4 things to do when your social media manager leaves

Transitions are never easy, but changes in the social media space often bring new complications. In many cases, the individuals behind successful social media programs are very visible and integrated into the program. Removing that personality from public efforts can cause headaches for any company.

If your social media lead decides to take her career in another direction, consider incorporating these steps into your transition plan:

1. Rewrite the job description.

If your former employee has a few years under her belt, there is a good chance the job evolved quite a bit since day one. Changes in technology and best practices have likely affected not only daily responsibilities, but the overall core strategy.

Before your social media lead steps out the door, be sure to review the current job description and make appropriate updates. If possible, ask your outgoing lead to work with you to make the updates. Be sure to include an updated list of monitoring platforms, analytics services, and other related software programs your company uses.

Additionally, capture any updated usernames, passwords, and original creative files (images, video, etc.). It sounds elementary, but you would be surprised how often people overlook these simple steps.

2. Prepare and deliver your external message.