This season, give yourself a gift of a competent social media manager

Do you ever feel like managing your business social media is a full-time job? Well – that’s because it is! Navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media platforms, producing fresh content, and responding to your customers online can get overwhelming fast. This holiday season, pour yourself a glass of eggnog and ask Santa for a competent social media manager!

Step one in outsourcing this task is choosing a professional with the right skillset and specialized knowledge. Hiring your favorite niece might seem like a good idea – after all, she is constantly on Instagram and TikTok – but in all honesty, think twice before you make that decision. If we got a dollar every time an inexperienced account manager makes an accidental post to the wrong account, doesn’t proofread, or ignores a customer, we could happily retire. Fortunately, we prefer to keep busy and offer our expertise to you!

What does a social media manager do?

A social media manager is responsible for producing, managing, and monitoring content on different social channels, while serving as the voice of the brand. They play a key role in implementing a marketing plan, creating an engagement strategy, developing a conversion plan, analyzing data, and making needed adjustments.

What are the steps in hiring a social media manager?

1. Determine which platforms and services you want to use

Whether it’s driving more traffic to your website, growing your customer base, or increasing sales, a good social media manager will be able to help you with choosing the right platforms and the right tools for your audiences. Facebook is a versatile network with 2.9 billion active monthly users, allowing you to share anything from photos and videos to company updates and news articles. Instagram is a visual platform based entirely on photo and video posts, which makes it the best fit for businesses with strong visual content to share. Twitter is fast-paced, great for short updates and easy interaction with followers, but requires a unique voice to gain enough traction. LinkedIn is great for professional networking, allowing you to position yourself as an industry leader and recruit new talent. TikTok is a relatively new platform where users create and share short videos. It has a lot of potential to share brand awareness and personality but requires the right approach and the right energy. At RHM, we will help you define which platforms and what kind of engagement will work best for your goals.

2. Define responsibilities and duties for the social media manager

The responsibilities of the social media manager are going to vary depending on the needs of your business. Maybe you need to start from scratch because you don’t have any online presence. Perhaps you don’t have the time to manage the already set up accounts, and need someone to create captivating content and boost public engagement. Or maybe you have been posting regularly, but you’re just not seeing any conversion to sales. At RHM, we offer to create content, determine posting schedule, implement a marketing plan, support promotional strategies, create an engagement strategy, analyze data, and develop a conversion plan. We can help you figure out what’s lacking in your digital marketing, and fill those needs.

3. Confirm must-have skills for the job

If you are set on hiring your niece, please make sure that she has the skills for the job – and maybe she really does! In that case, congratulations (and eggnog) to you both. Your social media manager should check off all the following boxes – experience with social media platforms, good writing skills, excellent customer service, organizational skills, and experience in handling PR crises. They should have paid traffic experience and an understanding of analytics. Additionally, they should be engaging storytellers and have basic design abilities.

4. Decide the terms of your engagement

Decide if you need to hire a social media manager full-time or on a freelance basis. The time to hire for social media is when you’re missing out on potential business and leaving money on the table. Whether it’s help with product launches, customer support and service, or recruiting new talent, hiring a person with knowledge of digital marketing tools and best practices will level up your business.

What can RHM do for me?

All of the above! At RHM, we help business owners like you deliver honest real-world messaging and build relationships in the online space through sincere and real human connections. We are fueled by your success! And unlike Santa, you can reach us at any time of the year. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

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