Does it matter if the person you hire to run your social media strategy development and implementation has been able to successfully build their own personal brand or not?

Would it bring added value to your company if  the successful candidate has been able to effectively build a social following by creating and sharing content that is relevant to social media strategy development?

What if that person has proven that they have a keen sense of how to actually be social and engage effectively with the right audience?

Companies will need to hire people with very specialized skills. Someone who is on the ball and able to identify the next big digital media trend. Then, quickly determine the best approach for your company to implement these new strategies into the current action plan. The key is for you to execute “goal oriented” tactics that will deliver cutting edge services to your customers before your competition.

Some of the specialized skills a social media strategist will have to be/become educated in include:

• Web Analytics
  • Web Analytics 2.0 Style (Highly recommend knowledge source is the Web Analytics 2.0 book – Written by Avinash Kaushik – @avinash – your should follow him!)
• Driving Customer Engagement Online - meaning how to respond & create community with your customers
• Search engine optimization (SEO) techniques
  • Follow Google Webmaster Tools Youtube Channel and Matt Cutts via twitter @mattcutts (amazing info straight form the horses mouth!)
• How to Create DUMB Goals: Doable. Understandable. Manageable. Beneficial.
• Writing effective web content
• Social bookmarking strategies
• The importance of RSS – everywhere
• Video marketing techniques
• Blog & Website user experience optimization

I am not sure whether this list seems long or shot to you, however it’s just a very basic starting point from my point of view. There are so many niche area’s of specialization which make it very difficult to pinpoint exactly what a social media strategists role looks like. Perhaps, at your company you require other key skills?

Whatever your specific social media role may look like – personal brand or not? Experience or not? Degree or not? Track record or not? I have compiled a list of articles that talk about personal brand and the social media strategist role.

“Dealing With Employees Who Are Social Media Celebrities | Social Media Examiner”

“Canadians look to re-invent careers as workplace change gathers pace, Kelly Global Workforce Index™ finds”

“Personal Brand: Good or Bad for Your Company?”

“How To Be An Effective Corporate Ambassador”

“Why Social Media Is Optimizing The Personal and Corporate Brand”

“Personal vs Career Brands, it’s all in the Mindset”

How IBM Uses B2B Social Media

“Social media celebrities can boost or bust corporate branding efforts”

“The corporate brand is cramping my personal brand!”

“A Corporate Brand Won’t Shield Your Personal Brand Anymore”

“Why Personal Brand is Essential To Corporate Marketing Success”

What’s your opinion? What skills do you think are in demand from a social media marketing standpoint?