I know you’re busy. You’ve got to make sales, take care of customers, and keep the operations up and running. …and that’s just on a normal day. So why would you want to add the hassle of managing social media on top of all that?
Because it works. Social media helps you reach a wider audience, engage your customer base and grow your business by simply giving people what they want: great content.
But it can be tough to know where to start when creating a social media strategy for your small business. That’s why I’ve created this guide for you!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Learn strategies to ease social media management concerns. |
| 2. Develop a proactive approach to handling online presence. |
| 3. Implement time-saving techniques for effective management. |
| 4. Gain insights into reducing stress while handling accounts. |
| 5. Establish a robust team for efficient social media handling. |
| 6. Explore methods to optimize and streamline content creation. |
| 7. Discover tools to enhance social media engagement and reach. |
| 8. Overcome challenges and build a strong online reputation. |
| 9. Improve productivity through efficient management strategies. |
| 10. Master the art of responding to feedback and interactions. |
1. Take The Social Media Plunge
You don’t have to be a social media expert to manage your brand on social media. You just need to know how it works.
Social media is a great way for business owners and marketers to connect with their customers and potential customers, learn about them, share their brand’s story, and share their products/services with them in an authentic manner.
It’s easy for anyone who wants it badly enough!
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, forming a capable team is crucial. Discover the essential steps to starting a successful social media team and ensure your online presence thrives.
2. Set Goals
You can’t stop worrying if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. When it comes to setting goals, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Be measurable. What exactly do you want your business to look like? What will be different? How will people know when they are there?
Be achievable. The difference between success and failure is often as simple as one step or one conversation, so ensure that your goals are within reach by setting them at a level where success is not only possible but probable.
You need a plan so that when things go awry (and they will), there is something concrete you can work with instead of getting stuck in an endless cycle of worry over how much everything sucks all the time.
Relevant & timely. As tempting as it may be, next month’s target isn’t going anywhere; neither are those quarterly numbers from February!
Set goals that matter now – this week even – so that progress can be made immediately and there’s less time spent beating yourself up over missed targets than moving forward towards new ones
3. Choose Your Channels
Think about the channels your audience uses. Chances are, you already know which ones they’re on, so don’t feel like you have to do a ton of research here.
Also, think about how relevant each platform is for your business and your marketing goals. If you want to reach new customers, it might make sense for you to start building an Instagram presence because Instagram has more young users than Facebook does.
If the majority of your customer base is older than 50 years old, however, then maybe Facebook is still the best option for connecting with them (unless they’ve been using Snapchat or Instagram Stories since way back when).
Finally, consider what platforms will be most relevant once we get into some actual strategies later in this guide it’s possible that one platform could be perfect for promoting one set of products.
While another could work well as part of a larger campaign targeting an entirely different audience segment!
4. Get To Know Your Audience
There are many ways to learn about your audience, but the first thing you should do is create a persona. A persona is a representation of your ideal customer and should be based on research and analysis.
You can use this information to figure out how they tick. Once you have an understanding of who they are, it will be easier for you to speak their language and connect with them in a meaningful way.
After creating a persona, do some research on how others are speaking to these people online (within your industry). If possible, get feedback from real users by conducting interviews or surveys.
The more context both quantitative and qualitative that you have about the people using social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, the better equipped you will be when it comes time for managing those channels effectively!
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5. Choose A Social Media Management Tool
The first step to managing social media is choosing the right tool. There are many options, but you should look for one that:
- Is easy to use
- Is affordable
- Is scalable with your business needs (this means it can grow with you as your company expands)
- Have customizable features and tools built in so that you don’t have to rely on third-party apps or plug-ins if they aren’t necessary?
For example, it’s better to have Slack integrated into your platform than to have to go outside of the system for non-integrated communication tools such as Google Hangouts or Skype calls.
The same goes for customer relationship management (CRM) software if there is an option for integrating them into your social media management tool then go for it! For example, Hootsuite integrates with Salesforce CRM software.
It’s a great feature, especially when running multiple accounts at once because now everything stays neatly organized within one platform rather than scattered across different apps which could lead someone on staff to get confused while trying to reach out via Twitter instead of LinkedIn etc…
6. Customize Your Profiles
The Profile Name And Profile URL
Your brand is a person, and it needs a name to help people remember you. Your username should reflect your brand’s name or at least be catchy enough that people will remember it. You can also use this opportunity to have fun with it, after all, social media is supposed to be fun!
For example, if my website was called “The Social Media Management Blog,” I could use “thesocialmediamanagementblog” as my username and “thesocialmediamanagementblog” as my URL (website address).
That would make both easy for people to remember and also let me promote my site through social media whenever possible.
Effective social media management doesn’t have to break the bank. Learn the art of saving money with social media management services while still maintaining a strong online presence for your business.
