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If you're starting the intimidating process of finding a social media manager and have no idea what you'll need to be successful, this is your glimpse behind the curtain. From a social media manager, here is what you'll want to have in place before reaching out.
A website, or at least a landing page.
Your social media manager’s job is to direct traffic off social media to somewhere else. That somewhere else needs to have a sales funnel in place to convert clients once they’re there. Do you have good, well-lit images of your product? Comprehensive, compelling copy about your service? An abandoned cart retargeting sequence?
We can't fix a broken customer journey. It's worth working with a web designer to fix any issues with your site before starting your social media marketing to have the best chance of success once you get going.
A UVP (Unique Value Proposition) and a solid grasp of your branding.
What makes you stand out? What is your differentiating factor? We need to understand the details of your branding so that we can translate it into messaging that cuts through all the noise on social media. We also need brand colours, fonts, and preferred content styles to ensure that we can effectively represent your business.
You need to know your brand voice and tone.
Brand voice is what you say to your audience and how you say it. Brand tone is the mood or emotion you convey in messages to your audience through specific word choice and writing style. Essentially, it's how you express your brand voice.
Your social media manager needs to be able to come in and authentically represent you, so we need to know how you show up conversationally with your audience.
Not quite sure what we mean? This article from Grammarly has some great examples.
Educational resources
Social media managers cannot be automatic experts in your field. We’re experts in our field. Please have resources available so we can learn the ins and outs of your business and your industry, or be willing to teach us what you know. Yes, we can and will be doing our own research, but your expertise is invaluable.
A marketing plan outside of social media.
Socials shouldn't be the only place you market your business. It should be a strong part of your marketing mix, but not the only part.
A willingness to be involved.
We need you! We can't be the face of your brand, and we can't replace YOU. This process is collaborative. We can create your social media strategy, send you content calendars with scripts and shot lists, and edit your content. We can do graphic design for static posts and stories. We can schedule, post, do hashtag research, and answer comments, but we can't get on camera and be you.
Please have realistic expectations.
Your account isn’t likely to blow up in two weeks. When social media managers talk about consistency, we mean for months, not days or weeks. Patience is important. No one can guarantee super fast organic results. If they do, back away slowly.
You need to trust us.
If you’re hiring someone to manage your social media presence, please don’t micromanage them. You hired them for a reason. It can be hard to let go a little bit, but it is necessary. They won't be able to cater to all of your personal likes and dislikes.
We don't mean big things, of course, but if your social media manager chooses a trending sound from an artist you don't like (but the sound is aligned with your business's vibe), then take a deep breath and just let it happen. So you hate Taylor Swift. We aren't her biggest fans either, BUT there's no doubt that her music is a social media powerhouse. No, one sound won't make or break your socials, but frequent nitpicking over small things will break your relationship with your social media manager.
Lastly, if you want an expert in all of this:
Social media marketing strategy
Trend research
Copywriting
Scriptwriting
Directing
Content Creation
Video editing
Data analysis
Paid ad management
Influencer relations
Post scheduling
SEO strategy for several platforms
... and so much more
You need to have the budget.
Social media management is a lot of behind-the-scenes work. A couple hundred dollars a month simply isn’t going to cut it unless you just want someone to post stock images for you - and realistically, that’s not good enough anymore. Social media users are looking for brands and businesses with a strong, authentic brand presence that draws them in and doesn't make them feel sold to. That takes a lot of time and effort, as well as a good understanding of your target market.
We want to see you thrive.
We're not saying any of this to make businesses feel bad or to throw shade. We just want everyone to have realistic expectations for this partnership. Your success is our success, and we want you and your business to thrive on social media.
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