These days, it seems like everyone has some sort of social media presence. From the personal to the professional, the desire, or need, to be visible online makes social media essential.
For many of us, handling our social media accounts is easy. We simply log on and dive in.
But for others, especially those responsible for companies and brands, the decision to engage on social media platforms can be more complex. Some decide to use a dedicated social media manager. Read on to find out if you should join them.
What does a social media manager do?
Social media managers lead the representation of brands, companies, or people on social media platforms. They dictate the broad social media strategy which involves:
- setting goals
- creating, or supervising the creation of campaigns and content
- laying out rules for responding to comments
- deciding on a “tone of voice” which represents the brand consistently with other marketing channels
The best managers have an array of hard and soft skills which range from corporate PR and media management to data analysis and statistics. These people command premium fees given their responsibility in projecting the public face of a brand or company across social media channels.
The work and responsibilities detailed above cost time and money. Fortunately, social media platforms and custom software can help businesses find out if the costs involved are justified.
Social media experts use various tools to help monitor key performance indicators (KPIs). These help track things like increasing engagement by a set amount, reporting on conversions, growing an audience, brand reach and recognition, public sentiment, etc…
Using tools, interpreting the data, and reporting regularly help make sure that the company, brand, or person’s social media efforts fulfil the goals set within their custom strategy. That way, the client can be sure they are getting a return on their investment.
What to do if you have a limited budget and still want to use an expert
For many companies and brands with budgets and reputations to protect, the costs associated with employing a full-time social media manager may be worth it.
But for others, especially those on modest budgets, the outlay may not be possible. Fortunately, many social media managers work as freelancers, which limits extra overheads.
Often, they are willing to help with projects on a piecemeal basis. For example, clients can retain experts to simply help craft a social media strategy, set up and optimise social media accounts, advise on appropriate KPIs etc. It does not have to be all or nothing.
For those thinking about setting up a presence on social media channels like Twitter or Facebook, a key thing to bear in mind is that they must be constantly maintained.
Setting up accounts and running them daily are very different things. Users can see if an account is dormant or when owners fail to respond quickly or properly, damaging the owner’s reputation. This means that, for many, the cost of getting expert help is worth it.
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