If you were talking to your 2006 self and said that you’re a social media manager, younger you might respond with “yeah, but what do you do for a living?” Earning a crust under the title of social media manager (SMM) is a very recent career option, and because of this, the best practices of a SMM are still somewhat up in the air.
There are a few habits that a social media manager can form that will put them in good stead, however. Following are five things that you’d do well to think about day-to-day to ensure that your social accounts are firing on all cylinders.
Essential Habits to Help in Becoming A Successful Social Media Manager
Start every day by checking the social pulse
The first thing that every social media manager should start their day with is checking any interactions on their accounts, then looking around social media to get a sense of what’s trending.
While this may seem like a no-brainer, it’s surprising how many companies allow their social accounts to lay dormant for days on end. Being a good social media manager means being active and responsive; if you aren’t logged in, then there’s no way to keep on top of current interactions and events.
Eat your veggies first
It can be easy to slide into an attitude of “I’ll do it later” when it comes to the more difficult tasks that you face as a social media manager. But time and time again it’s been proven that successful people knock over the difficult stuff first, and save the easy stuff for later. Vegetables before dessert.
Many studies have concluded that most people’s willpower is far higher in the morning than it is in the afternoon. For this reason, the best time to attack the hard tasks is when you first get to work. Save the simple stuff – the commenting, responding to messages, and sharing content – for when your willpower starts to wane.
Respond to direct interactions
Aloofness is not a sought-after quality when it comes to social accounts. If your audience senses that you feel you’re above responding to them, or that they’re not worth your time, they’ll soon feel the same about you.
So, all of those Facebook messages, comments and tags, all of those Twitter DMs and @s, all of those Instagram comments; they need to be treated as if they were written by your largest client. Your commitment to interaction will pay off big time down the track.
Search for new followers
In a perfect world, your social audience will grow organically. People will have an affinity for your brand and will want to hear more from it. But a perfect world very rarely exists. If you’re a new brand who hasn’t managed to get its name out just yet, or your company hasn’t yet built up much of an online presence, you’ll need to actively search for new members of your audience.
One way this can be achieved is to follow industry trend-setters, in the hope that they will follow you back. This will open your brand’s posts up to being shared and retweeted, getting a swathe of relevant eyes gazing on your material.
Opting for a paid campaign on Facebook is another way to get your name out there. By investing just a few dollars, you can get in front of thousands of new faces.
Post content that starts a conversation
Engagement is the name of the game when it comes to your social accounts. On platforms like Facebook, more engagement gets your content in front of more eyes, through their algorithm that prioritizes heavily liked and commented material.
To get your content fitting the bill, you can try the following strategies:
- Share interesting and relevant articles
- Reference a recent news event
- Ask a provocative question
- Request feedback on your brand’s products or services
Call to actions are vital for engagement. By making the audience’s next step very clear, you’ll ensure that you get maximum reward for effort.
If the title of social media manager was unrecognizable ten years ago, you can only imagine what it might entail in another decade. But by staying focused on the fundamentals in the meantime, you’ll ensure that you’re on the leading edge of social media managers for years to come.