Before You Hire a Social Media Manager, You Need This First…
If you’ve ever thought, “I just need to hire someone to post for me,” I get it.
Social media can be a full-time job (because it is). But before you bring in a social media manager to take over your accounts, there are a few foundational things your business needs to have in place first.
Because here’s the truth:
Even the best content strategy in the world can’t fix unclear branding, confusing messaging, or a website that doesn’t convert.
Let’s walk through what to have ready before you hand over your logins.
1. A Clear Brand Foundation
If you don’t know who you are, what you offer, or why it matters, your audience won’t either.
Before you start posting, define your:
Brand values: What your business stands for.
Voice + tone: How you talk to your audience (friendly, professional, playful, etc.).
Visual identity: Your logo, color palette, fonts, and imagery style.
Ideal audience: Who you’re speaking to and how you solve their problems.
When you have this clarity, a social media manager can create content that feels like your brand , not just random posts.
2. A Website or Landing Page That Converts
You can have all the engagement in the world, but if there’s nowhere for people to go next… you’re missing the point.
A strong digital home builds trust and gives your audience a place to take action.
Ask yourself:
Is your website up to date?
Is it mobile-friendly?
Does it clearly tell people how to work with you?
Your social media manager can drive traffic, but your website needs to catch it.
3. A Showcase of Expertise
Before investing in social media, make sure your business has something to show off.
This can look like:
A portfolio of work
Testimonials or reviews
Case studies
Photos or videos of your process
These assets give your social media manager real content to work with and they show potential clients why you’re the best choice!
4. Social Proof and Customer Trust
People trust people.
That means your happy clients are your best marketing tool.
Encourage reviews, share user-generated content, and celebrate the stories that make your brand human.
Your social media manager can help amplify that, but it starts with you collecting those wins and creating systems to ask for feedback.
5. Clear Goals + Realistic Expectations
Before hiring someone, think about what success looks like to you.
Do you want to grow your audience? Book more leads? Build brand recognition?
Social media managers aren’t magicians. We’re strategists who work best when we know what we’re aiming for.
When your goals are clear, your manager can create a content plan that actually gets you there.
The Bottom Line
Hiring a social media manager isn’t a magic fix, it’s a partnership.
The clearer your foundation, the stronger your results will be.
So before you hand off your accounts, take time to:
Tighten up your brand voice
Polish your website
Gather testimonials
Set your goals
Then, when you’re ready, your social media manager can step in and help you scale from a solid starting point, not build from scratch.
Thinking about hiring a social media manager?
At Mae Media, we help small businesses turn clarity into content that connects.
Let’s make sure your foundation is strong, your message is clear, and your audience is ready to grow!