“Do I need a social Media Manager?” The short answer is: that depends.
Do I Need a Social Media Manager? When we sign up a client for social media management it is usually for one big reason: they don’t have the time to do it themselves. They know they need it but they don’t have the personal and professional time to figure it out. They don’t have the time to hire a freelance manager, vet that person, and make sure they really know what they are doing.
Social Media Managing is a new, flourishing industry, but credentials vary widely among individual freelancers. To excel at social media managing, someone needs to bring a variety of skills to the table. You may want to hire your neighbor’s kid who knows how to Tiktok, but can you rely on them to communicate the voice of your brand across various platforms? Will they be able to monitor ad performance, analytics, and adjust the campaign tactics to accommodate the ever-changing social climate?
To create, organize, and schedule posts over a variety of social media accounts, requires technical knowledge. Keep in mind that this is a rapid-changing environment: things that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. A skilled SMM should also have a working knowledge of graphics, visual composition, and flow. They should also be adept at written communication and be skilled enough to alter their own writing voice to sound like your brand. A competent manager should know how to curate ads to reach the ideal demographic, know about SEO, lead generation, and how to report on analytics.A skilled SMM should also have a working knowledge of graphics, visual composition, and flow.
Maybe you’re a really small business and are just getting off the ground, so you’re not sure if you really need all of that. It’s important to evaluate what kind of revenue goals you have. What do you need to be making this time next year; what would be the best case scenario? These are all things that go into figuring out if you need help or if you can accomplish those goals without having a specialized Social Media Manager.
Some clients just need a steady stream of up-to-date information for their business: nothing fancy, not a lot of innovation or consultation. And that’s fine, if their business is established, and if they have representation elsewhere. But if you are a new business, or an expanding business, chances are you need some outside perspective. You are likely going through growing pains and may be too busy with meetings, bringing in new products, and managing your store front. If that describes you, then you want to find the best fit for your brand. Shop around–a good SMM will give you a quote of what to expect and where your money will be going. There will be a back and forth conversation about what your business needs are, which platforms you should focus on, how you want your brand to come across to the public.
This is our model at Branchout. If you want to know more about how we can help your brand find it’s voice online, reach out to us for an assessment of your business needs.