Sure he/she understands Instagrams, but do you really want a recent college graduate controlling your brand equity? Can you afford to put your online brand equity in the hands of a 23 year old?

 

 

 

Pardon the generalization: I don’t mean to attack 23-year-olds specifically. Nor do I believe there are no young people capable of managing a business’s social-media responsibilities.

 

I am, however, trying to make a point: Just because you don’t understand social media doesn’t mean you should forfeit all common sense and hire your niece, nephew, or any other recent college grad (say, your best friend’s sister-in-law’s kid) because “they’re really good on Facebook.”

 

If your business targets the young and hip, most definitely look to a recent grad or young social-media nerd to help your business. But don’t assume, either, that you need to hire someone young to manage your social media “just because.”

Frankly, this kind of logic makes me crazy–and yet I’m seeing it more and more these days. But you really shouldn’t be entrusting your entire social-media efforts to a newly graduated intern. Here’s why.

 

1.  They’re not mature enough. Compared with young people 50 years ago, who were eager to enter adulthood and settle down, today’s youth are not only not eager to do so, but most do not feel that they’ve reached adulthood until late into their 20s or early 30s, according to research from Clark University. Instead, they tend to feel unstable and self-focused and would rather explore who they are and how they can transform their lives. This is great for them but not so great for you, their employer–particularly because social media is all about communicating with your audience in mature and accountable ways.

 

2.  They may be focused on their own social-media activity. Because of the above, if you hire a young person to manage your social media, you may also need to need to worry about how he or she is actually spending his or her time. Will you need to be monitoring the person?

 

3. They may not have the same etiquette–or experience. Your recent college grad may have experience with Facebook and Instagram, but make sure you check out the substance of his or her updates and posts. You need to make sure your posts reflect your brand–and that you don’t wind up with a late-night smartphone photo landing in the wrong account. At the very least, ensure you have a social-media policy in place.

4.  You can’t control their friends.  This isn’t exclusive to recent grads, of course, but it’s a risk to consider: Even if you hire a real winner, be sure that his or her friends won’t post inappropriate content to your company’s social-media accounts.

 

5.  No class can replace on-the-job training.  Social media for business is really so many things wrapped into one: marketing, customer service, public relations, crisis management, branding. How deep is the experience of a young person in delivering any of these things?

 

6.  They may not understand your business.  You are handing the keys to your social-media kingdom to a newcomer, but there’s plenty that he or she needs to understand beyond the social tools themselves. What are the nuances of your products or services? What makes you stand out in the marketplace? What are the typical expectations of your customers? How do you troubleshoot issues or cajole customers into working a bit more with you? What does your company stand for? No new hire will be able to absorb these issues overnight, of course–but a brand-new graduate will have an even steeper learning curve.

 

If you need staffing social media assistance, contact us.

 

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