Jamie Teasdale
Many small business owners, especially those just getting started with social media management, envision the process as simply posting fun stuff to Facebook and Twitter. Although this works well for your personal accounts, managing social media for a business requires an entirely different process.
One of the first things social media managers and/or business owners must determine for their social media management is a solid plan. This plan should basically include the type of content they plan on posting and how often they should post it.
Always (and often) sharing “fluff” on a business social media platforms is rarely a smart strategy. As well, when your business is using social media as a way of attracting potential clients for your business, relevant content from your industry is essential.
Once social media managers have their social media content and posting strategy in place, they must realize their job doesn’t end there: successful social media management involves so much more.
Knowing and understanding how social media management activities will help your business stand out from your competitors – and adds value for your audience.
Here are suggestions for social media management beyond publication:
Engaging
Doesn’t it make you feel like people are “listening” to you when they “Like” your Facebook status or “retweet” one of your posts on Twitter? Almost everyone likes that feeling, right? The concept for business social media management is similar. Whether your business posts on its social media platforms as your logo or as your headshot, engaging as a “human” makes a huge difference to your audience.
Saying “thank you,” when others share or retweet your posts is a common practice for business accounts. You can take this a step further, and maybe even spark a conversation, by adding an extra comment, or asking a question. Engaging with your audience is a way of showing your business’ human side and building relationships.
Responding to inquiries and/or complaints
Gerry Moran shares shocking stats in a recent article, “Listen Up. Your Customers Are Complaining on Social Media.” This information should certainly serves as a “wake up call” for listening and responding in a timely manner:
79% of your customers who complain on social media do so in hope that their friends see their dissatisfaction with your brand, reports Edison Research.
Edison Research reports 42 percent of consumers complaining in social media expect a 60-minute response time. Then, eMarketer states 70 percent of brands respond to complaining customers (in social media) within 24 hours. {See the gap there?}
71 percent of consumers receiving a quick brand response on social media would likely recommend that brand to others, compared to 19 percent of customers who received no response, finds NM Incite.
As you can see, listening and responding as part of a successful social media management plan is critical. Find a system, such as a social media dashboard, that allows you to monitor your “mentions” or other conversations about you on social media. Popular dashboards for businesses include HootSuite, Sprout Social, and Sendible. You can use these dashboards scheduling posts and real time posting. More importantly, you can see immediately when people reply or respond to your posts. Getting these notifications creates a perfect opportunity for you to immediately engage people in conversations by commenting or answering their queries.
Providing the most up-to-date information
Sharing a blend of relevant and valuable content with your audience is an important part of effective social media management. However, providing your audience with content that current is even more important. People may perceive brands and businesses that share up-to-date information as more reliable and trustworthy than those who do not. You can use tools for easily discovering current and relevant content with sites such as Scoop.it, Feedly, and Alltop.
When to consider outsourcing as a strategy
Without a doubt, doing social media management “well” requires a lot of time and patience. It also requires consistency. And I did not even get into measuring, testing, and reporting in this article. So, as you can see, effective social media management is so much more than just posting on Facebook and Twitter.
Many busy business owners are discovering how outsourcing their social media management is helping them significantly – from brand exposure to ROI, and everything in between. Finding a social media professional or agency you trust to handle your social media operations can be a life-saver. A reputable social media manager will spend the time needed for posting and engaging on social media. Outsourcing your social media gives you back the time you need for handling the other important aspects of your business.
Do you see the difference between simply posting on social media versus having a complete social media strategy for your business? I’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave a comment below.
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