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Social Media Management Misunderstood: What it Takes to Actually Win on Social
Social Media Managers don’t just 'play online all day’. It would be great to comment on a couple posts, share a thread and have a good laugh, if only that was all we did. Unfortunately (or fortunately), our role is a lot more strategic—and critical—than most people realize.
Social Media Management is perhaps one of the most misunderstood jobs out there. It’s easy for people to think that all you do is post a couple of selfies and spend the rest of the day chatting with friends but that’s far from the truth. In reality, managing social accounts for clients is a challenge—especially when there are multiple. Social Media Management requires time, knowledge and expertise in order to succeed. So, let’s clear up a few misconceptions and uncover what it really takes to build a brand online.
What Social Media Managers Actually Do
So, you’re wondering what we Social Media Managers actually do? The job description is ever changing to keep up with the times. What we can say for certain is that we’re an integral part of the marketing team that manages a brand’s online community as well as balancing a multitude of channels each with its own tone of voice. There are some very key responsibilities that we need to keep on top of on just a day-to-day basis:
Review Scheduled Social Media Content
We’ve got to ensure all content for the day has been reviewed, finalized, and is ready for posting on each platform.
Community & Engagement Management
We take the time to interact with our community; answer questions, reply to comments, and check on the health of the conversation as well as ongoing content optimization. If we’re just posting what we like as a business, that's not going to draw engagement. We have to be focused on what other people want to see on social media itself, and optimizing around that.
Analytics Check
Reviewing performance based on published posts and campaigns helps us decide if there's a need for any changes or improvements.
Schedule Content
We’re always working ahead with content on our calendar; approving or editing posts for the following week and making sure they’re actually good and align with brand values.
Research Your Hashtags & Trends
Monitoring trends and hashtags is a crucial part of our role; what's new last week will not be new this week. Even within a few hours, you have to be on top of this every single day.
Media Planning
We need to ensure we have a built out media plan to align with brand objectives which we use to secure budgets for paid campaigns.
Thinking Ahead
Anticipate next week’s or month’s priorities. Ensure the content plan aligns with upcoming events or seasonal trends. Using an organizational tool like a calendar or scheduling app is helpful so you can visualize.
While those daily steps keep the wheels turning, our job doesn’t stop there or we’d miss crucial insights that only come with regular evaluation and strategic planning. That’s where weekly and quarterly routines come in:
Weekly Basis
- Report on posted content performance, identify top-performing posts, and refine the content strategy.
- Schedule next week’s content calendar and identify goals.
- Monitor competitor performance for strategy insights.
Quarterly Basis
- Conduct quarterly content audits to evaluate the performance of past campaigns.
- Plan quarterly objectives and set up new goals.
- Determine our team’s key social media priorities for the upcoming quarter.
So, on any given day, a social media manager might be responsible for setting the strategy for an upcoming product launch, creating a video, analyzing data across platforms, designing viral memes, coordinating PR & Communications, running paid ads and so much more.
The Importance of Engaging, Not Just Posting
As Social Media Managers we need to be able to balance big picture social strategy with small picture details; successful social media is nothing if not creative. We need to constantly be thinking outside the box if we want to engage our audience and stand out in the community. Here are the most important points about why engagement is essential for social media success:
Relationship Building
Engagement helps create genuine connections with followers, making them feel valued and turning them into loyal supporters.
Algorithm Boost
Social platforms prioritize content with high interaction, so engaging with followers improves a brand’s visibility in feeds.
Community Creation
Engagement fosters a sense of community, encouraging followers to participate and connect with the brand on a deeper level.
Valuable Feedback
Comments and reactions provide instant feedback, allowing brands to understand what resonates with their audience and adjust their approach.
Competitive Edge
Brands that prioritize engagement stand out from those that just post content, appearing more approachable and human.
The Time Commitment for Content Creation
Creating content takes time—a lot of time. It may look magical and instantaneous but it takes a huge amount of love and labor to make good content. Before you can even begin your content creation you need to do a lot of background research, mainly understanding the person you’re trying to reach; their pain points, ambitions and tone of voice (lingo). This prep work takes time, but it’s necessary as it will ensure that the message gets through.
Any time content requires more than the written word is likely to become a time consuming task. Anything from infographics, videos to custom graphics embedded in the post or used on social media will take a different amount of lead time (depending on the complexity). For example, creating original video content is particularly time-intensive as it involves importing raw files, editing, and then multiple revisions, all before it can be exported.
Content Calendar
Having a content calendar comes is crucial when it comes to managing your social media platforms, as it can help ensure that everyone in the team is on the same page and that all assets arrive on time. Especially when you have a handful of those time consuming tasks.
Investing in Social Media Success
If you want your social media to drive real results for your business then a minimal budget won’t cut it. Effective social media management is complex to say the least, a one man team often isn't enough—you need a skilled team—or even an agency—working together with a clear plan. Social media managers today operate within a strategy-driven framework that aims for a solid return on investment (ROI). So, it’s about putting the right budget behind the right people and tools.
In-house vs Freelancer vs Agency Cost Comparison
Consider the costs of different social media management options.
In-house Social Media Manager
Hiring a remotely experienced in-house social media manager, for example, generally costs between $60,000 and $80,000 a year, plus benefits and the resources they’ll need to succeed. This is ideal if you want someone dedicated and can easily handle the expense.
Freelance Social Media Manager
Then you have freelancers, which is the most flexible choice and typically charge $50–$140 per hour. However, they’re often juggling multiple clients, so you may end up with more generic designs resulting in less engaging content.
Agency Social Media Management
Then there are agencies, where costs can range from $3,000 to $30,000 a month. Agencies can be a powerful option because you get a whole team dedicated to your brand, capable of handling everything from creative content to analytics. With the right agency, you essentially have an “army” working to grow your brand.
Budget Strategically
Ultimately, if you’re serious about using social media to grow your business then it’s a great idea to invest (wisely) into one of the above. A well-funded approach not only supports your advertising strategy but also has the potential to boost your SEO; Google rewards content that generates traffic, which brings your marketing efforts full circle. By budgeting strategically for social media, you’re setting your business up for growth and ensuring you have a competitive edge.
Ready to take your social media management to the next level? Schedule a consultation with our team of experts today and let’s grow your online presence together!
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