A mistake made by many business owners is to attempt to undertake all their social media marketing requirements single-handedly. Here’s why you may do better to outsource social media marketing to a specialist.
Social media marketing (SMM) is best achieved by having a dedicated contractor attend to the needs of your business. This will ensure that the content out there promoting it is easily found, regularly shared and simply more memorable than you are likely to have time for.
SMM seeks to increase your website traffic, add a personality to your brand, enhance its credibility and visibility, and opens doors to social feedback using popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest. Additionally, it contributes to increased Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) results by building an online network of connected followers and posts.
A notable trend on social media of late has been the use of live, real-time video to attract and engage a targeted audience. In fact, business promoters are increasingly referring to Twitter and Facebook as the new TV. While progressive business owners may like to try such an avenue, it is unlikely they will have the time – or skill in the realm of video – to shift their content appropriately. Are you equipped, as an overloaded business owner, to create genuine videographic experiences that make your followers feel authentically in the moment
Additionally, business owners are unlikely to have an advanced knowledge of ROI measurement. The social specialists of today are tapping into analytics from other channels – including desktop web – thereby making the competitive niche of ROI measurement increasingly data-driven and complex. Got the time to get your head around this?
Then, there’s a shift towards combining and integrating all social media postings, across platforms, related to the customer’s journey. Business owners may not know the current trends, terms or abbreviations or how to cross-pollinate their web, e-commerce and mobile touch points as part of their digital strategy; although this consistent personalised experience is increasingly expected by customers across the board. Tool consolidation is therefore an area where a marketing expert can assist a business owner, rather than him forging ahead with numerous different, disconnected tools to manage a host of unrelated activities.
And, of course, it puts the pressure on for a business owner to have to do more in less time on social media, with something called Social Media Stress Syndrome raring its ugly head. Instead of succumbing to this “workplace ailment” in an area that is not your forte, rather consult an expert and place in professional hands the necessities of: auditing and selecting key platforms; creating stylish content that grabs the right kind of attention; and maintaining a sanity-restoring digital balance in your business.
According to Craig Johnston of Savvy Sprout, “Whether you are an advocate of social media or not, you need to be aware that your customers and prospects are online and interacting on blogs, news portals and social media to get the information, commentary and insights that they need. If you don’t have the time to give them the platform for expression and commentary that is so valuable as an extension of your marketing and branding efforts, it is best to employ the services of a seasoned professional to keep you up to speed with your competitors.”