Does my business need social media accounts?

Need is a strong word we love to throw around in marketing, but isn’t always accurate. Your business’s need for a social media presence is as unique as your business. Social media isn’t a one size fits all for business marketing. Having a firm grasp on your target market, where they spend their social media time, and how, will help each individual business choose the right course of social media marketing for them. Consider the following questions. Do you mostly do business with consumers or other businesses? Does a majority of your business come from local consumers? National? International? Are you trying to compete with larger or more established businesses for market share? Is your market relatively open and ripe for the taking? Once you feel you can answer all these questions confidently, it’s time to meet with a consultant or expert to build the unique plan that suits your business, customers, and industry. 

What are the pros of using social media as a marketing tool?

-You can use social media to make strong connections and build community with your consumer base. Utilizing social media can allow your business to make daily connections with your target market.

-You have total control over your image, allowing you to show your base the best of your goods and services. 

-Keep top of mind awareness. Consumers may not want or need your product every day, but when they do, it will be you they think of because of consistent exposure through social media platforms. 

-Social media can give you access to content created by your consumer base, which lends authenticity to your brand. 

-Draw in new customers. Social media can help you get the word out to those already in your target market as well as open up new markets you were unable to reach previously.

What are the cons of using social media as a marketing tool? (And are there solutions?)

-It is time consuming. As a small business owner you know what it means to have a lot on your plate. Managing your own social media account can become daunting and feel like a lot of work for little pay off, especially at the start. The solution? Consider investing in a current employee as your social media manager. Hire a consultant to train an existing employee and show them the ropes. Just make sure you have clear expectations on branding and standards for that employee to follow. For larger businesses looking for growth, hiring a professional social media manager is always an option.

-It can be confusing. Not every meme, trend, hashtag, or sound is going to fit with your brand. To make matters worse there are plenty of new aged snake oil salespeople out there making big promises. “Use this trending sound and gain 50k new followers!” Not to mention the vague “tips and tricks for success”. Every hustler seems to have the perfect formula for social media success, so why is it none of them seem to be working for you? The solution? Be authentic and genuine. There is no one size fits all magic formula for success on social media. The best way to reach the right people is to be authentic. Having a deep understanding of your brand will help guide you to the content you create and share. A few hours with a consultant can help you map out not only the technical details of using social media, but in creating a brand map to follow on the road to meaningful success. 

-We get caught up in the numbers. Perhaps you’re not seeing the follow count you want, or you don’t think your content is crossing enough eyes. Analytics are such a useful tool and almost all social media platforms can provide them for your content. Yet the truth is, numbers aren’t everything. An account with 100k followers is worthless if those followers aren’t being converted to sales and engagement with the brand. The solution? It’s important to always be comparing our digital presence to our real life sales. Maybe your account only gained 50 followers this month, but sales are up 5%! On the other hand maybe you gained 1000 followers this month, but sales remain static. This is an indication you are appealing to internet culture, rather than your target market. Gaining lots of followers because you’re funny or always jumping on the latest trend can feel good but if it’s not affecting sales, it’s not what’s best for your business. 

-True growth takes time, and it can be frustrating. It can feel like you’ve been pouring your heart and soul into your social media accounts but have little to show for it. There are so many reasons why this might be happening. Perhaps your target market prefers a different social media platform. Maybe your content is great but you’re not performing enough outbound engagement to be noticed. Or maybe your cell phone needs replacing because your photos and videos just don’t look as good as everyone else’s. You could be capturing the wrong kind of content, or making the wrong kind of posts, or…the list goes on. The solution is patience. You may have to try several strategies before the right one clicks, especially if you are going at it solo. It can always be helpful to invest in a few hours of consulting to get an expert opinion on why what you’re doing isn’t working. An expert can also help you set reasonable expectations. So maybe you didn’t gain 50k followers overnight. If you operate a brick and mortar store in a small town of 7k people, you are likely on a long road to that wanted 50k follower count. 

Do I need a social media manager?

 There is a little joke about marketers that applies to this question. It asks “Is it possible to get a straight answer from the marketing department?” and answers “Well it depends…” The same is true for your business. It depends! Here are a few questions to ask and answer before diving in head first with a social media manager.

-Are you a solopreneur or running a very small business? If you answer yes to this question there is a strong possibility that you can manage your social media yourself, especially if you are just starting out. The most cost effective strategy would be to hire a consultant to give you a run down and get you started with confidence. The first three years of business can be the hardest and it’s important to use funds wisely. Of course if you start to experience massive growth there is always room to bring on a social media manager. It is always better to need to hire, than to need to fire. 

-Are you running a large company in which you are very active in the day to day activity? If you answered yes to this question, a social media manager might be right for you. Hiring an expert can give you peace of mind and allow you more time to be where you are needed, running the business. You might also consider investing in a current employee and getting them the training and skills they needed to successfully run the accounts for you. This way your social media manager is in house, available to you, and intimately acquainted with the workings of your business. 

-Do you think social media is fun? If you answered no to this question then you will need a social media manager for your business. Most of us are running a small business because it’s our passion, something that we love dearly. Often business owners will start their social media journey thinking “this is going to be so fun!” only to find out it’s more like getting teeth pulled. The work can be tedious, and never ending. It’s important we derive at least some joy from the effort and energy we put into our business. If you really dread making a post, it might be time to hand the reins to someone who actually likes the work so you can give that energy to the parts of the business you do love and enjoy. 

-Are you ready for growth? Well run social media marketing can bring huge growth potential but are you ready? Take for example a rental property. If this property is already able to fully book for the summer season here in Park County, there isn’t much room for growth in this area. In fact, it could cause an issue of constantly having to turn potential customers away. Perhaps this same rental property has trouble making bookings in the off season. Now there is an opportunity for growth. Growth is often seen in business culture as always being positive but it’s just not the case. Maybe your bakery is seeing a huge increase in customers due to a lovely social media marketing campaign, but this growth is putting a strain on the staff. Maybe the quality of work begins to slip, or you can’t hire someone fast enough to lighten the load and a burned out employee quits. It’s important to make sure you’re ready for everything a social media manager can bring to the table before sitting down and committing to one.

-Are all your bases covered? Do you have a quality website? Beautiful logo and branding? Operational systems worked out and keyed in? A fully trained staff? A clear vision and mission? It is important to have all this and more checked off your list before starting your social media adventure, especially with a social media manager. Without a quality website, your funnel won’t be funneling your potential customers anywhere. Without clear branding, your message on social media can come off as vague and disorganized. Without solid operational systems in place your social media can quickly become a complaints hotline. Getting and keeping the house in order is the best way to build a solid foundation for a social media presence, either with a social media manager or on your own.