Why should I hire a social media manager?
That is the million-dollar question these days, isn’t it? Especially if you don’t have a million dollars, which is par for the course for many SME entrepreneurs.
But let’s face it. Online shopping has been on the rise, and it shows no signs of slowing down. And one of the most effective ways to boost your online sales is through an active and effective social media presence.
If you’re already quite handy with social media, you can stop reading now. If you’re not, and are considering hiring someone who is but are hesitant about the cost, you’ve come to the right place.
So, how can you tell if it’s time to hire a social media manager? Here are seven questions to help you decide.
1. Have you got enough time?
Aren’t we all scrambling for more time?
Seriously, though, social media marketing is a full-time job, provided you do it correctly. You would need to constantly check your metrics and research social media trends within the industry to craft good content and campaigns. We haven’t even talked about the work that goes into creating compelling visuals, as well as how frequently you’ll need to post them.
For instance, Instagram alone would require up to three posts a day. Twitter is largely the same, and if you have a Youtube channel, you’d need to post a new video every week.
That’s on top of your other business operations, by the way. If all that sounds daunting, you’re better off outsourcing the labor.
2. Are you social media savvy?
And no, this isn’t necessarily the same as being active on social media. If you still find hashtags confusing, can’t upload IG stories, and are puzzled by certain features, you probably aren’t social media savvy.
That’s okay. Really. Loads of people aren’t because managing social media accounts is a whole different animal from interacting as yourself. Social media posts need to be organic and timely. Their content also needs to tick all the right boxes without inadvertently offending a diverse audience.
Seasoned social media managers can do all of that while amateurs can falter.
3. Do you have the right tools for the job?
Huh? What do I need apart from a computer or a smartphone?
Well, there are many more tools that come in handy when managing social media accounts. First, there are those that measure your metrics. These tell you about the people engaging with your posts, which posts get the highest engagement, and which ones could use some work.
Then there are cameras and editing and design software for churning out content that looks good. If your target audience is particularly responsive to Youtube and Instagram content, these are a must.
Thus, in some cases, it’s more practical and cost-effective to hire someone who already has all of these. It would certainly beat having to buy them yourself.
4. Are you overwhelmed by all the social media platforms?
Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and er, what the hell is Snapchat?
While Facebook and Youtube reign supreme (with Instagram following close behind), it sometimes feels like there’s a new platform springing up everyday. Boy, is that confusing AF, as the kids say these days.
The thing is, your business might not need to be on all the new platforms. Facebook and Instagram accounts should be a given, but your demographic might not be as active on, say, Twitter.
Furthermore, each platform demands different best practices. Your content for Facebook wouldn’t and shouldn’t be the same as your content on Instagram, for example. So, copy-pasting captions and replicating visuals are out of the question.
If you can’t quite understand all of these or find it overwhelming, it’s time to call in a professional.
5. Do you have low engagement levels on your social media channels?
In a nutshell, this is why social media managers have jobs. Your page’s online engagement levels are dangerously low if they slip below 10%.
If this still happens despite your best efforts, something’s definitely wrong. Rather than spend valuable time and brain cells figuring it out, hand it over to a social media manager instead. They’re far more likely to get to the bottom of things, and better yet, boost your engagement levels and get you good results.
6. Is writing your forte?
You don’t need to be JK Rowling or Stephen King, but writing social media captions can be challenging in its own way. Ideally, they should be friendly and straightforward while still being authoritative. You also need to watch the words and tone you use so that they match your brand and speak your target audience’s language.
Plus, you need to be able to do this consistently. If you’re maintaining accounts on different platforms, you might need to do a fair bit of rewriting or revising too.
It’s cool if writing comes naturally to you. Otherwise, best look for a social media manager who’s got the writing chops for online content.
7. Is social media central to your marketing strategy?
This is the most important question. Quite frankly, the previous questions don’t matter if the answer to this one is “no.”
There are still a few types of businesses that do better with traditional marketing. If yours falls under this category, then you probably don’t need a social media manager.
On the other hand, even the older demographics are shifting online, especially with the pandemic. So, before you answer this question, check to see if your target audience or market has been more active online recently first.
To end, hiring a good social media manager won’t come cheap. However, if you’ve thought it through and end up hiring the right one, this sort of spending could actually bring in more money for your business.
If you want to hire one but don’t know where to start, Remote Staff’s got your back. With our pool of talented and experienced Filipino social media managers, we can help you find the right one for your brand so you can hit the ground running.
Click here to request a callback today.
