10 Content creation and curation Interview Questions and Answers for community managers

1. Tell me about your experience creating content for social media channels?

During my previous job as a social media manager, I was responsible for creating and curating content for various social media channels of our company. In my first year in the role, I increased the company's social media following on Twitter by 30%, and by 25% on Instagram. This substantial growth in followers was due to the quality of the content that I created and curated, which was tailored to the preferences of our target audience.

1. I conducted research on what topics were most relevant and engaging to our target audience, and used that information to create a content calendar that aligned with their interests and needs.
2. I also used data analytics tools to monitor engagement, track audience behavior, and adjust our content strategies as necessary. By monitoring the success rate of posts and campaigns, I was able to develop social media messaging that truly resonated with our target audience.
3. I created visually appealing graphics, videos, and other multimedia content to enhance our social media presence and capture the attention of users. Using creative applications like Canva and Adobe Create, I developed unique brand designs that served to engage our followers and create more interest in our brand.
4. Finally, I developed a content roadmap that aligned with our brand calendar and highlighted potential opportunities for holidays, cultural events or trends. This allowed our social channels to timely reflect what was going on with our audience and industry.

Overall, my experience creating and curating content for social media channels, and working with analytics tools to measure results, positioned me to efficiently grow our audience and enhance our brand's reputation. I'm eager to apply the same skills to your remote company and help your brand stand out in the competitive space.

2. How do you keep up with the latest industry trends in content creation and curation?

Staying up-to-date with industry trends in content creation and curation is vital to running a successful marketing campaign. One of my most effective methods for keeping up-to-date is by reading industry publications such as Content Marketing Institute, Hubspot, and Copyblogger.

1. I also belong to industry groups and participate in online discussions and webinars to stay informed on the latest trends within my field. For instance, I regularly attend virtual workshops hosted by the American Marketing Association and Social Media Today, where I learn from industry experts and study real-life case studies from various industries.
2. In addition, I frequently track content performance stats via various tools such as Google Analytics, Moz, and SEMrush. My focus is always on understanding which types of content resonate best with the target audience, driving engagement and conversions, and optimizing future content strategy accordingly.
3. Furthermore, I follow through on online influencers who constantly share valuable content creation and curation insights across social media platforms. Such inspirational influencers include Neil Patel, Ann Handley, Joe Pulizzi, and Jay Baer, just to mention a few.

Overall, I believe a successful content creator and curator is always seeking new ways to learn and stay up-to-date in the changing marketplace. Moreover, learning the latest tools, strategies, and tactics ensures that one remains competitive and delivers top-notch results for their clients or employer.

3. What metrics do you use to measure the success of your content?

Measuring the success of content is crucial in determining what works and what needs improvement. There are several metrics that I rely on to gauge content success:

1. Engagement Metrics: I use engagement metrics such as likes, comments and shares to determine how well our content resonates with our audience. For instance, our latest blog post received 500 likes, 50 comments and was shared by 150 people on social media.
2. Website Traffic: I track website traffic to identify the relationship between our content and traffic. For instance, our latest webinar saw a 40% increase in traffic over the previous month for the specific pages related to the topic.
3. Conversion Rate: Our primary goal is to convert readers into customers. We track conversion rates to measure our success in achieving this goal. For instance, our latest email marketing campaign had a 10% conversion rate resulting in 15 new signups to our service.
4. Return on Investment (ROI): Ultimately, we want our content to deliver a positive ROI. We track the cost of producing content against its success in achieving our business goals. For instance, our latest product launch video generated $100,000 in sales after a $10,000 investment in production and promotion.

By using a combination of these metrics, we can determine the areas where our content is succeeding, identify opportunities for improvement, and adjust our content strategy accordingly.

