Have you ever thought: “what does a social media manager do?” If you’re anything like my parents, it can be confusing to understand what that title actually means. Now, my parents have very little experience with social media but I’m going to assume you have a little bit. I’m going to outline the different elements that a social media manager can incorporate when they’re helping out a business or brand.
Social Media Strategy
Some businesses, know the basics of using social media but they don’t know how to put all the pieces together in an actual strategy. This is really one of the most important parts of social media marketing. If you’re just posting videos on TikTok without knowing if your audience is even there, what your audience wants to see, how you’re getting someone from viewing your TikTok to being a client, or what the best practices are, you’re really wasting your time.
A social media manager will be able to help businesses develop that strategy. They can look at what your business goals are and tell you where you should be focusing your time and how to make social media actually work for you.
I work with a lot of small businesses. Wasting time or money on marketing in the wrong place can be really detrimental. That’s why having a strong social media strategy beyond just “post on here because it’s fun” is so important. Social media can drive sales and make a difference in your business but only if you have an actual strategy behind it.
Content Creation
This is probably the part that most people think of when it comes to social media managers. Content creation includes making graphics, writing captions, coming up with concepts, and providing inspiration. Some social media managers will even take photos or videos.
Since I tend to work with solo-preneurs, I’ll usually give them a month of content with captions or prompts for them to approve or implement. Sometimes, I know a certain Reel has been doing really well and so I give the idea to my client for how they can use that Reel sound for their own video. I can help with inspiration, upload the Reel, add text, and add a caption but usually, it’s the small business that has to do the job of recording the Reel. Videos and photos often require someone’s face so not all content creation can be done by an outside social media manager alone.
Organic Outreach
This is a part of social media that I think gets overlooked. It is a service that I provide to my clients. Social media outreach is actually one of the things that I think helps drive your business, especially for small businesses.
While outreach strategies may differ, this is what I do for Instagram outreach:
- Comment authentically on some posts from people the brand follows
- Comment authentically on some posts from hashtags identified as hashtags ideal clients might use
- Follow accounts that seem like ideal clients or potential business partners
- Continue to build relationships when ideal clients are identified on social media with comments or messages when appropriate
I also like to use Facebook Groups as a place to find new Instagram followers. You can send a message to someone saying you saw you were both in the group and you’re excited to see what they’re posting. You’ll usually get a follow back from that.
Social Media Community Management
Community management is typically something larger brands do but I want to mention it because it is an important part of social media. I’ve been doing it for larger brands for more than two years now and it’s essentially an extension of customer service.
If someone comments on your posts, sends you a message, or tags you in something, you should try to respond. It shows the social media platforms that you’re engaging. That usually helps with the algorithm but it also shows fans that you care.
The reason this is usually reserved for bigger brands is that sometimes small companies only get a couple of comments. They can usually handle that on their own. However, if you’re not someone who checks your messages or comments regularly, you might want to outsource that to a social media manager.
Social Media Training
This is something that not every social media manager does, but I really enjoy doing it. Since I normally work with smaller businesses, they might not be able to afford to have someone do their entire content creation or outreach strategy. But they may have an employee who is willing to learn the ropes and can do a pretty good job if they’re giving the right tools and strategy.
Some people avoid this because you’re essentially training yourself out of a job. However, I’m always of the mindset that I’d rather help people in the best way that I can. After all, me training someone for a few hours on Instagram doesn’t mean they’ll now know as much as I do. I can give them all the information they need to know but when new things happen or new platforms are introduced, I’m still the expert that people know they can come to.
Need a social media manager for your small business?
Having someone help with social media can really take away a big headache that small business owners often have. While I’m based in Spokane, I work virtually and I’m happy to help small businesses throughout the country.
If you feel like one of the above would help you get to the next level in your business, get in touch with me. I’m happy to discuss further. I truly want you and your small business to succeed.