10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager
We all know why social media is important for business. But do you think you need a social media manager for your business?
One thing we hear regularly from our clients is that while social media is a must-do and a huge part of their marketing strategy, it's more often than not the last thing on their daily to-do list. And we can understand why, when you're running a business you've got a million things on your mind, without even thinking about social media strategy, target audiences, analytics, content creation, community management - the list goes on. And yep, that all falls under the umbrella of the 'social media manager'.
But while you're ticking off your daily tasks to keep your business running, you may be neglecting the one thing that has the potential to take your business to the next level - social media.
Why is professional social media management important?
Firstly, the person managing your social media accounts is effectively the ‘voice’ of your business. If you wouldn’t put that person in front of 1000 people to promote your business on your behalf, you shouldn’t put them in charge of your social media voice - which potentially reaches a far greater audience on a daily basis.
Secondly, strategy, quality, consistency, engagement and innovation are the keys to social media success. Without these key points, your social media efforts will be in vain. By outsourcing the ongoing management of your social media channels to a dedicated strategist, you can ensure your business is not only utilising social media in a strategic manner designed to produce real results for your brand, but they're producing high quality content and distributing it a consistent, targeted manner, aimed at increasing engagement and reach for your business. (Or in other words, getting you 'seen and heard' online!)
Here are 10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager:
- To develop a social media strategy. Without a great social media strategy in place, your efforts may be in vain. Your social media manager will set out a strategy for you that is geared towards achieving success online.
- To create amazing content. In 2017, your social media manager is no longer just that, (or at least at Melbourne Social Co they're not!) They are photographers, writers, stylists, publicists, community managers - you name it, the list goes on. And as part of our role, we will create and source amazing content for your brand. Because let's face it, in the crowded social media market place, you need amazing content to stand out from the crowd.
- To boost SEO (search engine optimisation): A Social Media Manager understands search engines (or knows someone who does!) and can create content that is optimised for this purpose.
- To communicate in a unified voice: A Social Media Manager will get to know your brand, define your audience and create a unified social media message to appeal to your target market.
- To manage the online community: The Social Media Manager acts as a 'brand ambassador' by listening to your customers on social media and responding in a timely manner. Social Media Managers can also be excellent PR agents, by reaching out to news outlets and bloggers who can help your business grow.
- To save time: Social Media Management takes time. Having people contribute to the process without a defined schedule or strategy won't help your marketing efforts and is often an afterthought. A Social Media Manager is dedicated to managing the digital marketing of your business - it's his/her job.
- To handle social media automation/scheduling: A Social Media Manager knows how to get the most out of social media by using a variety of tools and techniques. These methods can help grow the business and save money in the process. Do you know what is the best time of day to post particular content online? Your Social Media Manager does and can schedule posts accordingly.
- To have someone with business knowledge: Social Media Managers not only know social media, they also understand all facets of your business. They know what's important and which trends to follow because they interact with the various departments. They can confidently act as the 'voice' of your business as they are on top of what's going on.
- To track campaigns: A Social Media Manager can measure and track campaigns to see what works and what doesn't, and then adjust as necessary.
- To stay abreast of trends and technology: People who know the basics of social media may not be as informed as a person who works in social media marketing day in and day out. Just because you post on Instagram daily and love to use Pinterest doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to strategically manage your businesses online profiles.
So, now you know why a Social Media Manager is important, what should you do?
If you're looking to outsource your social media management, we can help.
We'd love to chat to you about your digital marketing needs, so that we can put together a custom full-service solution for you.
Please contact us for more information: [email protected]
How To Make Your Social Media Content Go Viral
It’s the dream for all marketers (and business owners) to make your social media content go viral… There’s something exciting about getting your content in front of thousands of people around the world, in turn growing your social media engagement, following and driving leads.
Unfortunately, there's no exact science to creating those highly clickable posts that go from zero to a thousand views in under 5 minutes. However, there are some things you can do to give your content a fighting chance out there in the wide world of social media!
