in this case? When you are asked a question on Quality Score, it is always with an expectation that you know how to use this matrix and how to work upon its good and bad results.

In your answer, you can discuss how quality score is often used to improve the efficiency of an ad campaign by marketers, in case the score is low. This tool helps them measure how relevant their ad campaign has been for the users and how likely they are going to click on the ad.

On a scale of 1-10, the higher the quality score is, the better an ad campaign is run since the ad has more quality and if anyone searches for the keywords included in the ad, it's likely they'd find a high-quality score campaign much more useful and go to their landing page just by looking at the efficiency of one campaign. 

The sole purpose of businesses spending money on marketing is to achieve a handful of returns over that investment which is why the interviewer would expect you to be familiar with the term ROI. 

In this case, you should start your answer by describing the magnitude of ROI on a business. ROI stands for Return on Investment, i.e., how much return a company is generating over the investments they make. Now in a broader sense, this investment could mean any kind of investment but as someone appearing in a Social Media manager interview, this investment here is strictly in terms of the investments in marketing, and ROI simply put, measures the return on such investments.  

Mathematically, it is what we get when we divide the profit earned by a brand by its marketing costs.  

By establishing a connection between social media management tools and efficiency, the brand doesn't just want to know how many tools you are familiar with but also want to ensure how you are going to ensure efficiency using those tools.

Hence, the best possible way to answer this question is to talk about how businesses have been using these tools not only to build trust but also to sell their products or services both online and offline. On top of that, you can also emphasize the way these tools have also helped them save time, communicate with their customers properly, create a structure that can be completed in time and increase the efficiency of a business overall. To conclude your answer, you can give a few examples of OptinMonster, Audiense, Tweepi, and others that have made marketing easier and far more efficient with their presence.

How would it be if you can control the algorithms that determine how successful or unsuccessful your every post will be? If you can convince your interviewer with your knowledge of EdgeRank and how it works, it will strengthen your chances of cracking the interview multifold. 

For starters, EdgeRank is a very creative but at the same time, analytical algorithm launched by the social media giant Facebook. You can talk about how this tool determines the best possible content for Facebook users and filters out content it thinks its users might not like.

Going into more depth, discuss the three components of this algorithm. First is the user's interaction with the brand's page and it is called User infinity. The higher this factor is, the higher the edge will be. The second factor is Weight which in other words is the amount of engagement on a post. The third and biggest factor is time decay. The newer the brand's content, the higher the edge ranks on this parameter and vice versa.

Time decay prefers newer content over older ones.

As you can see, EdgeRank measures a post on all these 3 parameters first and then decides to show it to a lesser or more number of people. You can plan your Facebook strategies following EdgeRank dynamics. 

Even though the original purpose of social media was not for the brands to make their presence felt but instead, it used to be a medium of connecting people, it has become a leading marketing tool in the era of affordable internet.

Everyone is hooked on one social media platform or the other. It gives marketers a platform to build their customer base by implementing the correct marketing strategy which is why the brands want someone to acknowledge its importance by using their reasoning and retain the customer base by regularly communicating with them.

Additionally in your answer, it'd be a wise choice to argue in favor of how social media helps generate leads for these brands which they later hope to convert but social media as a marketing tool sets up the base for them. These businesses can sell their products much better after acquiring a loyal customer base.

A/B testing is a very common phenomenon in the social media marketing business and particularly if you have experience working in this domain. Through this question, the interviewer wants to check whether or not you have the desire to experiment. In your reply, you've to show your willingness to experiment to work out what is best for the brand.

You can then discuss the need for A/B testing in a volatile industry as this. Talk about how A/B testing requires posting the same content on two different time slots or with two different hashtags to find out which one works the best for your business.

If you're an experienced professional in this field, you should also present examples of how you have performed A/B testing several times in the past. If you're not experienced, you need to show your knowledge about it along with enthusiasm.

A business needs your analytical skills too along with your creative skills and therefore conducting a social media audit and its importance is often prioritized among the many social media marketing interview questions.

The best way to answer this question is to make a correlation between the performances of a social media campaign and a student. Just like how as a student, examinations are the best way to judge their growth over a period, social media audit works the same way to measure how your campaigns have performed over some time, what is working and therefore needs to be continued, and what needs to be done with.

The next step is to discuss the actual process of auditing. Social media audits can be done either manually or by using different tools that help you with the insights.

You can take the general approach while talking about different scenarios, or base your answer on the organization. You have to analyze the main objectives of a campaign to explore if a strategy is a success or not. If the strategy fulfills its responsibilities, gathers traffic, increases reach, clicks, engagement, and shares, and generates a great number of deals, it indeed is a great success.

You can examine the company’s SMM strategies and present your opinion built around the same. Survey the metrics and reach a result. The metrics will include the number of likes and comments, clicks, increase in followers, etc.

