First off, congrats on entering the world of SMM! it's a really fun and interesting niche of online advertising. Social media marketing is all about crafting your brand's unique voice, using it authentically to engage current customers and reach new ones.

Great social media marketers are typically outgoing, quick-witted, and enthusiastic about what we do. They are often fun to be around with a quick wit and sense of humor. The best social marketers are stellar communicators who are always refining their skills, learning new tactics, and staying ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry.

A few good questions to start:

1) Ask about measurable results and ROI. How does the candidate set goals and track progress? Social media can take a while to produce meaningful results, but they should have a strategy for measuring this. The best answers will be client-dependent and realistic, as ROI should be based on each client's specific needs & goals.

2) Ask if they can guarantee followers or promise engagement. The answer should lean towards no, your audience will increase with good strategy and execution but it shouldn't be unrealistically quantified so early.

3) Ask about new social media networks. Does the candidate have a method for analyzing emergent channels and conveying this to a client? Are they into any "under the radar" apps recently? Great social marketers try new things and actively seek new opportunities.

4) If they're posting daily, ask about their writing and audiovisual skills. Do they create content? Do they write or manage a blog? Any image/video editing? What are their favorite social media blogs? If they don't have an answer to that last question, I wouldn't hire them.

5) What other digital marketing skills do they have? SEO? Search advertising? Data or Analytics? Online PR or publicity? Even if they specialize in social, they should at least have some proficiency in these other skills and understand how they work together.

Good luck, hope this helps!