- Social media managers handle all tasks related to a company's social media channels. Duties may include posting, moderating comments and creating ads.
- Businesses that lack the time or skills to connect with their customer base on social media should find a dedicated social media manager.
- Social media managers can build brand awareness and be an integral part of your marketing team.
Benefits of hiring a social media manager
A social media manager is responsible for handling your company's social media channels. According to Mediabistro, social media managers monitor all company pages. They choose engaging content, monitor comments, and leverage partnerships with other brands, keeping pages active and users engaged with the brand. The social media manager may be in charge of multiple accounts across different platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat.
Social media managers are also typically in charge of any digital ad campaigns a company runs on social media sites. They can run social media campaigns and track analytics and responses to campaigns.
Before we can understand the signs that you need to hire a social media manager, we need to talk about their role in the marketing space. Essentially, a social media manager keeps your company's social media accounts up to date and keeps tabs on emerging social trends. They can do this by posting new content that's relevant to your audience, managing your social media campaigns, and being your social presence online if there is a customer who wants to praise your business, has questions or had a bad experience.
But when should you hire a social media manager? Let's look at some of the top signs you need to rethink your marketing strategy and get a manager for all of your social accounts.
1. You're not social media savvy.
To be successful at something, you must understand it. Social media is no exception. If you want to be a proficient marketer, you must understand the platforms your audience use, why they use that platform, and how you can connect with them on their network of choice.
For example, if you're not aware that there is a 242% difference between the open rate of a marketing message on Facebook and a traditional email, perhaps it's time to put someone in charge of your social media platforms who is paid to understand issues such as this. Once they are on board, they can implement a seamless chatbot to help your customers communicate their concerns and market your product to your audience.
2. You're stretched too thin.
Owning a business requires a ton of time and work. As your business grows, there's a good chance you won't have the time to manage all of your social media plugins and accounts. In many cases, this is a better task for someone who can handle it on a full-time basis. If you're already putting in 40-plus hours a week, you can't spend an additional 30 hours per week on your social media pages.
Hiring someone to take care of your social accounts full time can help you in a number of ways. Facebook Messenger has a "very responsive to messages" badge for businesses that respond to at least 90% of their messages in 15 minutes or less. Every second counts. If you're not ready for automated chatbots, you'll need someone there to address customers' concerns and deal with their issues in real time.
3. You're not hitting your targets.
Part of creating a marketing plan is figuring out how many people you want to convert, how many new followers you want to gain, and how you're going to advance your campaigns. Through all of this, you may discover that you’re not reaching all the targets you had hoped to hit.
It might be time to pull in a social media manager to help you with at least one aspect of your goals. They can work on gaining the new followers and growing the social media arm of your campaign. This will free you up to pour more resources into other marketing outlets to achieve your desired results through analytic research.
4. You're doing social media work last.
Most business owners have a schedule they follow every day. If you find that, day after day, you're more worried about getting better plugins for your site, how your email marketing campaign is doing, and how your next product brainstorming session is going to turn out than your social media presence, maybe you're just not interested in handling that aspect of the business.
A social media manager can change that for you They can take the burden of managing your social accounts off your shoulders, freeing you up to think about the things you tend to prioritize.
So, let's say you've decided that you would benefit from a social media manager. You're probably wondering what traits you should look for when it comes time to hire. Pick someone who is organized, has experience (and can show you evidence and references for it), loves research and understands the importance of analytics.
Once you've found someone who meets these criteria and hire them, you can step back and manage your business as an owner instead of a social media marketer, and sometimes that makes all the difference. Now you'll be able to build a website with social proof and a knowledgeable media expert at your side.