While researching the company, don’t miss out on conducting the same research on the competitors of the company. Analyzing the competition will help you create a better strategy for the company you are interviewing for. The interviewer, with this question, wants to check your research skills and your awareness of what is going on in the industry. Your answer should show a contrast between the activities and strategies of different companies and analyze why one is moving ahead while offering solutions. Look at the websites and social media channels of the competitors and prepare a brief regarding trends, differences, and similarities.

This question aims to review your relationship-building skills. Building healthy relationships at your previous workplaces is a sign of strong character. Avoid being unsure and making vague guesses. Recollect the moments when you were praised by your previous employer and take out the quality that you were appreciated for. Put forward two or three traits like being consistent, motivated, or dedicated. You can start with, ‘My recent supervisor would describe me as someone dependable and patient. I like to build relationships and cherish them.’.

Employers try to know if you will stay committed to the job or not. You should respond confidently without stuttering or taking pauses in between. Talk about how you are excited to join the company and how it will provide you with a golden opportunity to polish your skills and be recognized in the industry. You can discuss your previous job roles and how they were a part of your 3-year plan. Similarly, assure the recruiter that you have some realistic goals for yourself and the organization you will be working for. For instance, ‘I see productivity in my life 3 years down the line. If linked with your esteemed organization, I can picture myself working in a great work environment and flourishing every day. I see a future that is filled with advantageous challenges which can make me grow professionally.’.

You should determine the kind of work environment the company offers and consider it while framing your response. The interviewer wants to know if you can thrive in and enjoy the work dynamic. The best approach is to show flexibility. You can talk about the variety of dynamics you have worked in and assert that you can adapt to most.

You can link your answer to the company's culture as well. Give importance to being a team player and preferring an environment where everyone thrives together. A work environment should be positive and must empower you to do better.

The interviewer expects you to describe your experience from job one until now. They aim to know how things have made you grow from a professional point of view, and as an individual too. You must include important soft skills like communication and adaptability in your answer. Nobody starts perfectly but catches up on things with time. Talk about your communication and leadership skills have improved for the better over the years. You can also talk about the technical skills related to your field that you have acquired over time.

You must align your answer with the ideas of the company. Avoid criticizing or blaming previous employers. Every job teaches you something, so make sure to convey your personal and professional skills confidently.

Businesses are making huge investments in the sector of social media. Social media platforms have become quite important and useful for marketing services and finding the target audience. Every classification has a wide range of target audiences, all thanks to social media. It helps you keep an eye on trends and updates, and even be aware of the strategies your competitors are adopting. Social media serves as a window to the world.

Incorporate the usefulness of social media in your answer and talk about how the industry is booming. Without social media, it is impossible to think of getting something up and running these days. All in all, social media is a very important and interesting career choice.

Your knowledge about the company will be put to test by the interviewer through this question. Be ready to deliver a response full of passion and persuasion. Analyze the company and its strategies in advance and jot down its unique selling points. Show enthusiasm and do not ignore the customers' needs. Look at the products and services the business offers and think of how you would be convinced to purchase them.

Your answer must be on point and include all the key factors making the company a success. You should be prepared to showcase some stats and facts. The only way out is research. Never take research about your potential company lightly. You have to understand your target audience and communicate accordingly. Present a customized pitch after analyzing the interviewer.

The question aims to know if the interviewee can handle a challenge well. A company needs employees who are willing to take charge and go out of their way to resolve difficult situations. Conflicts can occur with a fellow employee due to contrasting views, or a difficult client asking for the impossible.  

Your answer can begin with a situation you had to face and you can explain the thought process you had at that particular moment. For instance, ‘I remember …. when this happened. It was a bad conflict, but solving it was the only available option. First of all, maintaining a calm state of mind is important. Anger will just add fuel to the fire. I approached my fellow worker individually and talked out the issues. My motive was to make him understand, not shame him. We both found a middle ground and our mutual respect led us to a solution that fitted the interests of everyone. I listened to their concerns. Shutting someone out will always cause more trouble.’.

Be subtle while answering this question as it reflects how much effort you put into your work. Choose a real previous situation and describe what your task was. Talk about the challenges and the action plan you adopted to overcome the same. A vague response can make you seem like a lazy employee, avoid that at all costs.

The interviewer is probably trying to find out about your competencies that can help them fulfill the company's goals. Settle a skill set that you will be trying to illustrate through your example. Answering the duty calls in time of need shows your work ethic and attitude. This question, in particular, will show your personality traits, behavior, and willingness to take initiative.

‘Okay, this was an impromptu situation. I was winding up my work for the day but got a client call suddenly. The client who had scheduled a meeting the day after was now going to show up tomorrow. This was a stressful moment because the presentation needed some work. I ended up staying back in the office to complete my obligations. The meeting went smoothly and produced the desired result, thank god.’, an answer like this can show how you tackle end-moment situations without trying to escape.

