The following is an excerpt from my new book ‘51 Ways to Help Your Social Media Manager Crush It!’, which debuted on Amazon in its category in April. The advice works, too, for business owners who manage their own social media, not just for companies that outsource their social media program to a social media manager.
Before we go any further, you need to ask yourself: What do you really think about social media?
If you think it’s stupid, a phase, something you have to do because you’re competitors are doing it, etc., then you need to change your attitude, research some social media statistics, and read some blogs or books before hiring a social media manager.
Start with ‘Marketing is Not a Department’ on Emyth. Social media isn’t your personal soapbox, and until you believe that, you need to put your social media on hold.
Here are four tips for amplifying your social media efforts and getting more out of your strategy.
Create more events
Events are social media gold. And an event doesn’t have to be some big, extravagant, expensive endeavor. An employee’s birthday, a business milestone or a special offer are all event-status worthy.
All of these occasions give your social media manager content leading up to the event, the day of the event and a wrap-up post event. That’s a lot of content. Plus, events naturally create excitement among your fan base because they’re a special occasion.
Convince & Convert shares ‘7 Ways to Use Social Media to Create Buzz- Worthy Events’ to show you how social media can be used to expand the reach of your events and extend the event’s relevance.
Let go of a traditional marketing mindset
Should you completely abandon your print ads, radio spots, TV commercials, billboards and other advertising opportunities from the past? Mostly, unless you have the budget of Nike or Coke.
People don’t like interruption marketing tactics like these any more — they just don’t want it in their lives. Think about it: Do you fast-forward through commercials? Ignore banner ads? We are all strapped for time and only truly pay attention to what we care about in that moment.
And these old-school methods of contact are usually poorly timed. You want people to discover your business when they need it or through positive word of mouth — you can’t force your business down their throats anymore. Learn more here: ‘It’s Not 1999, Stop Using Traditional Marketing Methods.’
Set up goals and expectations from the start
If your goal is simply “more sales,” then that’s not good enough. Be concrete and specific, such as: “We want to raise revenue 10 percent in 2014; we want to increase our fanbase on Twitter 25 percent; we want to increase the number of impressions we make online by 50 percent.”
Yet, even these numbers mean you have to know and share with your social media manager your current numbers so they can help you reach your new goals.
Other expectations to establish with your social media manager should include the number of times per week to post on each network, expected response times and 10-plus other businesses, press outlets, etc. that you want to interact with on a regular basis so your media manager can be sure to network with them regularly.
Find some sample goals in ‘Social Media Goals for Small Businesses: Are You Chasing the Wrong Rabbit?’
Do not expect miracles immediately
If you think your sales are going to shoot up 1000 percent overnight, do social media managers everywhere a favor — don’t hire one. You need to keep your expectations realistic and keep your eye on the larger picture.
Having a solid, consistent,
engaging social media program isn’t about the quick wins/discounts/specials. Social media shapes the entire persona of your brand and the relationship you have with your customers and is here to stay.
The clients I’ve worked with for a year or more have enjoyed steady, consistent growth on all of their channels, and they have happier, more engaged customers. But this won’t happen overnight, and it’s about more than additional revenue.
Set realistic expectations after reading ‘How to Set Sensible Social Media Goals and Objectives.’
What are your burning social media questions? Ask below and I’ll address it in an upcoming column.
Shawndra Russell is a writer and social media educator for businesses, professionals and college students. Her latest work is 51 Ways to Help Your Social Media Manager Crush It! Contact her at shawndrarussell.com.
ON THE WEB
‘7 Ways to Use Social Media to Create Buzz- Worthy Events’
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/7-ways-to-use-so...
‘It’s Not 1999, Stop Using Traditional Marketing Methods.’
http://www.rhinopros.com/blog/stop-marketing-like-its-1999
‘Social Media Goals for Small Businesses: Are You Chasing the Wrong Rabbit?’
http://socialmediatoday.com/sasha-wasley/1837536/setting-social-media-go...
‘How to Set Sensible Social Media Goals and Objectives.’
http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/how-to-set-sensible-social-media-goals-a...