What are they? If you want your social media content to generate as much buzz around the globe as the recent break-up of celebrity favourites Brangelina, read on for our top tips.
Speak to your audience:
Great content is born out of comprehensive social media strategy, that defines your messaging, tone of voice and importantly, your target audience. When planning your content, you shouldn't necessarily be thinking about how to get it in front of everyone - it’s all about getting it in front of the right people! To do this, you must define who your audience is, what their interests are, and create content that will really speak to them. The more engaged your audience is, the more likely it is that your content will be shared.
Encourage User Generated Content:
One of the most effective ways to get your audience engaged is by encouraging them to participate in creating user generated content. By asking consumers to actively participate and engage in your marketing campaigns, you'll generate buzz and take your social media campaign to new levels. But beware - followers are notoriously lazy today, and will only engage in user generated content campaigns if there's an incentive in it for them. Think free product samples, educational ebooks, access to exclusive content and so on.
The more user generated content being created around your brand and marketing campaigns, the greater the reach of your campaign, plus you will seriously enjoy some of the great content your consumers come up with!
Make an emotional connection:
When crafting social media content, don't forget, the most effective posts are the ones that make your audience feel something. Whether it’s joy, sadness, happiness, trust or fear, (although we wouldn't necessarily recommend scaring your audience!) capturing the emotions of your target audience will increase the potential for your content to be shared and liked by many around the globe… Much like the recent news of the Brangelina break-up!
Tap into trends:
Every day there are new trending topics that millions of people around the globe are sharing, commenting and engaging with. A great way to increase the chances of your content going viral is by tapping into these trending topics and leveraging them in your businesses social media content. This includes using trending hashtags as well.
Do you need help creating social media content that can generate some serious buzz?
Get in touch with your digital marketing experts Melbourne Social Co today!
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
5 Reasons Why Your Social Media Marketing Isn’t Working
As we all know, social media marketing is an essential part of any business marketing strategy, as it’s a great way to connect with your consumers, increase brand awareness, drive sales and a whole lot more!
However, implementing social media for business takes time and effort and requires a strategy to ensure you engage your audience, build a following and direct the right people to purchase your product or service.
If your social media marketing has been a little lacklustre lately, here are 5 reasons why it may not be working:
You’re not consistent:
One of the biggest downfalls of social media marketing is not being consistent enough across all existing social media channels. Whether you’re too busy to post regularly, or your content and tone of voice isn't consistent across platforms and the rest of your branding, your social media will suffer. Consistency is required to develop trust, engage your consumer and get results! This can be done with an experienced social media manager who can create engaging content on a consistent basis and distribute it at optimal times.
You’re posting overly promotional content:
We get it! You love your business and you want the world to know about your amazing product or service, but unfortunately not everyone wants to engage in your promotional content all the time. That’s why it’s best to scale back on your promotional content and introduce content that engages and entices your audience into your communications strategy. A great question to ask yourself before posting is, “would my audience find this interesting?” Here at Melbourne Social Co we feel that if you offer your audience engaging content that adds values to their daily lives, they're going to be more likely to follow and trust your brand, and consume your sales message when you do post it.
You’re not on the right networks for your target audience:
Too often businesses think that they need to be across all social media platforms to be effective. However here at Melbourne Social Co, we believe it’s important to choose the right channels (even if it’s one or two) and to do them really well!
A digital marketing expert (like us) can help narrow down your target audience and recommend the best channels to reach that audience so you can get the best results.
You don’t have an advertising budget:
If you’ve created some amazing content but no one is engaging in it or your reach is really low, then you may need to think about your advertising budget. Recent studies have shown that only 3-6% of your audience will see your content on Facebook so it’s more important than ever to invest in advertising to get your content in front of the right people! Facebook and Instagram advertising is a low-cost advertising option that will really make a difference to your social media marketing.