7. Get The Measurements Right
Don’t focus on vanity metrics.
It’s easy to get stuck in a “what if I don’t have x followers, y likes, or z retweets” mindset but you shouldn’t be measuring success by those metrics alone.
Followers are fickle, especially when you’re starting and haven’t built up an audience that trusts and beliefs in what you’re doing yet.
Likes aren’t worth anything either (unless they’re from real people who are engaged with your content). And retweets? Well, they don’t necessarily translate into sales or subscribers anyway.
Focus instead on getting the right kind of engagement the kind where people communicate with each other as well as they communicate with you. Get creative with your social media campaigns; don’t be afraid to experiment!
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help When Needed
There will come times when social media management seems like too big of a job for one person or team alone and those times exist because people are constantly evolving their own needs for content creation.
And distribution online today, which keeps changing how companies need their businesses represented online too (whether it’s through traditional channels like print magazines, television shows, or radio stations).
If something doesn’t seem right about how things are going then ask someone else for advice before taking matters into your own hands because even though it might make sense now later down the line.
There could be repercussions from making decisions based solely upon intuition rather than taking another perspective into account first before making any final decisions yourself
9. Grab Your URL
A URL is a web address, the bit of code that turns your web domain into an address you can share. It’s important to have your URL because it means that you’re able to control the branding around your social media accounts and get more attention from search engines.
To find out what your URL is, go to https://www.websitebaker.com/ and log in using Facebook or Google as your identity provider (the part of the website that verifies who you are).
Once you’ve logged in with one of these services, click on “My URLs” at the top right-hand side of the screen so that you can view all of your Facebook or Google+ profiles or pages respectively. You should see something like this:
If you don’t already have an account set up at WebsiteBaker then create one now!
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10. Create A Social Media Calendar
Social media is all about numbers. The higher your follower count and engagement levels, the better your chances of getting a return on your investment (ROI). But social media can also be a real-time suck when you’re trying to keep up with all of your accounts.
So here’s what you should do: create a social media calendar. This will help you set aside time specifically for managing each platform and ensure that none of them fall by the wayside. There are two main methods for creating your calendar:
- Manually scheduling posts in advance (e.g., once per week)
- Using an automated scheduler that helps automate posting across multiple platforms
11. Post-Great Content
Posting great content is the most important task for any social media manager. When you post good stuff, you promote your brand and increase its value.
Posting great content is about quality, not quantity. If it’s not useful or interesting to your audience then it’s not helping anyone and no one will read it to engage with the post or share it with friends and family.
Instead, get creative at finding ways that your company can provide value through the things you do on social media (not just what you say).
Posting great content is about being helpful, not salesy: Part of doing this means being willing to give away information for free!
For example, if someone asks a question about how much traffic an event will bring in return for their purchase tickets then instead of telling them how many tickets they need consider giving them answers based on what other events have done well before without needing money from them upfront (and trust me when I say that people love free stuff).
Posting great content is about being relevant rather than self-promotional: If all of those posts were only talking about one thing such as promoting new services offered by an agency then soon enough those posts might turn off some potential clients.
Because they feel like they’re being spammed every day with messages which could potentially be considered spammy even though they weren’t intended that way at all.
So instead try posting more variety such as tips/tricks; ideas; news articles related specifically within industry experience etc., etc.,
12. Know When To Post — And Schedule It In Advance!
When to post:
Post at the right time. You’ll be able to post more often if you schedule your content in advance, so make sure to take these factors into account when deciding which times are best for your audience.
For example, if you have an online business that relies on traffic from shoppers checking their phones while browsing through stores, then posting during lunch breaks or after work may be better than posting at midnight or 2 AM (when most people are asleep).
Similarly, if you’re targeting marketers who run their businesses and need time with their families over weekends and holidays like me then posting every day might not work as well as posting once or twice per week.
Post at the right frequency. The ideal amount of content depends on what kind of person follows your page: some people want daily updates while others prefer less frequent but higher quality posts.
A good rule of thumb is never more than once per day unless it’s a special occasion like Christmas Eve or Halloween (in which case maybe don’t worry about being too repetitive).
Post at the right cadence: If possible try not to overdo it! It can get pretty annoying when someone constantly shares new posts every five minutes;
Remember that social media outlets were created so people could communicate with each other in real-time like they would over text messages not necessarily having everything broadcast out onto all feeds indiscriminately without regard for relevance among friends groups/audience members
13. Listen, Listen, Listen!
Listening is one of the most important things you can do. It’s also one of the least practiced skills in business today. But listen, listen, listen!
Listen to your audience. What are they saying? Are they happy? Are they angry? Do they like what you’re doing? How can you make their experience better?
Listen to your competitors. What are they doing well (or not so well)? How can you emulate that success or avoid making their mistakes yourself?
