If you are a small business owner, you probably already know how important effective social media management is for the success of your business. But with your laundry list of tasks, strategies, and budgeting adding one more thing can seem like a huge challenge! It’s okay to feel overwhelmed! Luckily, it does not have to be so complicated or time-consuming. If you follow these five tips, you will be able to manage your small business social media accounts with ease and confidence:
1. Schedule posts in advance.
Early in the week, schedule all of your posts for the next 7 to 14 days. This way, you can do a check-in daily or every few days at the least
Use a scheduling tool, like Hootsuite or Buffer, to schedule your posts in advance, so you don’t have to worry about posting at the right time of day, or on holidays when not many people are using social media.
The reason it’s important to schedule your posts is that it allows you to plan out each day with a clear goal in mind. Then it allows you to check in frequently and catch comments and interactions. Just make a schedule to log in and see what comments and likes you.
From doing so you can see if someone replies asking a question about one of your products or services, you can use that as an opportunity to answer back with more details (make sure to tag them in their response so they know you’re talking directly about them!), which can lead to more sales. By planning out your posting schedule this way, managing social media doesn’t have to be stressful and time-consuming!
2. You do not need original content daily.
You do not have to post original content every day. Share interesting posts from businesses or individuals who aren’t in direct competition with your business but reside in the same industry as yours—for example, A local shoe store could share an article from a blog that discusses trends in shoe fashion instead of creating their own blog post about something similar (which would take up more resources).
3. Get creative when it comes to finding content.
Once you’ve figured out what kind of content is most popular on your channels, it’s time to look at who else is sharing the same kind of material. The simplest way to do this is by using tools like Buzzsumo or Social Mentions. This can give you a lot of insight into your competitors and what they are doing with their social media accounts.
Another great way to find out where people are sharing content around specific topics is by simply looking at what kinds of posts are popular among your followers and fans. If you’re running a pet-related business, for example, then take a quick glance at which posts have received the most engagement from others in the pet industry – that will guide you towards what content is gaining the most traction and interest!
And last but not least: don’t forget about your own personal social media accounts! Turn to your metric and see what gains the most likes, shares, and comments! Your followers are a valuable resource when it comes time for brainstorming new ideas for future campaigns for your brand.
4. Involve your entire team!
Give others permission to post on your behalf, regardless if they are an employee, intern, or volunteer. Give others permission to post on your behalf, regardless if they are an employee, intern, or volunteer.
A consistent voice is important when managing multiple social media accounts. If you have the resources to hire a digital marketing agency, they can help you create templates and training materials that will streamline the process of sharing your content across multiple platforms.
When it comes to social media for your small business, let it represent the ethos of everyone.
If you’re the only one who knows about social media management, consider involving employees in the process and teaching them. It will help build team interaction and trust. Other great reasons to involve your team are:
- Employees feel more invested in their work and are more likely to share those posts with their networks.
- Your customers will appreciate seeing real people behind the brand rather than just a faceless entity.
- You’ll have multiple points of view when deciding what content looks good. This is helpful for avoiding double standards when deciding which posts make sense for different audiences (i.e., if you’re targeting teens but posting about retirement plans).
5. Run ads (outsource, if need be)
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and build brand loyalty, but it can also be time-consuming. Many people love running their social media accounts and find it a great way to engage with their customers. However, advertising on social platforms can be a different story. Small business owners don’t always have the time or energy to tweak multiple campaigns for keywords and interests frequently. However, advertising your website on social or other platforms will help you see an increase in website traffic and brand awareness, and ultimately see greater revenues. If you have the time to run advertising campaigns on your own and love looking at data and spreadsheets then give it a shot! Run some ads and see how it goes!
If you are unable to run social advertising campaigns and edit them regularly, outsourcing may be the right way to go. Hiring a marketing agency to run social ads can be beneficial. It’s like having your own little marketing team that will utilize their expertise to make your business better.
Conclusion
Running a business is hard enough without the added pressure of managing social media accounts. However, with these five tips, you can manage your accounts more effectively and efficiently, leaving you with more time to focus on other important tasks. You will be able to post quality content that meets your customers’ needs and expectations. So go ahead and get started—it’s time to start crushing it on social media!
