Tag: Social Media Management

#MarketingTeam – Is It Time to Hire a Social Media Team?

You’ve probably heard that quiet, little voice telling you that it’s time to get some help when it comes to social media. However, it’s a tough step to take since it requires significant investment in both time and resources. If you suspect that you need to take the plunge and hire a social media team, there are five questions you can ask to help make the decision easier.

  1. Does your marketing strategy call for a focus on social media?
    Even in this day and age, some businesses are well suited for emphasis on traditional marketing channels. It’s likely, however, that you need to ramp up your social media efforts in both marketing and customer service.
  2. Are you stretched when it comes to marketing resources?
    If you are like most small businesses, then your people already wear multiple hats, adding another one—social media expert—will likely not get you the results you are looking for.
  3. Do you have the right tools for social media?
    Running a successful social media initiative requires more than a computer and a smartphone. Social media professionals are skilled in a wide variety of software and program tools. From graphics programs to scheduling platforms, there’s much more to it than just posting a photo from time to time. Social media management requires both creative and technical skills.
  4. Are your current social media efforts working?
    You may already be on social media and pretty proud of how it’s going. However, are these efforts working? To monitor how effective your social media plan is, there are many things you should be measuring. From leads to engagement to conversions, you need to be on top of how well your message is getting through.
  5. Do you know what success looks like?
    When it comes down to it, do you really know what using social media the right way looks like? There is no shame in not being an expert at everything. This is particularly true when it comes to using social media, since it’s constantly changing. If you think about it, the same is true for many professions. You may be a wizard when it comes to the product or services you sell, but that doesn’t mean you are a skilled lawyer or CPA.

The size of the team necessary to successfully create and execute a quality social media strategy will depend on your business and your goals. This is a great time to talk with the experts at The Social Media Advisor. Their social media build/ revamp services will identify what you need in order to develop your business through social media.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#FreshContent – Monthly Themes for Your Content

A key challenge for social media managers is keeping the creative juices flowing. Even the most imaginative content developer can get caught in a rut from time to time. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid finding yourself stuck. One great technique is to set a monthly theme for your content.

The beauty of themes is that they provide you with a framework for your content and can help you narrow your focus. Even if even if you have no shortage of ideas, themes can help you stay on track so that you post consistently.

So now that you are sold on using themes, how do you get started? No surprises here, you create a plan! Of course, that’s easier said than done. No need to worry though. Here are seven steps you can follow to build a successful strategy for incorporating monthly themes for your social media content.

  • Assess what currently works – Take a look at which platforms work best for you now and the type of content that is getting the most traction. Remember that your objective is to get people engaged. You want to do more of what is working best.
  • Restate your social media goals – It is always helpful to remind yourself of your goals. If your primary objective for social media is to strengthen your relationships with your clients, then a customer appreciate theme is appropriate.
  • Think about your customers – What type of content will interest and help your customers? Do they need information on your products? If so, a monthly “how-to” theme will work well. Could they benefit from getting to know your company better? Try a monthly “getting to know us” theme.
  • Brainstorm – Spend some time documenting a variety of possible themes. Get your entire team involved. Each one will bring a different perspective to the task.
  • Prioritize – Once you have a good list, prioritize the topics according to your goals and what is likely to be most successful in engaging your customers.
  • Decide how you will measure success – Set some targets so that you’ll know whether or not your theme campaigns are working. Useful metrics can include shares, likes, follows, conversions or whatever works with the goals you have set.
  • Rinse and repeat – Evaluate your campaigns periodically to see what is working. Revise your plan to strengthen the themes that aren’t quite hitting the mark.

Working with themes won’t just help you keep writing, it will help your customers know what to expect. They’ll appreciate your consistency and come to depend on you for insight, inspiration, or a smile. Themes also give you the chance to incorporate content that is unexpected. One month you may focus on a technical topic, the next you might express gratitude or profile a customer or employee. The point is, you can take advantage of themes to keep your content fresh, engaging, and fun. So get started with themes now!

