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A strong social media presence for your business is no longer something that is ‘nice to have’. It’s something that is a business necessity.
It’s estimated nine out of ten businesses have a presence on at least one social media platform and it’s easy to see why. It’s free to set up an account, and it allows you to reach out to prospective customers across your town, the U.K… even the world!
With this in mind, you need someone passionate about social media who can put together a strong strategy, create compelling messages and analyse the statistics to plan for the future.
Whether you’re invested in Instagram, totally dedicated to TikTok or fanatical about Facebook, a social media manager is an excellent investment for your business.
Join us as we take a look at what a social media manager does, whether to hire inhouse and what qualities you should look out for when making your first hire.
What does a social media manager do?
It may be easier to say… ‘what doesn’t a social media manager do?!’
A social media manager is not only responsible for developing and implementing your social media marketing strategy, but they are also the voice of your brand.
They’ll be communicating with people through social media, showcasing your products and services and providing an exceptional service to long-established and prospective customers alike.
Specific tasks include:
- Developing a strategy and KPIs
- Writing social media posts for a variety of platforms
- Creating images and videos
- Responding and engaging with customers
- Advertising on social media
- Measuring the success of social media platforms and specific campaigns and relaying feedback to senior management
What qualities to look for in a social media manager
So you’ve decided a social media manager is exactly what you need to boost your business… that’s great!
Here are the qualities we recommend you look out for when recruiting.
A strong creative streak
The best social media managers are well-versed in innovation and creativity and can think of lots of great ways to make your business stand out against your competitors.
They will be able to turn their hand to taking photos, designing images and creating videos to showcase your business in line with your brand guidelines.
Good crisis management skills
There are times things go wrong on social media, from having to deal with an increasingly angry customer through to negative publicity in the press.
As your social media manager acts as the voice of your business, they need to act in a cool and calm manner in times of crisis.
The ability to think fast
Social media moves quickly, so your ideal social media manager needs to be able to think on their feet and react speedily to the latest news, trends and memes.
They will be able to navigate all social media channels with ease and know who to follow to stay up-to-date of all the latest developments.
A strong technical knowledge
Although your dream social media manager has to be creative, they also need to have excellent technical skills too.
They have to be able to assess and analyse social media statistics to determine how each platform is doing and what needs improving. They need to be able to use Google Analytics to see who is converting on the company website via social media. They also have to have a good knowledge of SEO techniques to help grow the business on the search engines.
Good communication with a range of different people
You want a social media manager who can respond to your customers and make them feel special, in-line with your brand’s tone of voice.
Most importantly, you need someone with the skills to turn a negative interaction into a positive one.
Do I go with an agency or in-house social media manager?
Hiring a freelancer or agency can be a good option for smaller businesses. You get someone with years of experience in social media, but you don’t have to worry about the expense of putting a new employee on your payroll.
Having an in-house social media manager is a great choice for larger business or those in a more specific niche. You can immerse them in your company and industry, and they can apply this experience to the work they do.
The right answer depends on your goals for social media, your marketing budget and what type of business you are.
Conclusion
A social media manager can be a great addition to your business, whether through an agency or inhouse.
The perfect social media manager needs to have the perfect balance of analytical and creative skills and will have the determination and ambition to modernise your business and build good relationships with your customers.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Future of Social Media and Marketing for Business
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