If you’re a business owner today, two things are probably true for you:
- You need to be on social media.
- You don’t have the time, bandwidth, or know-how to manage your own social media.
This needs vs. realities scenario is a common dilemma for many business owners. On the one hand, they know they need to have a presence on social media to share their offerings and remain competitive. On the other, they have so much going on in terms of day-to-day operations that they often don’t have the time to carve out a few hours a week for social media strategy and implementation.
Fortunately, that’s where a dedicated social media manager can be a saving grace.
Why You Need a Social Media Manager
As mentioned above, social media is an essential tool these days. Businesses can use it to promote their services, stand out from the crowd, and reach a wider audience. And, with a talented social media manager in the mix, organizations can better position themselves online and achieve new growth goals.
Hiring a social media manager can make all the difference between subsisting and thriving online. With the right social media manager in place, businesses can stick to consistent posting cadences and aesthetics, create clear brand messaging, track performance and analytics, and generate measurable ROI. Just like websites and newsletters, social media is a powerful digital tool that can be used to reach and engage with a consumer audience; it just requires an individual who’s well-versed in the ever-changing tools of the trade to manage it.
How to Use a Social Media Manager
For businesses, a social media manager can oversee several objectives, including:
- Content creation
- Analytics assessment and reporting
- Paid posting
- Profile audits
- Competitor analysis
- Community engagement
- Lead acquisition
While all of these likely sound attractive, the key for businesses getting started with social media is to pick two to three of these goals and set clear, measurable objectives. It’s not enough to say, “I want to grow our follower count.” More important is the why behind the statement. As an entrepreneur, figuring out why you want to grow follower count (to reach new customers? to work with influencers? to have stronger social media talking points for brand decks?) is step one. From there, a social media manager can figure out not only how to grow followers, but also how to directly target the end goal.
If the overall goal is to reach new customers, for instance, perhaps the manager focuses more on community engagement and new angles for content. If working with influencers is a priority, the manager can help to identify lower-tier accounts that could serve as natural collaboration efforts before working up to individuals with larger follower counts. The point is that there are so many ways to use social media. And, with S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) goals tied to social media usage in place, businesses can work effectively with social media managers to find new avenues for success in both the immediate future and the long run.
Interested in social media management for your business? Contact our experts at newbusiness@todaymediacustom.com.
