I have worked with close to 100 different writers, and I have shifted through thousands of potential bloggers to find my perfect fit of a freelancer. I know exactly the type of qualifications and personality traits I am looking for when I hire a consultant for a high-paying and competitive position. But, would I personally even qualify for the position that I am hiring for?
You might think of an online social content producer as someone who writes for the web, but a successful online content producer does more than just write… They engage, they relate, and they activate community interaction.
Obviously, this question is not even applicable to most hiring managers, agencies, or even industries for that matter! But in the social media industry, in order to have a successful content media campaign, managers not only have to act fast with content seeding, but managers should have the same qualified experience that we expect from our consultants.
When I hire a freelancer, I am not just hiring a writer and well-connected social babe, I am hiring an engagement pro. I am hiring a motivator. I am hiring energy. I am hiring dedication. I am hiring passion. I am hiring dream makers. I can hire all I want, but let’s be honest, unless I possess similar skills, the motivation and management of these writers will wind out of control, and the content campaign will fall flat. I hire to build and seed communities. While freelancers and myself seed and motivate new online communities, I also motivate and passionately work with my teams of freelancers. I seed and engage with them, and am part of their team. I work well as a manager, but would I ever hire myself as a freelancer? Before this personal and professional site, probably not… Since my number one qualification for freelancer social content writers is the ownership of an active and successful blog. Well, I am walking the talk now.
If what I look for in other people is supposedly a reflection of my own expectations or dreams for myself… I am maintaining such high expectations for my freelancers because I want to incorporate these accomplishments into my life.
Yes, I said it. I realize however, that I won’t feel entirely successful until I also satisfy what I have classified as “The Recipe for Social Content Success.” It is not just about proving to myself that I can do what the people do that I hire… It is getting out of my head as a manger, stepping away from my ego, and making sure my own qualifications are in line with the industry, and that yes, I can do what my consultants do… and simply put, walk in their shoes… Well, but maybe in slightly nicer shoes.