The days of the intern handling the social media side of the business are gone or need to be gone if you’re still walking down that avenue.
If you think that Facebook is all about sharing photos of family vacations and your best friend’s wedding, consider this, there are over three million businesses actively advertising on Facebook alone.
Here are more fun facts; in 2021, 93% of marketers worldwide used social media to advertise and connect. In 2022 92% of marketers working for companies with at least 100 employees will be jumping on the social media train.
Those are some huge percentages. If you’re still thinking that social media is all likes and dance moves, you’re missing out on marketing possibilities. Suppose you’re giving social media a side-eye and letting your intern run the show. You’re shooting your business in the foot. Social media is a serious venue for revenue, and it’s time you got the most out of it.
Social Media Changes
The days of the intern handling the social media side of the business are gone or need to be gone if you’re still walking down that avenue. There have been changes to social media that have upped the game. For example,
Facebook introduced an algorithm update that Mark Zuckerberg said would suppress the brand’s content in the news feed.
Twitter announced it would no longer allow the same content to be posted on multiple accounts.
You need to stay on top of these changes, or you risk losing your exposure on social media. This takes a dedicated eye and someone who knows what these changes mean. And, most importantly, how to keep your brand successful on social media channels.
It’s OK to have someone in the company keep an eye on social media while they do other tasks within the business; however, to get your full money, time, and exposure value from social media, you need a manager who puts all their time, energy and resources into making sure your social media accounts are maintained, fed and hitting the marks they need to.
You need a social media manager. Simple as that. Here’s why.
You Need to be On Top Of Change
It is important to stay on top of social media, especially in business, because it puts a face and personality to your company. Social media is more than just influencers and trends. It is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy to keep up with your competitors and to stay relevant. Social platforms can help you not only connect with your customers and get to know them better but create awareness and longevity for your brand.Quote:
Macy Marshburn, Social Media Director, ThoughtLab
Algorithms constantly change on social media sites. These changes can affect what can and cannot be posted, how things can be posted and how you advertise.
A social media manager is also aware of the possibilities presented by new social media platforms, and they can tell which ones are not worth the company’s time, attention, or resources. Conversely, a social media manager knows which trends are strong and which waves to ride for success.
Your manager will also be aware of trends that occur within social media sites. Back in 2020, reels and shops went live on Instagram, and that was a wave that any future-minded business and social media manager should have jumped on. If your business didn’t, think social media manager.
Engagement
It’s easy to forget that social media is a two-way conversation between your business and your customers. This means that you must engage on your chosen social media platforms constantly.
Because you post on social media on your computer or phone, it’s easy to forget that you’re starting a conversation. Social media, despite its possibility for anonymity, is not a set-it-and-forget-it format. That mindset can be detrimental to your business and brand.
A social media manager will monitor your brand’s pages and keep engagement with potential customers active and current. They will connect posts and thoughts and ask the public what they want to see from the brand, thus keeping the communications channels open and active.
Random postings by anyone in your business can cause a disconnect and damage a brand’s reputation. Organized, connected and engaged activity on social media is what a manager does and what keeps your brand active and engaged.
Also, a social media manager will respond to positive or negative feedback and adjust the conversation accordingly. This will make customers feel heard and important, which they are. All of this engagement is too important to be handled by a random worker and needs to be under the auspices of a social media manager.
Protect and Serve
That sounds like the motto for most police officers, and that makes sense. A social media manager will police your pages and keep things in order. They will also do whatever is necessary to serve the brand’s public.
If we’ve learned anything from the Musk takeover of Twitter, it’s that given a chance, fake accounts and negative information are always at the ready. A social media manager is looking for anything that can impact the business or brand.
They also understand the ins and outs of the sites and know how to interact with messages, reviews, and negative comments in a way that will not incite anger or get them kicked off the platform. There is a delicate game afoot here, allowing freedom of expression while safeguarding the brand.
A social media manager will have a voice suitable for all platforms and tweak that voice to stand out from all the noise.
A wise and seasoned social media manager will respond to comments promptly and solve problems for current and future customers. They will also represent the brand in a way that will make people respect the way the brand handles itself in the face of negative comments—serving the customer and protecting the brand.
“A large social-media presence is important because it’s one of the last ways to conduct cost-effective marketing. Everything else involves buying eyeballs and ears. Social media enables a small business to earn eyeballs and ears.”Quote:
Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist, Canva
Statista's September 2020 survey fielded in the United States found that 51% of respondents cited social media as a purchasing influence. Social media advertising spending in the US was estimated at 40.3 billion dollars. 29% of those surveyed said they purchased on the same day as using social media.
This is a rich market, and a social media manager will expand your reach within that market. Your manager will also recognize that those purchasers are ambassadors for your brand. They will foster trust and recognition and grow your audience.
As your audience grows, so does the credibility of your brand.
A wider audience allows you to have an easier time partnering with other brands and spreading the word about new changes in your brand, and as the audience grows, so will your revenue.
Stats
By watching stats, your social media manager can keep your brand agile. They can switch accounts, content, and creatives and even change campaign objectives if stats point in that direction.
A social media manager is a dedicated eye on all the comings and goings on your social media platforms, and they will know when a particular tactic is fatigued or if a direction needs to be adjusted.
Best of all, they will have all this information documented for you. This way to know,
- What’s been done that month
- How it compares to past campaigns and months
- What is the next step
Sometimes a campaign can be a smashing success, which is excellent; however, a savvy social media manager will know how to capitalize on that success and keep the campaign going or even adjust it to have a longer life.
None of this is possible if you don’t have a dedicated person or persons covering your social media accounts, content, and direction.
That’s a few good reasons why you need a social media manager, but there are many more.
ThoughtLab Can Get You Socialized
As you can see, a social media manager is vital to your business and brand. It takes dedication, time, savvy, and an understanding of all the social media site rules and language. This job is not to be passed on to anyone available for the day.
If you don’t have the time or the personnel to dedicate to this task, contact ThoughtLab. We have social media insight, skills, and a comprehensive understanding of how to get a solid social media campaign started and productive.
As we’ve stated, this isn’t an area that can be taken lightly. If you do so, you’re missing opportunities to reach further, connect more, engage meaningfully, and ultimately expand your brand's reach and increase revenue.
Don’t trust your social media to the guy who gets sandwiches; it’s serious business and needs a serious manager. Talk to ThoughtLab for a free consultation and a better direction for your social media marketing.