Listen to your employees and partners about what messages they get from talking with customers daily; how this impact how we should be interacting with them as an organization;
At what point does customer service become marketing or product development; what challenges do we face when trying to get our message across effectively across multiple channels…etcetera etcetera etcetera (the list goes on).
14. Find Influencers And Engage With Them
Influencer marketing is a great way to grow your audience and get more followers. The influencers will often share your content with their followers, which can help you increase brand awareness and reputation.
To make the most of this strategy, you must find influencers in your niche who are relevant to your brand.
Then engage with them don’t just spam them with links! One great way to do this is by sharing their posts on Twitter or LinkedIn (if they’re active on those platforms).
Another option would be sending them an email asking if they’d be interested in reviewing one of your products or services.
15. Respond, Don’t React
This is by far the most important tip of all. Too many small business owners let their emotions get the best of them and end up saying something they regret on social media. By responding, you are taking control of your content and putting your best foot forward as an industry expert.
If a negative comment comes in, take some time to think about whether or not you should respond at all if it’s not necessary for business purposes, then don’t reply! You’ll likely just make things worse for yourself (and possibly even come across as defensive).
On the other hand, if a positive comment comes in from one of your fans/customers/supporters/people who happen to like what you sell/people who want to be more likable than they already are…
Respond! Make sure that everyone knows how much their words mean to you! And finally: never respond with anger or hostility when someone has been rude towards you online—it will only make things worse
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16. Don’t Make It All About You, Your Brand Or Your Products/Services!
Social media is a conversation, not a one-way broadcast.
Social media is also not just about you and your brand, as tempting as it may be to think so. It’s about engaging with people who are going to help you build your community by sharing content, spreading the message, and becoming evangelists for your business or cause.
17. Encourage Conversations And Respond To Comments
Respond to comments and questions on your social media platforms. This is a great way to get engaged with your audience, and it also serves as a reminder that people are looking at what you post.
However, don’t respond too much! Only respond if the comment/question is relevant to your business or brand.
For example: If someone asks about a particular product or service, this is something that deserves an answer from either you or one of your team members (if possible).
Or if someone has some feedback about something they saw on Facebook, this could also be worth addressing in some form.
On the flip side – don’t waste time responding to spammy comments or irrelevant ones where there’s no real value in engaging with them at all (e.g., “this website sucks”).
18. Do Customer Service — On Social Media?
Does customer service include social media?
Absolutely! Social media is a great way to engage with customers and resolve issues. For example:
Respond to comments on your website or social media. Responding to comments can help you build trust with your audience, which will make them more likely to do business with you in the future.
It also shows that you take their feedback seriously and care about their experience as a customer of yours.
Use social media as a support channel for customers who have questions or problems they need help solving. This can be done through either direct messages or public posts/comments on your page(s).
If you’re selling physical products, we recommend using Twitter because it allows photos, videos, and links so users can see exactly what they’re looking at before buying anything from someone new (iTunes doesn’t allow these features).
However, if there are any concerns around privacy then Facebook might work better.
Instead, since there aren’t any photos shown publicly unless someone chooses that option themselves when posting something rather than privately messaging another person directly within Facebook Messenger itself.”
Conclusion
So there you have it — 33 ways to stop worrying about social media and start managing it. Social media can help your business grow beyond your wildest expectations…
But only if you use it properly! So keep the above tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to social media success.
Further Reading
Crafting a Comprehensive Social Media Strategy: Discover how to create an effective social media strategy in just 18 minutes with this insightful guide from Hootsuite.
Achieving Social Media Independence: Explore the best ways to gradually reduce your dependence on social media while maintaining your online presence, as explained by Sidekick.
Insights into Social Media Management: Gain valuable insights into the world of social media management and learn strategies to enhance your online engagement, courtesy of Sprout Social.
FAQs
How can I effectively plan my social media strategy in a short time?
Crafting a solid social media strategy doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Check out the guide on Crafting a Comprehensive Social Media Strategy for tips on creating an effective plan in just 18 minutes.
What are some ways to reduce dependence on social media without disconnecting completely?
If you’re looking to step back from social media without completely disconnecting, Achieving Social Media Independence offers valuable insights and strategies to gradually reduce your online presence.
How can I enhance my social media engagement and management?
To enhance your social media engagement and management, dive into the Insights into Social Media Management provided by Sprout Social. Discover strategies to streamline your efforts and connect more effectively with your audience.
What are some recommended techniques to get off social media?
Find effective techniques and strategies to distance yourself from social media while maintaining an online presence in the guide on Achieving Social Media Independence by Sidekick.
How can I optimize my time spent on social media management?
Learn how to effectively manage your time while handling social media tasks by referring to the guide on Crafting a Comprehensive Social Media Strategy by Hootsuite. It provides valuable insights into time optimization and strategy planning.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.