The Beginner’s Guide to Social Media Management

Social media management may include more than you think. From strategizing and crafting posts to scheduling and publishing content, managers have their work cut out for them.4.2 billion people around the world use social media today. While that may only be slightly more than half of the world’s population, it’s also 90% of all those with access to the internet.

Source: Hootsuite

This is excellent news for businesses, many of which make up a portion of that 90%. But how can you ensure you’re taking full advantage of that massive audience? You guessed it: through social media strategy and management.

What is Social Media Management?

Let’s start with the basics. Social media management involves studying an audience, building a strategy to reach them, and implementing that strategy to grow your online presence. For B2B and B2C businesses, social media presents a plethora of opportunities to grow. Build your audience, share your expertise, and drive traffic and leads to your business to boost your bottom line.Social media management is the process of creating, posting, and analyzing content on various channels. A manager should also engage with their audience and understand paid media.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Related Articles

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Why is Professional Social Media Management Important?

As a business, you can effectively use social media to grow your audience and boost ROI. Depending on your goals, you can engage people on social media to move them through different stages of your sales funnel.For example, you can raise brand awareness for consumers in stage one by sharing educational content. If you want to focus on lead generation, you can draw in consumers considering your products or services. Offer them engaging videos, case studies, and guides. You likely already have a loyal following if you’re currently focusing on stage three (decision). Consumers should be ready to take their relationship with you to the next level.Social media offers the tools you need to meet people where they are. All you have to do is use them correctly – which, of course, can be a tall order. That’s where working with a social media manager or management team comes in clutch.Here are a few more reasons social media management is essential:

• It’s cost effective. You can literally set any budget for social media. Heck, you can even use various platforms for free. But, of course, it could cost you extra time and resources if you go that route. Regardless, social media can be a frugal way to engage with people, build authentic relationships, and market your brand.
• You can reach and connect with users anywhere. No matter your industry, target audience, location, or niche, there’s most likely a place for you on social media (and an audience waiting for you to hit the scene).
• You can identify user behavior. And play to the tune of that drum. Knowing your target audience and monitoring their online behavior, you can send targeted ads, share organic content that resonates, and cultivate your online presence. Now that may sound a little creepy, but it’s necessary for serving up relevant content. And your audience will appreciate it.
• Build trust and rapport. Social media offers businesses a unique way to communicate with consumers. By having honest conversations and positively engaging with followers, you can establish trust. Nurture those relationships over time, and then send qualified leads straight to your sales team.

What Does a Social Media Manager Do?

No, a social media manager doesn’t take selfies and post Instagram Stories all day if that’s what you’re thinking. But that can certainly be part of the day-to-day, depending on the business.A social media manager’s job is complex and involves many moving parts. Managers must be analytical and technical while also being personable and creative. They may dabble in graphic design, customer service, sales, psychology, research, PR, and editing all in a single afternoon. But that’s what makes the role appealing to those talented (and brave) souls.Back to business. Here’s a rundown on what you can expect from an experienced social media manager:

• In-depth audience research
• Social media strategy
• Content calendars
• Maintaining a distinct brand voice across channels
• Curating and creating new content
• Coordinating with videographers and designers (or creating graphics and videos themselves)
• Engaging with consumers
• Social listening
• Optimizing posts
• Managing a paid ad budget
• Proving the connection between social media and ROI
• Analyzing data and reporting on results
• Connecting with influencers
• Building and managing relationships

Quick Tips for Managing Social Media Like a Pro

We don’t have time to go into depth on managing your social media strategy (see our list of recommended articles for that). But we want to give you an overview of the process. Here it is:

• Start by conducting an audit to see what you’re already doing that’s working and what gaps you need to fill.
• Next, research your target audience to know where they spend time, their habits and preferences, and demographics.
• Decide which platforms are worth your time, effort, and money. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter are popular channels for B2B and B2C businesses.
• Purchase tools to help you monitor channels, schedule posts, manage content, and analyze your audience.
• Assign content roles, including creation, management, and editing.
• Build a content calendar that maps out posting frequency, channels, content assets, post copy, links, themes, and hashtags.
• Monitor your posts, related content, and competitors to identify trends.
• Reach out to influencers to expand your audience and boost sales.
• Ensure you’re providing outstanding customer service and support around the clock across all channels.
• Create regular reports on the data you collect to know how successful your efforts are month over month.

How Much Does Social Media Management Cost?

Social media management can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars a month. On the lower end, you’ll likely receive minimal services, effort, and results. On the higher end, you should expect expert guidance, management, and notable ROI.Costs will vary depending on where you live, the size of your business, who you hire, and your short- and long-term goals.

Who to Hire to Manage Your Social Media Presence

You have three main options when choosing a social media partner. You can hire someone in-house, find a freelancer, or partner with an agency.

In-House Employee

By hiring a full-time employee, you’ll have total control over the process. You’ll have someone who can learn the ins and outs of your business and be loyal to you alone. Keep in mind that the average salary of a social media manager in the U.S. is over $54,000. And they’re only one person who can only handle so many responsibilities.

Source: Glassdoor

Freelancer

Hiring a freelancer to handle your social media needs can be wise for new small businesses or sole proprietors. Even if you’re a larger business and just getting started with social media or on a tight budget, hiring a freelancer could be an economical option. A freelancer could free up your time, but they may not have the time or resources to take your business as far as you’d like.

Agency

Agencies will have a full-service team ready to get to work. They’ll have advanced tools and all the necessary resources to create, publish, and analyze social media content. Finding an agency with experience in your industry is a smart move. They’ll bring a fresh perspective to your business and use best practices to get you results. Consider hiring an agency if you want to be more hands-off and place your trust in reliable hands.

Ready to Partner with a Pretty Cool Social Media Management Agency?

Social media is just one piece of the marketing puzzle, but keeping up with growing trends and changing tools can be exhausting. If you’re ready to hand off social media management so you can focus on your core business, you’re in the right place.Kubbco offers everything your business needs to blow the competition out of the water. You bring the awesome products and services – we’ll bring the strategy, creativity, and content. Our team is poised to manage and grow your social media channels. Let us battle the algorithms so you don’t have to.Contact us today to get started.