Essential Work Samples for Hiring a Top Social Media Coordinator

Social media has become the frontline of brand communication, customer engagement, and marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes. A skilled Social Media Coordinator can dramatically impact brand perception, audience growth, and even conversion rates. However, identifying candidates who can truly deliver results requires more than reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's actual capabilities in managing social media platforms effectively. While candidates may claim proficiency in content creation, community management, and analytics, these skills are best evaluated through practical demonstration. Work samples provide a window into how candidates approach real-world social media challenges and execute strategies under conditions similar to those they'll face on the job.

The gap between claimed and actual social media expertise can be substantial. Many candidates understand social media from a personal use perspective but lack the strategic thinking, brand consistency awareness, and analytical skills needed for professional social media management. Work samples bridge this gap by requiring candidates to demonstrate their abilities in realistic scenarios.

Furthermore, social media coordination requires a unique blend of creative and analytical skills, alongside the ability to respond quickly to trends and feedback. The following work samples are designed to evaluate these multifaceted abilities, helping you identify candidates who can truly elevate your brand's social presence and engage meaningfully with your audience.

Activity #1: Content Creation Challenge

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to create engaging, on-brand content for different social media platforms. Social media coordinators must regularly produce content that resonates with specific audiences while maintaining brand voice and achieving strategic objectives. This activity tests their creative skills, platform knowledge, and ability to adapt messaging across channels.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with your brand guidelines, including voice, tone, color palette, and examples of successful past content.
• Share a specific campaign objective (e.g., promoting a new product, increasing engagement, driving website traffic).
• Specify 2-3 social platforms the content should be created for (e.g., Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn).
• Allow candidates 45-60 minutes to complete the exercise.
• Provide access to a simple design tool like Canva if graphics are expected.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Create 3-5 pieces of content for each specified platform that align with the campaign objective.
• Include proposed copy, image/video concepts, and hashtag strategy.
• Explain how each piece fits into the broader campaign and why it's appropriate for the target audience.
• Indicate optimal posting times and any paid promotion recommendations.
• Be prepared to explain your creative process and strategic thinking.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After reviewing the content, provide specific feedback on one strength (e.g., "Your Instagram carousel effectively showcases product benefits while maintaining our brand voice") and one area for improvement (e.g., "The Twitter content could better incorporate our campaign hashtags").
• Ask the candidate to revise one piece of content based on your feedback, giving them 10-15 minutes to make adjustments.
• Observe how receptively they incorporate feedback and their ability to quickly iterate.

Activity #2: Social Media Analytics Interpretation

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to analyze social media performance data and develop strategic recommendations. A successful social media coordinator must go beyond posting content to understanding what's working, why, and how to optimize future efforts. This activity reveals their analytical thinking and strategic planning capabilities.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a sanitized set of social media analytics from your actual accounts (or create a realistic sample dataset if necessary).
• Include metrics like engagement rates, reach, click-through rates, audience demographics, and content performance comparisons.
• Provide context about campaign goals that were in place during the reporting period.
• Allow 30-45 minutes for analysis and recommendation development.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided analytics data across all platforms.
• Identify 3-5 key insights or trends from the data.
• Develop specific recommendations for content strategy adjustments based on these insights.
• Prepare a brief explanation of which metrics you prioritized and why.
• Be ready to discuss how you would implement your recommendations in upcoming content planning.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on the quality of their analysis, highlighting one particularly valuable insight they identified.
• Suggest one additional metric or relationship between data points they might have overlooked.
• Ask the candidate to develop one additional strategic recommendation based on this new perspective.
• Evaluate their ability to quickly incorporate new analytical angles into their thinking.

Activity #3: Community Management Simulation

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to handle community engagement and potential crisis situations. Social media coordinators must respond to audience comments, questions, and complaints in a way that builds community while protecting brand reputation. This activity tests their communication skills, judgment, and ability to think on their feet.

