To say that social media should be a part of your marketing strategy is true, however, not always attainable for the average business owner. Larger corporations have the ability to assign job roles such as “social media manager” to already existing employees or sometimes they even have the ability to create a new position for the specific role within the organization.
But, what happens when you aren’t a large corporation and you may not have the time to spend on doing your own social media marketing yourself? Maybe you are not up to speed on how to use most social media platforms or maybe all of your other responsibilities take precedence over being active online.
Sometimes in business, we have to spend money to make money, which is why hiring a social media manager may be more beneficial to you and your business than you know. Here are five reasons why you should be active on social media and why hiring someone to manage it for you may be the best decision you make for your business.
- Save time, make money
As a business owner I would say that one of my most precious resources is time. There never seems to be enough of it. Sometimes when you know you need to do something that is low on the list of priorities it becomes easier to brush it aside but the stress and pressure to do it remains. Stop putting off these tasks! Make the appointment with the social media marketer you’ve been meaning to reach out to. Most consultations don’t last longer than an hour. If you make the commitment to have the initial meeting, it may take a little while to get off the ground but it is the social media managers job to handle the rest (if you choose to hire them).
- Measure ROI, Even if you don’t know how
One of the wonderful things about social media, and one of the reasons it exists and works so well for business is that when used properly, it offers tangible and measurable returns that can better help you understand your audience. The nice part about having a social media manager is that they can pay attention to the data for you and dissect it and analyze it so that you can understand what steps you should take next to further your growth and ultimately earn more business!
- Connect to your audience
This is a very important part of being visible online. There is a whole online community who may need your services but they may not even know you exist! Hiring a social media manager offers the ability to have that community found for you and then target it so that you become top of mind for them. Facebook Ads actually has an option to define your audience based on their likes and interests. This is a huge advantage when trying to connect to your community online because it makes it easy to find your audience!
- Connect to your tribe
There are so many competitors out there in all areas of business and now more than ever it has never been easier it connect to those competitors and learn from them via their own social media strategies. You would be surprised about the amount of support out there that you can find from others who are in the same position you are. Join a group on Facebook, follow a competitor in the next town over on Instagram… you never know what you might learn. Also, there is so much opportunity to collaborate and cross-promote on social media. Asking a client to endorse you can go a long way over social media.
- Influencer in your field
I am not saying that you should be completely hands off- if you hire a social media manager it is important that you establish a relationship with them so that you can work together on developing your brand and the story you want to tell to your audience. A benefit of being involved on some level with your social media strategy is creating a voice and positioning yourself as a professional in your field. If you do this, others will certainly want to hear what you have to say.
Liz Horvath is owner and creator at www.lizhorvathcreative.com
You are totally right. Any small business that is not capitalizing on social media is missing out
I’d never thought about hiring a social media manager but it definitely sounds intriguing. Having someone who actually knows what to do in the social media realm would be a huge weight off my shoulders. Thanks for the idea!
Hi @lisanorthey:disqus! I am a social media manager and I would be happy to speak with you more if you’re interested!
Hey Brian! Good stuff! Social media has had a huge impact on they way we do business today. I really like the point you made about connecting with your audience and tribe. I think that is key. If you can really establish a personal connection with your audience it will take you far. This has been made possible through social media. It’s important to find one or two platforms and really crush it on them and build up a following. Thanks Brian.
Hey Luke, I am the author of the blog and I can’t thank you enough for your feedback! Connecting is a huge part of proper social media management and if you can do that with your audience- no matter what size audience you have – you will be successful!
Social media is where it’s at for small business owners! Great post!
Absolutely! Thank you!
As someone who spent a lot of time in automotive sales I quickly learned the importance of social media. Little did I know it would follow me into blogging.
It is amazing how you can transfer skills from jobs you never knew would be useful. Thanks for the feedback @thewhimsicialpeony:disqus
I think hiring a social media manager is an excellent idea. I think that may be my next step with my business. Thanks for the idea!
Yes,social media is the link to getting your business out there for people to find and use.
I am totally slacking on the social media side of promoting my Etsy shop.. && I can see that social media would be helpful for it.
Great tips here for any blogger hoping to make their online blog/business grow. I have a lot to learn when it comes to promoting myself online through social media marketing. I can’t afford a social media manager yet so I need to up my social media game myself.
Social media is everything. I work hard to promote my stuff on all my different channels.
This was really informative. Fingers crossed I am planning to open my own business and any information is super helpful.
I completely agree! It’s a tricky subject though, isn’t it – and in the end I guess it’s a matter of priority. Thanks for a great read.
Great tips. Small business owners really need to take advantage of social media.
Very truthful post, great indicators. Small business and even small towns benefit from it.
I know many small businesses that get almost all their new contacts, not from a website, but from social media. So important to keep social media pages updated.
Totally agree especially for a generation growing up to be technologically savvy!
You definitely have to spend money to make money. I think its just vital in this day and age. Its how you reach people.
Really good article. Being a presence on social media is super important. Analyzing and keeping an idea on what your social media stats look like is, too.
Good advice. I especially liked the guidance on measuring ROI even if you don’t know how to. There is so much data that you can use to see what’s working, but you have to have time to do the analysis. Help with the analysis is important.
Because it’s easier to have business with your pajamas. Social media strategy is important, so glad you shared good tips.
I agree that time is what I lack most. I joined the mailing list so I won’t miss any of your wisdom. So much I don’t know about social medias and how to best use them.
It’s definitely important to engage with your audience when you’re handling an online business, showing them that you’re available and willing to communicate builds a sense of trust. These are really good tips.
I believe no one should be considered as an enemy when it comes to social media business promotions. It’s a great way to team up with people getting to the same goals and ultimately, there’s only the audience there that will take notice and it leads to success. Just my two cents, I guess!
You know most small business owners don`t even consider social media here. And that`s a pity.
Most small businesses don’t even know how valuable social media can be. So, they think that it’s not important to spend time or money on impoving their internet presence. They are so wrong! They should definitely read your post! 🙂
I tried explaining to my fellow cosmetology classmates that marketing themselves on social media is important but they didn’t believe me. Maybe I should share your post with them and get them to understand.
I notice that many small businesses are seeking out the social media trail now. That is very good. Especially when most things are digital.
Very good information!
Social media is extremely important when it comes to businesses. Many people are using social media, so to get your business out there it’s a great place to go to. I recently made a page for my father in law for his business, and it’s been helping out a lot.
I own my own marketing agency and your post is spot on! Social media is all around us and is used by people of every age!
Yes! it is truly important, ive heard that the customers always search first online for their favorite places or products and where to find them.
Instagram especially has become such a pivotal part of the shopping process for everyone!
Great points. For small businesses, Social Media is the best and chepeast way they can get their brand or product message across.
i totally agree. social media is hugeee for small businesses.
That ‘s completely accurate. A lot of small business are not thriving due to the fact that they are not at all on social medias. Social media is huge when it comes to visibility. It doesn’t take away from word of the mouth and just being a good business, if anything, it makes it even easier to reach more people.
I like the tips. I kinda hated that you had so many pop ups on your site though. I had to X so many windows to get to the good stuff.
You should check your computer because there is only 1 popup on this site and its for my free social media ebook.
Oh I definitely agree with the things you wrote. As a photographer, the game-changer in our field is the use of social media. If you don’t use instagram, you’re losing a lot of potential clients.
http://thetopknotters.com
Great article. Having a presence on social media is super important!