4. How do you determine which type of content to create for a particular audience or platform?

Identifying the right type of content for a particular audience or platform is crucial for content creation and curation. Here is my approach:

1. Conduct research: Before creating content for a specific audience or platform, I conduct thorough research to understand the target audience's preferences, demographics, and interests. I use analytics tools and social media insights to identify the content types that perform best with the target audience.
2. Identify the purpose: Once I've identified the target audience, I define the purpose of the content I want to create. This helps me to determine the type of content that will be most effective for achieving my goals. If my goal is to increase engagement, I might create interactive content like quizzes or polls.
3. Consider the platform: Different platforms have different types of audiences, formats, and limitations. Based on the platform, I select the type of content that best aligns with its format and the audience's preferences. For example, Instagram users tend to engage more with visual content, while LinkedIn prefers more professional and informative content.
4. Test and Measure: Once the content is published, I track its performance using analytics tools to determine what worked and what didn't. I use this data to refine my content strategy further and tailor future content to maximize engagement and traffic. For example, after implementing these strategies, I was able to increase engagement on my client's social media pages by 25%, and traffic to their site increased by 15%.

5. Can you give an example of a content campaign you orchestrated and the results you achieved?

One content campaign I orchestrated was for a travel company that wanted to increase their social media engagement and website traffic. The campaign was centered around a user-generated content competition, where followers were asked to submit their best travel photos and stories using the company's branded hashtag.

1. We promoted the competition on all of the company's social media channels and on our email newsletter.
2. We incentivized participation by offering the winner a free trip with the company.
3. Throughout the competition, we shared user-generated content on the company's social media channels, tagging the contributors and thanking them for sharing their experiences.
4. At the end of the competition, we created a blog post featuring the top user-generated content submissions.
5. The campaign resulted in a 27% increase in social media engagement and a 15% increase in website traffic compared to the previous month.

This campaign also helped to build a stronger relationship with the company's followers, as they were able to showcase their travel experiences and receive recognition from the company.

6. How do you balance between creating your own content and sharing third party content?

As a content creator, my focus is always to provide valuable content to my audience. For this reason, I prioritize creating my own original content that addresses the needs and interests of my audience. However, I also understand the importance of sharing third-party content that complements my own content and provides additional value to my audience.

1. First, I research and identify respected sources that offer high-quality content relevant to my audience.
2. I then evaluate the content to ensure it aligns with my brand's values and is accurate, useful and engaging.
3. Next, I incorporate the content in a meaningful way that complements my own content. For example, I may share the third-party content with my own analysis or comments.
4. When sharing third-party content, I always make sure to give proper credit to the source and include the necessary backlinks attribution.
5. Lastly, I use a content calendar and a monitoring tool to ensure a balance between my own content and third-party content, and to identify gaps in my content strategy that need filling.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy, I previously employed this technique at an online publication where I worked as a content strategist. Over a six-month period, we increased engagement by 25% by incorporating valuable third-party content alongside our own content.

7. What is your strategy for fostering engagement on social media platforms?

When it comes to fostering engagement on social media platforms, my strategy revolves around creating compelling and relatable content that resonates with the target audience. Before creating any content, I do extensive research on the specific topics that will catch the interest of our followers.

1. First and foremost, I always use high-quality visuals to accompany the content. In my previous role, I conducted an A/B test which showed that posts with images had an average of 53% more engagement than those without.

2. I also make sure to post consistently at optimal times, such as midweek at lunchtime, when our audience is most active. Again, based on previous data analysis, we discovered that our audience is most active between 11 am to 1 pm on weekdays.

3. Another key part of my strategy involves engaging with our audience in a timely manner. I respond to comments, likes and shares as soon as possible to create a relationship between the brand and our users. This has led to a 38% increase in organic reach and engagement among our followers.

4. I also leverage user-generated content (UGC) to create a sense of community and encourage engagement. For instance, we launched a user-generated content campaign last month that saw a 64% increase in engagement in the first week alone.

5. Finally, I track and analyze our social media efforts regularly to identify patterns or trends that help us adjust our strategy. By utilizing analytics, we discovered that our audience is more interested in video content, which led us to increase our video content production and post frequency. This tactic resulted in a 23% increase in shares and a 34% increase in views.

In summary, my social media strategy revolves around high-quality content, posting consistently, engaging with our audience, utilizing user-generated content, and regularly analyzing data to improve our performance. By implementing this strategy, I am confident that I can foster engagement and create strong relationships with our audience.

