Key steps for hiring a social media advisor
Government social media carries unique challenges - public scrutiny, political sensitivities, internal barriers, and the constant need to balance engagement with neutrality.
Hiring a social media advisor in government can be tricky. Someone with a digital marketing background might know how to shift units, but that’s often not what you need.
Instead, the real challenges of the job involve navigating public scrutiny, translating bureaucratic language into something people actually want to engage with, and managing a community where public debate can sometimes (often?) get heated.
Here are three steps to help you get the right person.
Step 1: Be clear on what you actually need
Instead of looking for a “social media expert,” it’s helpful to think about what this specific role requires (even if they are going to be doing all the things). Here are some questions to think about:
What’s the primary function of the role?
A content creator: Someone who can turn abstract ideas into compelling posts. This means writing copy that strikes the right tone, shooting and editing video, and developing cohesive campaign content. They’re the engine room of outward-facing storytelling.
A community manager: A person who thrives in two-way interaction. This role requires patience, empathy, and exceptional judgment when dealing with public queries, misinformation, and high-pressure or crisis situations. They must be comfortable being ‘the voice’ of the organisation.
A strategist: Someone who sees the bigger picture and aligns your social media activity with organisational goals. This person is comgotable defining objectives, target audiences, platform priorities, and developing reporting frameworks.
Few people are excellent at all three. Most excel in one or two areas and are competent in the third. Identify your priorities clearly, and hire accordingly.
How does this role align with your strategy?
If you’re focused on building trust and engagement:
Look for someone who’s naturally warm in tone, understands community dynamics, and can craft content that feels human and authentic. In government work, this can mean someone who can translate official-ese into conversational content without losing accuracy.
If your priority is growing your reach or followers:
Prioritise a creative content producer who understands platform algorithms, trends, and what drives organic growth. This person will be proactive in finding stories, jumping on relevant moments, and experimenting with formats.
Generalist or specialist?
If you’re a small organisation, you may need a social media generalist. That’s fine - but don’t stop there. Even generalists have core strengths:
Are they more creative or analytical?
More comfortable with public interaction or behind-the-scenes strategy?
Do they light up when asked to get out and about to make content?
Knowing these preferences will help you support them in the right way, and ultimately get better outcomes for your organisation.
Step 2: Ask better interview questions
Once you know what you’re looking for, the next step is figuring out if candidates have the right mindset and skills. More specific questions can help with this.
1. "How do you make complex government topics engaging on social media?"
There’s a skill to making dry, technical, or politically sensitive information both clear and engaging. If their answer is just “I’d make an infographic” - dig deeper. Ask for examples. Look for someone who understands how to balance clarity with engagement without making serious topics feel trivial.
2. "How do you handle misinformation or heated public comments?"
Every government social media manager has been in the trenches of a Facebook comment section. It’s useful to hear how candidates would approach public misinformation, emotionally charged debates, and the pressure of responding in real time.
3. "What metrics do you use to measure success in a government context?"
If they only talk about reach and engagement, that might be a red flag. There are plenty of ways to measure progress (including using both lead and lag measures) and candidates should be able to give a wide range of examples.
4. "Can you give an example of a time you had to navigate a crisis or sensitive issue online?"
Social media is often where a crisis unfolds first. If they’ve been through one before, they should be able to explain how they handled it, what they learned, and how they’d approach it next time.
5. "How do you balance professionalism with personality in government social media?"
Nobody wants a government account that sounds like a robot. But go too far the other way, and you risk losing credibility. How do they strike the right balance between being engaging and staying professional?
Step 3: Keep an open mind about backgrounds
I’s not always possible to hire someone with direct council or government experience, and that’s okay. What matters is whether they have the right mindset, curiosity, and willingness to learn.
Some of the best social media hires are people who care about public service and genuinely want to make a difference - they just need the right support to learn the ropes.
If you find a candidate who is adaptable, thoughtful, and understands how to communicate in a way that serves the public, they could be a great fit.
Just make sure they have the judgment to handle sensitive issues, the resilience to deal with public scrutiny, and the ability to translate complex (or dry) information into something that makes sense to everyday people.
What do you reckon? Comment below or email me@seamus.nz