I think we can all agree that online shopping is one of the biggest trends of the 21st century. With the development of online marketplaces, like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba, the world of retail shifted to the web. And boy, did it ever.
Today, more and more businesses are seeing the benefit of online marketing, especially social media marketing. It’s a great way to connect with consumers who are actively using your products or services, and allow you to find new customers and retain existing ones.
If you’re looking to take the plunge and become a Social Media Manager, here’s what you need to know.
Become An Expert At Using Social Media
There is a lot of theory and knowledge that goes into becoming a successful social media marketer, but at the end of the day, you will need to show customers, prospects, and investors that you can actually use social media to grow and manage a business.
To do this, you will need to get familiar with the tools and platforms that you will use to develop and execute your strategy. To start, you should examine your target audience’s preferences and behaviors and decide which platforms they are most likely to be using.
Once you know this, you can move forward and begin to build your strategy, which will include identifying the goals and objectives you have in mind for your social media activity. From there, you can choose which platforms to focus on based on your business goals. Some platforms may be better suited to reach your audience, while others may be more effective at connecting with industry experts or other brands.
The Difference In Strategy And Execution
A good social media manager will implement a strategy that is both creative and well thought out. While a good plan makes for effective execution, it’s always nice to have a plan that is creative and unexpected, too.
By combining the two, you can have the best of both worlds. Having a strategy that is both clever and well thought out will make you stand out among other social media managers, and, more importantly, allow you to produce results and gain trust from your audience.
Skillsets And Demographics
Depending on your experience, you may know what skillsets you possess that make you a good candidate for the role of Social Media Manager. If not, then now is the time to find out.
Your job as Social Media Manager is to connect with and engage with your audience, which can be easily accomplished with the right skillset. Having a specific set of skills that other people find valuable makes you an expert, regardless of whether or not you have the title. So, whether you’re a digital marketer, content creator, or social media strategist, make sure that you possess the skills needed to be successful in this role.
In addition to skills, you will need to examine your audience’s demographics and psychographics to choose the right platforms for your content. For example, if you are targeting millennials or Gen-X demographics, then you’ll want to focus on platforms like TikTok or Instagram, while if you’re targeting older generations, then you might want to explore alternatives like LinkedIn or Facebook.
As a general rule of thumb, try to focus on platforms that are most likely to be used by your target audience. This will make it much easier for you to connect with and engage with them. Plus, if you’re not sure which platforms your target audience uses, then you can always measure this with a simple Google search.
Which One?
As mentioned above, knowing which platforms your ideal customer uses is critical. Armed with this information, you can begin to build an effective social media strategy.
Before you choose a particular platform, you should consider what will make you happy and comfortable in your role. Do you want to focus on growing your audience or just increasing engagement? Are you looking to become the go-to person for your industry, or do you just want to be able to connect with any audience you choose? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you choose the right platform for your needs and goals.
The Importance Of Goals, Measurement, And Reporting
It’s important to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals for your social media activities. This will help you choose the right metrics to track, and allow you to see the results of your efforts in real time.
For example, if you’re looking to increase brand awareness, then you could set a goal to get 500 likes on your Facebook page. Now, you don’t need to set a goal to get 500 likes in order to achieve it; however, you can track the number of likes you have on your page and use this as a measurement of your success. This way, you’ll know whether or not you’ve reached your goal.
It’s also important to establish a clear communication channel with your clients. Setting up a specific website or social media channel to track your work is a great way to do this, especially if you’re looking to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Having a place to report your progress, both professionally and personally, can also help you stay motivated.
What’s Next?
After you’ve determined that you’re a good fit for the role of Social Media Manager, the next step is to develop your staff. To do this, you will need to think about which platforms you’ll need for your operation. Once you have this decided, then you can begin to search for the right people to help you launch and grow your business.
Whether you decide to go the conventional route and hire a team of social media experts, or choose to become self-sufficient and learn the ropes by yourself, the decision is all yours.