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Social Media Management can be a relatively thankless role. Many hours spent agonising over the correct hashtag and the perfect image to go with your post, not to mention the constant changes and new features being introduced on every platform! And then there’s the brand-new platform that EVERYONE must be on!
Each of these changes is just another headache to a social media manager. Something shiny and new that their client thinks should be incorporated into their strategy straight away.
But not every platform is suitable for every business. And in the same vein, there are many misconceptions when it comes to social media management.
Recently I asked a few of my colleagues if they could share a few, and they came in thick and fast!
The whole thing can be done in a couple of hours a month
This may be the case if you’re only paying for one platform but you still need a well thought-out strategy which takes time and research to put together. If you’re paying for multiple platforms to be managed, they will each need time set aside for engagement and posts tailored to each platform. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all.
They just post pictures
Nope.
Each picture your SMM posts will be relevant to your business and will have been carefully thought out with just the right caption in order to communicate your brand message with your customers and potential new clients. You don’t get that just be slinging the odd picture here and there!
They will always be available
They may not be working to the traditional 9-5, but this doesn’t mean that they are always available. They will have other clients and responsibilities. If they’re freelance, then they will be carefully managing their time to fit their working life in around their personal life.
They will post whatever you want
Your SMM will have created a carefully thought-out strategy with your brand objectives in mind. They won’t post anything without having thought it through and made sure it works with your overall messaging. So, it’s really not helpful when a client calls and asks them to post something topical because they think it is has a connection to their product. Chances are the connection will be tenuous at best and won’t match up with your brand strategy!
They’re inexpensive
Like any who specialises in a specific field, a SMM has spent time and money in learning their trade. When you hire a SMM, you are paying for their time and their skills, just like paying a builder for labour and materials.
They can automatically increase your followers by a million
Without spending a huge amount on fake followers, this just isn’t possible in a short space of time. And before you go and spend huge amounts on fake followers, read this post about why this is a terrible idea!
That their own social media feeds will be amazing
There are two schools of thought on this. On the one hand, this is what we do for a living so our social media profiles should reflect how good a job we do. On the other hand, sometimes we’re just too busy with client work to even think about our own platforms!
They can make your content go viral
No one knows the secret to going viral. It either happens, or it doesn’t – unless you’re a celebrity with a particular goal in mind. Remember Joe Lycett’s stunt on Steph’s Packed Lunch? A clip of him having a strop on the show went viral after a carefully executed stunt in order to raise awareness of non-recyclable plastic. It generated a lot of publicity and achieved the end result, but he was still nervous about whether or not it would work.
That anyone with a mobile phone can do it
This is like saying you’re excellent at building Lego houses so you must be able to build a real house. Not all skills are transferrable and it still takes time to learn how to successfully manage social media accounts.
That SMM negates the need for any other kind of marketing and will handle all your sales problems
Social Media is only one aspect of the overall marketing platform. Unless you’re putting as much effort into advertising and SEO then your social media performance isn’t going to get you very far no matter how good it is!
We are all website and SEO experts
Web design and SEO are separate specialities. Like social media, it takes time to learn and specialise in these areas of expertise
A few LinkedIn posts will lead to a stream of sales
Much like the myth that you will have a 5000% increase in follower numbers overnight, achieving sales takes time. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
So, when you’ve hired a social media manager to look after your brand accounts, remember that they will have carefully put a strategy together to bring out the best of your brand and put it front and centre of your ideal clients. They know what they’re doing, so please let them get on with it!
