The Social Media Directors Entrance Exam: Do you have what it takes?

Can you fill the shoes of a social networking director?

Think you have what it takes to be a social media director for your organization? Take this test. A variety of skill sets are required because there are so many tasks involved. You can’t fail this test. But you can probably discover where you need some help. 

These skill sets are required whether your organization includes just you and your computer or it includes thousands of employees spread over several continents. Whether you’re committing a couple hours a week, or you’re company is hiring an executive level social networking czar, certain activities are needed to pull off this endeavor.

On Your Marks

1. Are you willing to dedicate a certain percentage of your time to the social networking effort?
2. Are you passionate about social media and capable of sharing an energetic, professional point of view to your team and to the public?
3. Can you own the responsibility for the success of the organization’s social media plan?
4. Can you conduct discovery of the internal culture, overall marketing plans and the organization’s business strategy?
5. Can you identify clearly identified social networking goals?
6. Can you rally the organization’s resources where required to help you fulfill the social networking plan?
7. Are you capable of articulating a social media strategy that has actionable, measurable goals?

Get Set

1. Can you maintain blog duties on a daily basis? This means writing, publishing, promoting, gaining approvals both accurately and swiftly.
2. Can you identify the on line or enterprise software tools required to monitor your organization’s social networking metrics. Can you monitor and update your organization’s content on the major social media sites? Can you tie this data into a measure of success against your defined goals?
3. Do you have a public relations or marketing degree or equivalent experience?
4. Are you an excellent communicator orally and in writing?
5. Do you have experience with other successful on line community building?
6. Do you have website experience? Are you versed in search engine optimization?
7. Do you have leadership skills?
8. Do you have the stamina to patiently shepherd your organization through the social media maze over a sustained period of time?
9. Do you have an in depth knowledge of the currently available social media tools and adapt your strategy to use them to their best benefit?
10. Are you aware of which tools are most predominant within your target demographic?
11. Do you have a strong familiarity with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube?

Go

1. Can you oversee the organization’s use of social networking tools?
2. Can you provide guidance to your team members on social media best practices? Do you stay current on available social media tools?
3. Can you define the rules of engagement within social media?
4. Do you have a plan to provide consistent messaging and brand protection for those on your team engaging in social communities?
5. Do you have relationships with industry expert bloggers?
6. Do you have a plan for developing more sophisticated videos, applications, photographs and other digital multi media presentations?
7. Are you a creative thinker who can develop interactive, intriguing and interesting ideas with the potential for viral sharing?

Test Scoring:
25 Correct: You’re ready!
24 or less Correct: Get some more help on your team!

We call can add additional requirements. We all can question whether all of the skills above are required to be handled with ‘expert status’. We can all agree a unique variety of skills are required. You need an understanding of marketing issues and technology tools. You need to immerse yourself in the social media out there, get current and stay current. A patient, creative mind is required. Most important you have to don the mantle of social networking champion.