Content creation and social media

What interviewers look for

• Audience first: you know who they want to reach, which platforms those people use, which language works (Somali, English or both) and when they are online.
• Planning, not random posting: a content calendar, a few clear content themes, and posts prepared early enough for the team to approve.
• Writing that stops the scroll: a strong first line or first three seconds, short clear captions, one call to action, and correct Somali and English.
• Numbers you understand and use: the difference between reach, engagement and conversions, and one thing you changed because of what the data showed.
• Calm community management: quick polite replies, a clear way to handle complaints and abuse, and knowing when to pass something to customer service or your manager.
• Judgement: a consistent brand voice, respect for culture and religion, no unchecked news, no posting of people without consent, and care with political and clan topics.

Questions they ask

1. 1“How would you plan a month of content for us?”

   Why they ask: They check that you can plan with a goal, not post day by day, and that you have looked at their pages before the interview.

   How to answer

   • Start from the month's goal and the audience, and mention what you saw on their current pages.
   • Choose three or four content pillars and a realistic number of posts per week.
   • Show a calendar with date, platform, format, language and approver, leave room for news, and review at month end.

   I would start with the goal for the month, for example more people using the mobile app, and who we are talking to. Then I would pick three or four content pillars: how-to tips, customer stories, behind-the-scenes and offers. Everything goes in a shared calendar with the date, platform, format, language and who approves it, and I prepare the first two weeks in advance. I leave space for news and occasions like Ramadan, and I review the numbers at the end of the month.

2. 2“What is the difference between reach, engagement and conversions?”

   Why they ask: Many candidates talk only about likes and followers. The panel wants someone who links social media to real business or programme results.

   How to answer

   • Reach is how many different people saw it; engagement is how many interacted with it.
   • Conversions are the actions the organisation wants: app downloads, sign-ups, WhatsApp messages, clinic visits.
   • Say how you track conversions: a link, a code word or a question like “how did you hear about us?”

   Reach is how many different people saw a post. Engagement is how many interacted with it: likes, comments, shares and saves. Conversions are the actions the business actually wants, like downloading the app, sending a WhatsApp message or registering for a course. A post can have huge reach and no conversions. So I agree with the team which action matters for each campaign and track that first, with a special link or a code word so we can count it.

3. 3“How do our platforms differ, and how would you use each one?”

   Why they ask: Posting the same thing everywhere wastes effort. They check that you know what each platform is good for and adapt the content to it.

   How to answer

   • TikTok and Instagram Reels: short vertical video, the first seconds decide everything.
   • Facebook: often the widest mix of ages, longer captions, sharing and groups; YouTube: longer videos people search for.
   • X: quick updates, news, officials and journalists. Then say you adapt one idea to each platform instead of copying.

4. 4“How do you write a hook and a caption that people actually read?”

   Why they ask: This is the core craft of the job. They want to see that you start from the reader's problem, keep it short, and end with one clear action.

   How to answer

   • The first line or first three seconds must speak to the reader's need, not announce the organisation.
   • One idea per post, short sentences, and one call to action.
   • Check the Somali with a fluent speaker, and test two hooks to see which works.

   For a bank post about a savings wallet, I would not start with “We are pleased to announce”. I would start with the reader's problem, in Somali: “Lacagtaadu ma dhammaataa bartamaha bisha?”, which asks if their money runs out mid-month. Then one short line on how the wallet helps, one step to open it, and a clear action: send the word SAVE to our WhatsApp. A colleague checks the Somali, and I test two different first lines.

5. 5“A customer posts an angry comment about a failed transfer under our post. What do you do?”

   Why they ask: Public complaints are where brands win or lose trust. They check your speed and tone, and that you protect the customer's private details.

   How to answer

   • Reply publicly and politely, quickly, in the same language, so others see you listen.
   • Move details to a private message; never ask for a PIN or full account details in comments.
   • Pass it to customer service, follow up until it is solved, and do not delete honest complaints.

   I would reply publicly within the hour, in the same language, to show we are listening. I would apologise for the trouble and ask them to send us a private message with their phone number and the time of the transfer, and never their PIN. Then I pass it to customer service and follow up until it is solved. I would not delete an honest complaint, because that usually makes people angrier. I only hide comments that break our rules, like insults or scam links.

6. 6“How do you keep one brand voice when several people post?”

   Why they ask: Brands sound messy when every post has a different tone. They check that you can write simple rules and examples others can follow.

   How to answer

   • A one-page voice guide: three words for the tone, words to use and avoid, emoji rules, how we greet.
   • Examples of good posts and replies in Somali and English, plus ready templates.
   • A quick check before anything goes live, especially from new team members.

7. 7“Tell us about a post or campaign that did not work. What did you learn?”

   Why they ask: They want honesty and a habit of learning from data. Someone who says everything they posted went viral is not believable.