Don’t give a negative response as it can certainly harm the chances of you being hired. Showcase your positive mindset and how you adapt to things you are not familiar with. This answer must illustrate how a candidate is not afraid of a challenge but is also fully aware of their capabilities.

Example: ‘I will accept the challenge of learning new things positively. I believe learning a new skill is always beneficial to a person and with proper research, anything can be possible. In situations like these, I ask for guidance without hesitation, refer to online tutorials and workshops, and try to become fluent in what is asked of me. Even if something may seem difficult, I try to put in my best efforts to acquire the skills required to perform it.’.

Feeling overwhelmed is a human emotion. It is advisable to be upfront in front of the recruiter while responding. Don’t give false expectations, or portray yourself as someone who can work nonstop. Also, avoid looking like a person who seems to be unreliable. Frame your answer with logical points and talk about finding a middle ground.  

‘Taking little breaks is my go-to approach to handle my overwhelmed state of mind. I can not be productive of the lingering feeling of anxiety. Meditating in between also helps me to stop feeling worn out and focus on my work better. I try to organize my workload systematically to avoid such situations, and I hope I can continue to do so.’

For a business, the target audience is like a mine of gold waiting to be explored. And so in such a situation, every brand seeks to connect to them in the best possible ways. In such a scenario, a social media manager must be familiar with what platforms should be used to create market strategies that get the best out of them.  

To identify the best platforms for your target audience, you should rely on your previous experience and skills. For example, you can take lessons from your previous job, explore what is popular among your target audience and then act accordingly.  

Consider an example

Gunjan worked as a social media manager and based on the languages, age, demography, interests, and locations, not only figured out the target audience for her brand but also what was popular among this group of audience. For example, young urban children used Instagram and Snapchat the most while the same in rural areas used Facebook. This way she was able to employ the best strategy and use the most suitable platform for her target audience.

Usually asked under the category of social media analyst interview questions, the correct answer to this has an amalgamation of several points based on different parameters to judge the success of a social media channel. Consequently, you must also not forget to miss out on these points in your answer.

First and foremost, the brand should be present on multiple social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others and do well on all of them relatively. And it should make its presence felt most truly by producing engaging, and accurate content regularly. Additionally, just producing regular content is not enough, how much the audience benefits from and enjoys that content is also a big deal and helps determine the success of the brand.

Some other factors can be mentioned as well. Whether or not the company has updated information on its social media channels? Does a successful social media drive in producing more traffic to the website or not? Does the business communicate with its audience or is it only one-way traffic? The answer to all these questions should be the former parts of the questions and they determine whether the company's social media game is going strong or not.

By throwing this question, the interviewer wants to inquire into your versatility and ability to manage various social media platforms differently instead of treating all the platforms as just one unit.  

You need to give a brief introduction about LinkedIn and its audience base. LinkedIn is used by mostly professionals so you need to plan and create content where you can share advice, concepts, and techniques with your niche audience. You can also connect with relevant groups, foster them and share industry news among your groups.  

To grow your business page there, talk about optimizing it so that it can appear in the search results. You should also post regularly, create worthy and engaging content, communicate with your audience, and sometimes run ad campaigns to catch more eyeballs and clicks on your content. Once done correctly, your brand reaches more people automatically. Since LinkedIn is the leading B2B channel used by marketers, it can be beneficial when you want to target businesses.

For a business to be successful, it is obvious that it has to stay ahead of its competitors all the time and for that, a brand requires a social media manager who is innovative and ahead of its contemporaries, i.e., the crowd. 

The interviewer wants to know how you would stand out from the rest and you need to come up with certain strategies for that. To know those strategies, you need to constantly observe your competitors and come up with creative ideas on top of them. These creative ideas may include taking inspiration from someone outside your business domain, talking to social media influencers and learning from their journey, and even taking suggestions from your audience from time to time about what they want to see from you. Although there is no perfect answer to this question and it varies per person.

Twitter, with 450 million monthly active users till last year, has become a social media giant which cannot be overlooked by anyone, let alone businesses. They pay serious attention to growing their business through this and want their social media managers to follow the best practices and so through this question, the interviewer wants to know whether or not you're aware of these practices.

There are several ways to bring more traffic and retweets on Twitter and you need to mention most of them in your answer. It starts with tweeting at the right time (you can also schedule your tweets), using correct and just enough hashtags, and using infographics, videos and GIFs to make your content visually appealing.

In addition, you also need to use Twitter polls, engage with your audience, come up with several contests and giveaways, collaborate with influencers, and run paid advertising campaigns to get the best out of Twitter. Make sure you mention all these ideas in your intended perfect answer.