Managing social media isn’t a walk in the park. You’ve got content to create, people to respond to, and bosses to please. To make your job just a little bit smoother, we’ve described five important tasks that can help you make the most of your job description.
1. Start with a social media strategy.
An effective strategy tells you what to post where, when, and how while giving you the power to prove why social media should matter to your boss. Creating a strategy doesn’t have to be a long, convoluted process, but you do need to invest time right from the start in establishing a clear direction for your social media program. Try filling out this worksheet to organize your thoughts.
2. Set up or refresh your social media profiles.
Once you have a strategy, you’ll have identified what platforms you should be using to best reach your target audience. Create about sections that accurately tell your brand’s story while also using keywords that people would associate with the services or products you provide. Create the appropriate profile images, header photos and videos that are free from cumbersome text overlays, and visually in line with the overall look and feel of the company.
3. Create content your audience and boss wants to see.
Since you’ve already completed the strategy, you should have an editorial calendar that can give you a high-level structure for what you should be talking about when. Remember that it’s not just about the marketing messages you want to send. It’s also about providing interesting moments of joy for your followers.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
How you make people feel is a significant part of your brand’s reputation on social media.
4. Respond to people, even the haters.
We can all agree that sometimes people have serious FeELinGs when it comes to online conversations. Remember to never take it personally and always respond with authenticity and grace. Even if you can’t make them feel better about their situation, you can prove to everyone else reading the exchange that your company is simultaneously compassionate and professional.
67% of consumers used a company’s social media site for servicing.
We’ve written before about customer service on social media, so you can arm yourself with these tips.
5. Evaluate if what you’re doing is really worth it.
You’ve identified the KPIs in your social media strategy, but those numbers aren’t going to check themselves. Pop over to the Insights section of Facebook or Google Analytics on your website to make sure your goals are on target. We typically check our client’s accounts once a week and provide a report at the beginning of each month. And when you don’t hit your goals? Adjust your strategy. Keep in tune with the content your audience enjoys most and how you can continue to develop your brand’s positive relationship with them. Yes, you should measure conversion rates and impressions, but you can’t do so at the expense of the quality interactions you can have with individuals.
71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family.
Breaking your sometimes overwhelming job into these five areas can really help your day seem more manageable, especially when you have to quickly evaluate competing priorities. It can also take a toll on your mental health, but there are ways we can lift each other up:
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recently studied adults aged 18-30 and found that a direct relation to increased depression and negative social media experiences. For every 10% increase in reported negative experiences on social media, there was a 20% leap in the person’s odds of reporting depressive symptoms.
It takes an incredible amount of brilliance and bravery to create and write thousands of pieces of content per year, and put each and everyone on the internet for it to be critiqued.
Please, ask your social media manager if they’re okay. Give them the resources to succeed. Tell them you appreciate them and send them funny memes. Trust me, it can only help.
From Should you ask your social media manager if they’re okay? By Thea Neil
And ways we can lift ourselves up:
Find Time for Daily Meditation
Control Your Social Media Feeds
Monitor Your Screen Time and Set Limits
Set Self-Care Goals
Take a Social Media Break
Give Your Eyes a Break With These Podcasts to Help Your Mental Health
Ask For Help When You Need It
From 7 Mental Health Tips for Social Media Managers by Taylor Loren
Go forth with all your newfound knowledge and don’t be afraid to ask for a helping hand!