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#FreshContent – Time to Optimize Your Social Media Bios & Profiles

If you use social media, then you know that the first commandment is “Thou Shalt Keep Your Content Up-To-Date.” Your followers will stop checking in if they see the same thing over and over again. Though you’re working hard to keep your feeds fresh and appealing, you might be overlooking these important elements of your social media channels: your bios and profiles.

If you have a social media strategy (of course you do!) is optimizing and updating your social media bios and profiles on the list? If not, add them to the top of the list. This to-do is easy to forget, and it’s even easier to underestimate how important it is.

What Your Followers See

What do your followers see when they look at your profile photo? Do they see what you look like right now? If not then it’s a good bet that some of your information may be out of date. Your picture should present a fresh look at your smiling face, and your profile information should be current. Even though you may think the photo looks fine if your hairstyle and fashion sense are dated then your community may interpret that as a lack of interest.

Remember, your profile photo usually has a prominent position so you can use it strategically as well. It doesn’t always have to be a picture of you or your logo. It can be a new product, a special announcement, or something else you are calling attention to. Links must work, and the description of your business should accurately represent what you are doing right now.

What the Search Engines See

You may not have given it much thought, but your social media profile is important to your SEO. Your profile should include the keywords and terms that are crucial to people finding you. What you say should be consistent across platforms, be carefully crafted, and be engaging. Long-tail keywords are particularly important so that your customers can find you.

Each social media platform is viewed a little differently so it can pay to do a little homework on what works best for each. Algorithms have become particularly important in recent years so if you haven’t updated your business description in some time you may not be making the most of it in SEO terms.

Freshen Up!

It’s true that you don’t need to update your profile as frequently as you do your content but your profile should not be neglected. Twice a year may be often enough to freshen things up. The specific schedule will depend on what is happening in your business and your industry. In any case, now is a great time to take a fresh look at both your bios and your profiles.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#GetOrganized – Build an Editorial Calendar for Your Social Media Marketing

If you use social media for your business, then you know that content is king. You also know that in order to keep your followers engaged you’ve got to post on a consistent basis. Long stretches between posts can cause your community to lose interest. Posting too often can lead to your content becoming part of the background noise. The key is to strike the right balance between posting too little and posting too much.
 
With all our competing priorities and how quickly time passes, keeping up with a regular posting schedule can be a difficult challenge. Even when we start out strong it’s easy to get sidetracked. Luckily, there is a simple, time-tested tool that can help you stick with your plan – an editorial calendar. Use our five helpful tips for creating an effective calendar and you’ll be well on your way to successfully implementing your social media strategy.
 
Tips for Creating a Social Media Editorial Calendar
 
Decide the channels to post on and frequency. Take stock of the social media channels you use and determine how frequently you need to be posting. Determining the right balance can be tricky and you should be prepared to make adjustments as necessary.
 
Set aside time for planning. Allocate a block of time to create your master calendar. Once you have created your calendar, schedule time each week to review your calendar, make adjustments, and monitor your success.
 
Determine the type of content you’ll post and the quantity. Your content likely falls into types. For example, some posts are promotional, some are informational, others are purely for engagement. Decide how much of each type is appropriate for each of your channels.
 
Keep just one calendar. Keeping multiple calendars might sound like a great idea, but it actually makes it harder to keep organized. Save yourself some time and consolidate your editorial into one comprehensive tool that can be shared by the members of your team.
 
If you don’t have monthly themes, consider setting them. Having a framework for your social media can help you narrow down your posts and refine your plan. One strategy we recommend is using monthly themes to help you target your content. Your themes can be designed around whatever makes sense your for your business. For some people, topical subjects such as “how-to,” testimonials, or informational may work. For others, themes such as showing gratitude, paying it forward, or customer appreciate make more sense.

 
Exactly what your editorial calendar will look like is up to you. Creating a calendar that works with your current processes and makes your job easier will help you stay on track.
 
Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Learn how to use social media to grow your business online with our video series!

  • Learn the fundamentals of social media
  • Learn how to build better brand engagement
  • Learn how to enhance your visitors' experience
  • Learn how to grow your business using social media strategies.

If you want someone to break down aspects of social media to get more clients and build your business using social media, this is the program for you.

Start Learning Today!

Follow me

Categories

Latest Articles

©2008-2023 Clere Communications / The Social Media Advisor