How To Make The Most Out Of Working With Your Social Media Team

Take a look at nearly any recent photograph that shows a large group of people and it’s almost certain that many in the crowd are staring at their smartphones.

Possibly some just received a text. But the odds are that a good chunk of them are looking at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platforms. This is why social media is such a critical tool in promoting personal or business brands.

But let’s face it. Many of us don’t have the time or the expertise to run a successful social media campaign on our own, which is why so many businesses and professionals today are hiring out the job.

It’s a smart move because entrusting your social media marketing to a professional team can pay huge dividends.

But (and isn’t there always a but?) don’t think that you’re completely off the hook if you want to be really successful.  You’re a key part of the team! Here are a few ways that you can help your social media team be most effective in managing your campaign.

• Keep them apprised of important happenings. Maybe you’re a CEO and your company has a major event coming up next month. Perhaps you’re an author and you have a schedule of book signings on the horizon. Make sure your social media team knows well enough in advance so they can make the most of promoting your events.

• Provide quotes or observations about world events. At EMSI, our social media team follows the news to see if anything is happening relevant to a client’s message. They’ll ask clients for a quote or for their general thoughts on the topic. But you don’t have to wait for whoever is in charge of your social media to ask. You should routinely be on the lookout for current events you could comment on and let your social media team know what you find. You also aren’t even limited to what’s happening in the news. If you have wisdom to share with your followers, you should pass it along. Your social media team no doubt will be looking for great content everyday, but you’re the expert. Share that expertise.

• Realize that social media promotion happens beyond the Internet. What you and your social media team do online helps build your following. But you have offline opportunities for social media promotion as well. If you do public speaking, add a frame to your PowerPoint that includes your information, such as your Twitter handle. If you have walk-in traffic to your business, place signs in a prominent place about how to follow you on social media.  And, definitely include your social media information on your business cards!

• Keep up with your social media. When you’ve hired others to manage your social accounts, it might be tempting to forget about it and let them do their thing. While you don’t want to micromanage what they’re doing, you do want to be aware of it. If you see your social media strategists doing something well, tell them so they know they should be doing more of that.

Here’s one last thing that I think is worth noting and it’s something that Jay York and Brittany Vaill, two social media strategists here at EMSI, often bring up.

A social media campaign is a journey, not a destination. It’s an ongoing effort and you can’t take the view that you’ll tweet for a week or a month and never have to engage anyone on social media ever again.

It simply doesn’t work that way.

But if you’re diligent and dedicated, you can build a steady following and your social media interaction can lead to better relations with current customers, and help you reel in brand new ones.

Now that’s worth staying engaged!

Marsha

P.S. If you need professional help managing your social media, give us a call at 727-443-7115 ext. 215.