Is It REALLY Worth Hiring A Social Media Manager?
Argh the pain in the back side that is Social Media.
Tedious, time consuming, BUT, the competition is using it and leaving you with the feeling you need to TRY and keep up.
Is it really worth hiring a social media manager or using a consultant? Let's keep things real, you appear to be surviving with the obligatory 3 posts on Facebook a week, even IF engagement is close to nothing at all. With Facebooks new algorithms killing organic reach, what else could a social media manager bring to the table?
Time is Precious
Unfortunately, as a small business owner, 3 posts a week is probably all you can manage within your time constraints, and seeing as your posts are likely to be seen by (if you're lucky) only 6% of your fans, you'll need all the engagement you can get!
This is where an experienced and knowledgeable social media manager can be invaluable.
Not only can he or she manage multiple social media accounts, they can also keep a close eye on your competition, engage with potential customers and hopefully create new leads for your business.
Let's face it, it all comes down to our main aim which is to create leads and a strong online brand presence and the honest truth is, this takes time, time which you most likely don't have.
Content Ingredients
The majority of experienced social media managers will use your accounts NOT just to push and promote your products and services, BUT to post on topics relevant to your business niche.
Honestly, there is nothing worse than over promotional Facebook posts, and nothing and I mean nothing, will make me unfollow somebody faster!
An experienced and knowledgeable social media manager will use a balanced approach, where they will divide sales/promotional activities with content that holds real VALUE! This in turn will increase your following not to mention your engagement.
Conversions aka Sales
An experienced social media manager not only manages content, but will help in identifying potential sales and opportunities.
Let's say for example, you are a furniture store looking to increase your client base, just by typing in 'I hate flat pack furniture London,' will generate a list of leads from frustrated people having issues with flat pack furniture, missing screws etc. A good social media manager can and will engage with these individuals and provide these potential leads with solutions.
Let's not forget that by simply monitoring your competitions followers and engaging with them, you have an absolute chance of converting them into a loyal customer. An experienced social media manager will know exactly how to create lists for your target audience to engage with them on a daily basis.
Business Development
Don't be shocked to find that social media managers have a plethora of skills from sales, PR, SEO, to PPC and website design.
Business development and social media also go hand in hand and every opportunity can be taken to develop partnerships and target potential distributors in your niche.
A recent client, for whom I consulted on strategy, managed to increase their online presence, engagement and reach 10 fold and even managed to get featured in blogger posts with backlinks. Let's be honest which business WOULDN'T want to increase their google visibility?
Blogging
Let's be honest many of you hate it, it's an actual fact that Google absolutely HATES static websites. Yes, it can take up a small chunk of your day but to start with, you only really need to be posting once or twice a week, and to sweeten the deal each of your posts can be UNDER 500 words. And not necessarily like the 832 words this blog has been. Thanks for making it this far by the way. Oh no the word count just went up by 22 words :( Sorry!
Recently, having written the copy for a blog post for a client, we saw that this blog post itself was the SOLE reason their traffic increased so dramatically, and even doubled their preferred London audience.
When it comes to content, lists are always very popular. If you were say for instance a dating agency, short and concise posts such as 'The 3 most romantic bars in London' or 'The 3 best first date outfits' are catchy and yet simple.
Many, in fact too many small business owners see social media as something we do to keep an online presence, and not as a valuable sales tool. Don't forget IT IS A TOOL.
So really what it comes down to is if you find it hard to dedicate the bare minimum of 20 hours per month to engage with potential customers, create new and exciting blog content and search out potential partnerships and PR opportunities, it REALLY is worthwhile looking to get some additional help. Even if it's just to help you find your footing and make things a little more efficient to begin with.
