Three Ways to Be the Boss of Your Social Media

Social Media Marketing professionals can do the heavy lifting for businesses, who understand the value of this marketing technology.  From the way the company pages look on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus to what is posted and when,  Social Media Marketers develop a strategy for each  client, taking into consideration their business, industry and unique company culture.  However, whether the client runs a “one-man-band” or has a building (or buildings) full of employees, there are certain things that business owners can do to assure a successful Social Media Marketing Program:

• Own the Page. We recently worked with a client who had at least three Facebook Business Pages – and didn’t have control over any of them. Over the last few years, several of her part-time employees and interns have convinced her that they would build and take care of her Facebook Page.  As each of these temporary employees left her employ, the Facebook pages were abandoned. Because the business owner had not been made an admin on any of the pages, they remain in “limbo.”  This dilutes any future Social Media Marketing efforts, as people will be confused about which Page they should “like.” Also when they find the abandoned pages, they may believe that the business no longer exists.

It is important for the business owner (or other principal of the company) to have control over their Pages.  If the client does not want to bother with Facebook, the Social Media Manager can open a Personal Page, using the client’s email address, and build the Business Page from that, adding herself as a second admin on the page.  The business owner can leave the account alone, but should keep the user name and password in a safe place.

• Keep the Social Media Manager “in the loop.” We recently discovered that one of our clients had been interviewed by the local newspaper. We also found out (after the fact) that he had partnered with another company to run a contest.  When we asked why he had not advised us about these things, he said he didn’t think of it.

To get the “biggest bang for your marketing buck,” let your Social Media manager know what is happening, including sales, articles, interviews, special offers, milestones, etc.  Submitting pictures or other images to the Social Media Manager will help personalize the page and make it more interesting.

• Answer Questions in a timely manner. One of the most important features of social media is the ability of people to communicate with the company.  Social Media Managers will alert the business owner (or designated employee) of comments and questions. By responding quickly, answers will be posted in a timely manner.  This will not only help the person who asked the question, but demonstrate to all friends of the Page that the company cares about them.

While we believe that Social Media Marketing has become a sophisticated marketing technology best run by professionals, there are things that business owners can do to show their friends and followers that they are “real” people, who care about their business and their customers.
 

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