8. How do you handle negative comments or feedback on social media?

When handling negative comments or feedback on social media, I believe it's important to take a three-step approach:

1. Listen and understand: Before responding to any negative comment, it's important to take a moment to understand the situation and the customer's perspective. I always make sure to read the comment carefully and try to put myself in their shoes to gain a better understanding of their concerns.
2. Respond promptly and empathetically: After understanding the customer's perspective, I respond promptly with a personalized message that demonstrates empathy and understanding. I apologize for any inconvenience and assure the customer that I'm committed to resolving their concerns.
3. Take action: Once I respond to the customer, I take action behind the scenes to address their concerns. In my previous role as a social media manager for XYZ company, I was able to reduce negative feedback on our brand's social media pages by 30% within six months by taking swift action to address concerns and improve customer experiences.

In summary, I believe that listening to the customer, responding promptly and empathetically, and taking action to address any concerns are key steps in handling negative comments or feedback on social media. By following this approach, I can turn a negative experience into a positive one and build stronger relationships with customers.

9. Tell me about a time where you had to pivot or adjust a content strategy due to unforeseen circumstances?

As a content creator, I understand how important it is to have a well thought out strategy in place. However, unforeseen circumstances can arise that require a pivot or adjustment to the strategy.

1. During my time at XYZ company, we had planned a social media campaign to promote a new product launch. However, a few days before the scheduled launch date, a competitor released a similar product with a lower price point.
2. As a team, we quickly realized that our original strategy would not be effective in this new market landscape.
3. We decided to pivot our strategy and focus on highlighting the unique features and benefits of our product that set it apart from the competitor's product.
4. We created new social media graphics and messaging that emphasized our product's durability, warranty, and overall quality.
5. The results were impressive. Our engagement rates increased by 25% and we saw a 15% increase in product sales compared to our initial projections.

This experience taught me the value of flexibility and adaptability in content creation. It's important to always have a backup plan and be ready to adjust strategies as needed to achieve the desired results.

10. How do you prioritize and manage your content creation schedule?

Managing and prioritizing content creation is key to ensuring a successful content marketing strategy. To achieve this, I follow a structured approach that comprises of:

1. Goal Setting: I set clear objectives and goals that align with the overall marketing strategy. I use the S.M.A.R.T framework to ensure that my goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
2. Content Calendar: I use a content calendar to plan and organize my content. The calendar includes the publication date, topic, format, target audience, and distribution channels. This helps me to ensure that the content is published on time and in line with the overall strategy.
3. Persona Mapping: I create a persona of my target audience to ensure that the content I create resonates with them. This helps me to prioritize my content creation by focusing on the topics that are most relevant to my audience.
4. Analytics: I regularly review the performance of my content using analytics tools to identify what content is resonating with my audience. This helps me to prioritize my content creation by focusing on the topics that are performing well.

As a result of following this approach, I have seen a 20% increase in website traffic and a 15% increase in lead generation over the past year. I also regularly seek feedback from my team and stakeholders to ensure that my prioritization and management approach aligns with the overall marketing strategy.

Conclusion

Congratulations on preparing for your content creation and curation interviews! The next step is to showcase your skills in a cover letter that sets you apart. Don't forget to write an exciting, personalized cover letter that highlights your strengths and explains why you're the perfect fit for the job. Check out our guide on writing a cover letter for community managers to help you get started.

Don't forget to write a compelling cover letter that will capture the employer's attention and make them want to learn more about you.

Another important step is to prepare a polished resume that showcases your skills and demonstrates your experience. Our guide on writing a resume for community managers provides you with everything you need to create a standout resume that will catch the employer's eye.

Make sure to check out our resume writing guide to ensure that you stand out from the other applicants.

Finally, if you're on the lookout for a new remote job, be sure to check out our job board for remote community manager positions. We regularly update our job board with new opportunities, so check back often to find your dream job.

Find your next remote community manager role on our remote job board, and take the next step in your career journey.

Good luck!