Social Media Content Creator Wanted…

Candidates must have exceptional proficiency working in Adobe suite, including but not limited to: After Effects, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Fresco…

…Shakespearean lexical skills…

… Miyazakian illustrative ability…

…BA (Hons) in Marketing or other related fields…

… 5,000+ Instagram followers…

…Minimum 5 years’ experience…

…ability to solve a Rubix Cube…

…Blindfolded…

…Salary £21k.”

Do you see what’s wrong with this picture, I mean, who uses Adobe Fresco?

Omitting one or two comical zingers, ads like this are an increasingly common sight.

Sure, there are individuals out there with the pre-requisite skillset - albeit the Rubix Cube might be a stretch - but good luck hiring them at £21k.

Try doubling it.

Then there’s the issue of over-seasoning the broth.

Does your typical social media content creator really need Adobe suite skills with tools like Canva, Mojo and InShot available?

What about 5 years of experience, bearing in mind that TikTok didn’t gain widespread notoriety in the UK until the dawn of 2019? Don’t even get us started on the academic bit.

How did we get here?

Who knows.

Undeniably, there’s a lazy copy-and-paste culture that’s rife in the recruitment industry (don’t ask how, but we’ve seen it first-hand). Perhaps it’s all just recycled versions of the same rubbish job spec.

Maybe an influx of new-gen creatives and ‘stacktitioners’ has diluted the market, and employers feel emboldened to up the ante.

So, surprise surprise, recruiters feel short-changed on the calibre of their applicants, and candidates feel overwhelmed by the exhaustive lists of unrealistic and arbitrary requirements, becoming increasingly desensitized by the whole thing and hitting that ‘apply’ button regardless.

Congrats on your 500+ weekly applicants.

Here’s a better way to construct a job ad for your next content-creating rockstar.

10 Tips To Writing A Knockout Content Creator Job Ad In 2023

1_Use eye-catching headlines

The headline is the first thing a job seeker will see, so make it count. Use language that’s compelling and purposeful, such as “Seeking a Dynamic TikTok Content Creator To Help Grow Our Product Community”.

The goal is to capture the attention of the reader and make them interested in learning more. If you have a preferred social platform, include it in the headline.

2_Be specific about job requirements

The job requirements section of your ad is where you’ll outline the specific skills and qualifications needed for the position.

Be as specific as possible to weed out unqualified candidates, but most importantly, be realistic about the skills required for your recruit to thrive.

If you’re looking for a content creator, know the platform/s you’re targeting and list the skills accordingly.

We’d argue that content creators for LinkedIn should have greater lexical skills than say, their TikTok counterparts, where creators should possess greater video editing experience.

But that does not mean asking for a Ms in English Literature for the former and years of Premier Pro experience for the latter.

Controversial opinion incoming: the best of the best social media content creators are by and large: self-taught.

Let that simmer for a moment. Accept it. Move on.

3_Highlight your company industry & culture

Creative professionals are looking for more than just a job—they want to work for a company that aligns with their values and mission. Use your job ad to highlight your company culture, industry and what makes your workplace unique.

Expecting a creator with experience in high fashion to create inspiring content for your timber-cutting business is probably not going to cut the mustard (or should we have said wood?).

Qualify applicants by asking them to include a note about why your industry excites them.

4_Keep it Brief and Engaging

While it’s important to be specific about the job requirements, you don’t want to overwhelm potential candidates with too much information.

Keep your job ad concise and engaging, using bullet points or short paragraphs to break up the text.

Use language that’s easy to understand and avoid using jargon or industry-specific terms that may confuse readers.

5_Avoid listing trait-based tropes.

Admit it, you’ve also seen this before…

Candidates:

• Must have excellent creative skills

• Be great team players

• Possess great communication skills

• Have good organisational and planning skills

• Be honest and trustworthy

All you’re saying here is that ‘candidates must have the basic skills by which to function in any given workplace.’

Here’s a tip: Don’t waste precious digital real estate listing anything that will fail to further qualify your ideal candidate.

6_Sell the Position

Use your job ad to sell the position to potential candidates.

What makes this position unique? What kind of impact will the candidate have on the company? What opportunities for growth and development are available?

Be sure to emphasize the benefits of working for your company and the potential for a long-term, fulfilling career.

7_Ask applicants to submit a sample post caption

This is one of our favourites: ask applicants to produce a post caption for any of your company’s recent news updates.

In doing so, applicants will be prompted to learn more about your business (#qualify) whilst demonstrating a level of commitment telling of the type of person they are.

You’ll get a feel for their writing capability and aptitude to translate company messaging into engaging, persuasive and entertaining copy.

8_Provide an option to share links to social accounts

Some of the best content creators out there live and breathe content creation long after they’ve left the office.

It’s not uncommon for creators to have built an impressive social media following of their own.

This is just as valuable as professional experience.

Provide an option for applicants to share links to their social accounts and don’t pass up the opportunity to see their skills in action.

9_Be transparent

Be open and honest about what it is you expect your creator to bring to the table.

Are you looking for a content creator or a social media strategist? Will they be expected to create organic AND paid content? If so, will they be expected to strategize, launch and optimise the campaigns, or are you looking for an entry-level graphics practitioner to pull together pretty posts for Insta?

Unfortunately, ‘Content Creator’ is a deeply misunderstood job role, whose responsibilities too often bleed into other specialist marketing functions.

Clear up any confusion by being transparent about the specific tasks and responsibilities your creators will be expected to undertake.

10_Ditch the salary range

How do you feel about closing the gender pay gap?

A recent reed.co.uk survey found that 27% of women felt uncomfortable negotiating salary vs 13% of men.

When backed up with studies showing that this lack and likely fear of negotiation can contribute to the pay gap, companies must show that salary isn’t a dirty word.

Your efforts to pinch a few pennies could be contributing to workplace inequity.

Furthermore, a range sends the wrong message to potential candidates.

It can come across as if the company is not willing to pay the maximum amount for a talented candidate, or that you’re not confident in the value that the position will bring to the company.

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In Conclusion

Writing an effective job advertisement for content creators is all about specificity.

Don’t fall into the trap of re-hashing existing ads and look forward to attracting the best and brightest to your team.

Good luck!