Directions for the Company:

• Create 5-7 sample social media comments/messages that represent typical interactions your brand receives (include positive feedback, product questions, complaints, and at least one potentially controversial comment).
• Provide brief brand guidelines on voice and customer service protocols.
• Include any specific policies on handling negative feedback or crisis situations.
• Allow 30 minutes for response drafting.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Draft appropriate responses to each comment/message that align with brand voice and protocols.
• Prioritize which messages should receive immediate attention versus those that can wait.
• For the potentially controversial comment, outline both your immediate response and any escalation steps you would take.
• Explain your approach to maintaining a positive community while addressing concerns.
• Be prepared to discuss how you would monitor for and prevent potential community issues.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Highlight one response that effectively balanced brand voice with customer service.
• Provide constructive feedback on one response that could be improved (perhaps it missed an opportunity for engagement or could be more aligned with brand voice).
• Ask the candidate to revise this response and explain their adjustments.
• Evaluate their receptiveness to feedback and ability to maintain composure when discussing potentially challenging situations.

Activity #4: Content Calendar Planning

This exercise assesses a candidate's ability to develop a strategic content plan that balances various content types and business objectives. Effective social media coordination requires thoughtful planning rather than reactive posting. This activity reveals their organizational skills, strategic thinking, and understanding of content variety needs.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide a brief overview of upcoming business initiatives, product launches, or seasonal events for a 2-week period.
• Share information about your typical content categories (e.g., educational, promotional, user-generated, behind-the-scenes).
• Include any specific content distribution requirements (e.g., "We aim for a 4:1 ratio of value-add content to promotional content").
• Provide a simple content calendar template or allow candidates to use their preferred format.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for completion.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a 2-week content calendar across specified social platforms.
• Include proposed content themes, copy concepts, visual ideas, and posting times.
• Ensure the calendar incorporates business initiatives while maintaining an engaging mix of content types.
• Indicate opportunities for audience engagement or user-generated content.
• Be prepared to explain your rationale for content distribution and timing.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their content planning approach (e.g., "Your integration of the product launch with related educational content creates a cohesive narrative").
• Suggest one adjustment that would strengthen the calendar (e.g., "Consider how we might incorporate more user-generated content around the product launch").
• Ask the candidate to revise a 3-day section of the calendar to address your feedback.
• Evaluate their ability to maintain the overall strategy while making tactical adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allow for these work samples?

Each exercise is designed to take 30-60 minutes. We recommend conducting them as part of a second or third interview round, either during an extended in-person interview or as take-home assignments with a reasonable deadline. For take-home assignments, set clear expectations about the time investment and provide all necessary resources.

Should we use our actual brand materials for these exercises?

Yes, using your actual brand guidelines and sanitized examples of real content makes the exercise more relevant. However, be careful not to share confidential information or upcoming campaign details. Create a simplified version of your brand kit specifically for interview purposes.

What if a candidate doesn't have experience with our specific industry?

The exercises evaluate fundamental social media skills that transfer across industries. Provide enough context about your audience and objectives for candidates to demonstrate their approach. Strong candidates may bring fresh perspectives from other industries that could benefit your strategy.

How should we evaluate candidates who use different approaches than our current strategy?

Assess whether their approach is strategic and well-reasoned, even if different from your current methods. The best candidates will demonstrate sound thinking that aligns with your objectives, even if their tactical approach varies. This could indicate innovation potential that would benefit your team.

Should we expect polished design work in the content creation exercise?

Focus on evaluating the concept, strategy, and copy rather than perfect execution of visuals. Unless the role specifically requires advanced design skills, candidates should be judged on their content ideas and strategic thinking. Provide access to simple design tools if visual mockups are expected.

How can we make these exercises fair for candidates without access to expensive tools?

Ensure exercises can be completed using free or commonly available tools. For the content creation exercise, consider providing access to a company Canva account or accepting written descriptions of visual concepts rather than finished designs.

Social media coordination requires a unique blend of creativity, analytical thinking, and strategic planning. By incorporating these work samples into your hiring process, you'll gain valuable insights into how candidates approach real-world social media challenges and execute strategies under conditions similar to those they'll face on the job.

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