Social media marketing is a time-consuming endeavor, and not all of us are hip to the language of tweets and likes. But that’s okay – you can find young professionals who are already devoted to social media – and they’ll often work for free! I’m talking of course about interns, a magical breed of ambitious, tech-savvy students who can offer you free labor in exchange for experience.

We all know that twenty-somethings spend their entire day on Facebook anyway – why not use their social media skills to your advantage? The question is, how can you find these eager employees? ActivEngage has a lot of experience with grassroots hiring techniques, and dealers are constantly asking us how to handle the marketing challenge of social media. We have some tips to share with you on our best hiring practices.

• Partner with local colleges.

ActivEngage has brought on numerous employees by working with educational institutions in our area. We hand pick from the University of Central Florida and renowned design academy Full Sail University, just to name a few. You, too, can recruit your ideal social media marketing team from the colleges in your area. Contact your local schools today to find out about how they can help.

• Challenge prospects in creative ways.

ActivEngage CEO Todd Smith knew that marketing was a creative and unorthodox field – that’s why he tasked prospective social media candidates with a video challenge. Applicants were challenged to create a video, like this zombie video,  showcasing who they were. You can also get a feel for the capabilities of your young hires by challenging them in the same way. Social Media interns will also need to draft a lot of content, so it is good to also have them include a writing sample with their applications. Even better, ask them to draft a Facebook post or blog for your dealership to see how good their marketing and writing skills really are!

• Promote awards and achievements.

Trust me – nothing attracts young hires like prestige. Millennials aren’t interested in just another 9-to-5 job. They want a career path, a work environment that they can feel invested in. That’s why you should make your laudations and awards clearly visible to all applicants. If you haven’t won any – start applying for them! Our recent award as one of Orlando’s Best Places to Work has help ActivEngage’s hiring process tremendously.

• Build career paths. 

Millennials struggle to understand what it is they really want to do for the next 20 years. In order to overcome this uncertainty, provide them with an outline of what career paths are available at your dealership within the Marketing department and beyond. Showing that you care about the candidates happiness within your dealership, will draw in those applicants committed to working for YOUR dealership, not those just looking for a paycheck.

Social media management requires tech-savvy, marketing educated employees who can invest the time and care to make your marketing campaign blossom. Start smart hiring practices – build your dream team from the ground up!

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