You don’t have a point of difference:
The internet is flooded with businesses just like yours, so it’s vital to determine a point of difference across all of your digital marketing content. Points of difference could be beautiful imagery, unique aspirational quotes, captivating videos… the options are endless! Let your high-quality and engaging social media content separate you from the crowd.
Are you struggling to cut-through with your social media marketing? Or are you having difficulty creating consistent high quality content that engages with your target audience?
Get in touch with your digital marketing experts at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
Want to learn how to put together your own professional social media strategy?
Take our Social Co Academy Short Course
3 Steps To Facebook Success
3 things to do to make your Facebook posts visible to your audience
Thanks to Facebook’s regularly changing algorithms, reaching your customers organically on the social media platform has never been more difficult.
Recent studies have suggested that approximately only 3% - 6% of your total fans view your posts, which means it’s vital to start implementing some key tactics to increase your reach and to get your Facebook content in front of more people.
Wondering how? Here are three things to try today...
Boost your posts:
One of the best ways to increase your reach and make your content visible to more people is through boosting. A boosted post is a post from your business page that, for a fee, can appear higher up on your audience’s News Feeds. The amount of people who view and engage with your post depends on the budget you want to spend.
Boosting posts is a great way to ensure that the right audience can view your Facebook page content as you can utilise key demographic targeting options including age, location, gender and interests as well as tailored budget and scheduling functions.
Post content your audience wants to see:
Another great way to make your Facebook content visible to your audience is to post content your audience wants to see, not just what you want to show them! This is important as the more people engage with your content, the greater the reach. To do this, think about who your target audience is and post content that is a mix of business promotion and general interest content you know they will respond to and engage with.
Choose the right timing:
Choosing the right timing for your social media posts should be a vital part of your social media strategy! You’ll be amazed at the difference you get by posting content at optimal times. To do this, ensure you understand your demographic and their social media habits so you can post when they are active online in order to optimise engagement.
Are you struggling to engage and reach your audience on Facebook? Do you need help creating amazing content that your audience can connect with? Get in touch with your digital marketing experts here at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – p: 1300 386 165
5 Signs You’re Addicted To Social Media
Here at Melbourne Social Co we are big lovers of social media, however we understand that sometimes it can be a little hard to switch off.
If you are like us and are constantly glued to your phone, you might have a social media addiction! Read on below for 5 telltale signs.
- It’s the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you look at before you go to sleep:
One of the biggest signs you may be a little too dependent on social media is if you reach for your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts before you even hop out of bed in the morning. This is equally as true if you scroll through your feeds before drifting off to sleep every night instead of reading a book or spending time with your partner and family.
- You check it constantly:
According to a study from the PRIA, 13 million Australians are spending 18 hours a day on social media and are logging on to check every five minutes! If you are nodding in agreement that this sounds a little like you (or are questioning how people even last five minutes) then maybe you need to scale it back a bit. Our tip? Allocate a few blocks throughout the day not to check your phone, including at meal times or when talking with friends and family.
- You post and share EVERYTHING:
We all have those friends and family members who take to Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat to post hourly updates on their lives. If this sounds like something you do – why not use that time updating your status to catch up with friends or family face-to-face to share your good news.
- It’s your first choice of recreation:
Have a spare few minutes in your day? Do you check social media? This is a big sign you love it a bit too much… Instead take use your precious spare time to read a book, go for a run or spend time with loved ones.
- You have trouble switching off:
Can you last a whole day or even a few hours without logging onto your favourite networks? If you can’t leave your phone in the other room for fear of missing a notification or new update than you are probably addicted.
- Switch off and let us take care of things for you
Okay by now you may have realised your way spending too much of your day on social media. Here at Melbourne Social Co, we understand the 'round-the-clock' pressures of managing a digital marketing campaign for your business, and are here to take some of the load off you! If you're after some advice, strategy or amazing digital marketing content for your business or personal brand, feel free to get in touch today.
Contact us: [email protected]