   How to answer

   • Say what you expected and what the numbers really showed.
   • Give your honest reason: wrong platform, weak hook, wrong time, wrong language.
   • End with what you changed next time and what happened.

   For a university open day, I made a long English video with the dean explaining the faculties. It had good reach but almost no comments, and few students registered from it. When I looked at the watch time, most people left in the first few seconds. For the next intake I made short Somali videos where current students answered one question each, like “Is it hard to get a scholarship?” Those got far more questions in the comments and on WhatsApp.

8. 8“How do you handle sensitive topics: politics, clan, religion or a tragedy in the news?”

   Why they ask: In our context a careless post can cause real harm to people and to the brand. They check that you stay neutral, check facts and know when to pause.

   How to answer

   • Follow the organisation's policy and stay out of political and clan debates on the brand's account.
   • Check facts and sources before sharing anything; get approval for sensitive posts.
   • During a tragedy, pause scheduled promotional posts and agree any message with your manager.

Example answers are in English, the language most panels use. Say it in your own words.

Topics to revise

• Content calendarA shared plan showing what goes out, when, where, in which language and who approves it. It helps the team prepare early and avoid gaps. They may ask what tool you use: a spreadsheet, Trello or Meta Business Suite.
• Content pillarsThree to five main themes a brand posts about again and again, for example tips, customer stories, behind-the-scenes and offers. They keep content varied but still on message.
• Platform differencesTikTok and Reels reward short vertical video; Facebook suits sharing, groups and longer captions; YouTube is searched like a library; X is for quick updates; Instagram is visual. Expect: “Which platform for this campaign, and why?”
• Reach vs impressionsReach is the number of different people who saw a post; impressions count every view, so one person seeing it three times is three impressions. Panels check that you do not mix them up.
• Engagement and engagement rateEngagement is likes, comments, shares, saves and clicks. Engagement rate compares it to reach or followers, so a small page can beat a big one. Comments and shares usually say more than likes.
• Conversions and tracking (UTM links, codes)A conversion is the action you want: a sign-up, a download, a message. Track it with UTM links (tagged web links), a code word for WhatsApp, or by asking people how they heard about you.
• Hooks and captionsThe hook is the first line or first seconds that make people stop scrolling. The caption explains, adds context and gives the action. Expect to write one live in the interview.
• Call to action (CTA)The one clear thing you want people to do next: call, send a message, download, register. One CTA per post works better than three. They may ask you to fix a post with no CTA.
• Community managementReplying to comments and messages, handling complaints, hiding spam and abuse, and passing problems to the right team. Know your response time, and when to move a conversation to private messages.
• Brand voice and toneVoice is the brand's personality, which stays the same; tone changes with the moment, for example friendly on a promotion and serious when replying to a complaint or during a tragedy.
• Meta Business Suite and native analyticsMeta Business Suite schedules Facebook and Instagram posts and shows insights; TikTok, YouTube and X have their own analytics. Know where to find reach, watch time and audience age and location.
• Organic vs paid (boosting)Organic is free reach from your own followers and shares; paid is boosting or ads with a budget and a chosen audience. They may ask how you would spend a small budget and how you would judge if it worked.

Practical tasks you may get

1. 1A timed content task, 30 to 60 minutes: write three posts for different platforms from a one-page brief, often in Somali and English, sometimes with a simple Canva design. Practise once at home with a timer and adapt each post to its platform instead of copying.
2. 2A content plan for their brand, in the interview or as a take-home: study their pages first, note what gets comments and what is missing, and bring three concrete ideas with the platform, format and goal for each.
3. 3An analytics exercise: they show a screenshot of page insights and ask what is working and what you would change. Read reach, engagement and watch time calmly, then end with one clear action.
4. 4A reply-to-comments test: a list of comments (a complaint, a question, an insult, a scam link) and you write the reply or action for each. Keep a calm tone, move private details to messages, and know when to hide or escalate.
5. 5A short video task: film and edit a 15 to 30 second vertical video on your phone. Have CapCut or a similar app ready, face the light, keep the sound clean and add subtitles.

Portfolio questions

• Accounts or campaigns you ran, with screenshots of posts and insights, your exact role, the dates and the goal.
• Results you can explain from the platform's own insights, not only follower counts, and never bought followers.
• Examples in Somali and English and in different formats: a short video, a carousel, a caption, a reply to a complaint.
• Ask before showing a former employer's insights, and hide the names and photos of people who commented.

Mistakes to avoid

• Posting the same video, size and caption on every platform without adapting it.
• Talking about followers and likes with no link to what the organisation actually wanted.
• Arguing with or deleting honest complaints, or asking customers for account details in public comments.
• Using trending sounds, memes or photos without checking the rights, the meaning or whether they fit the brand and culture.
• Sharing news, screenshots or rumours before checking they are true.
• Buying followers, or presenting someone else's viral post as your own work.

Quick check

5 questions. Answer each one to see the explanation.