I began working in social media in 2006 yes! over 12 years ago now. Our first client was Paramount Pictures and we organised blogger outreach to a film called Hot Fuzz. At that time blogger outreach was crazily new and our bloggers came up from their basements to attend the opening for free! they were pretty inspired by that and the thought of actually charging us! was not even an option at that point – how far influencer marketing has come.
In my time working in social media marketing, these are the questions I get asked the most. To be honest, some of the answers have changed over the years as social media marketing has become ‘pay to play’ and the landscape shifts regularly. Some questions have stood the test of time and these are the ones I have written about below.
How much time does it take to manage social media?
While the answer to this question really depends on your objectives and the depth and breadth of your strategy as a minimum you need to have at least 15-20 hours to manage two key platforms effectively. This includes content curation, creation, measuring and refining your work and responding to comments. Of course, if you have 50k users on your site that use your channel as a customer feedback support the intensity will change compared to a small business. The important thing to note though is that even smaller businesses need to understand that there is a minimum entry point to participating in social media
Do I need a strategy or can I just roll out content?
Yes, you do need a strategy. You need to develop objectives and the metrics that will match the objectives. Rolling out content without a strategy is a waste of resources even though it can be tempting to move straight into a tactical phase.
Do I really need an advertising budget?
Sadly yes. The organic reach of social media platforms is now hovering around 0.5-1%. Without an advertising budget, your content will not be seen. Don’t fall into the trap of spending all your budget on amazing content and having none left over to amplify it online.
What metrics are important for social media?
It depends of course on what your objectives are but typically you will be measuring reach, engagement and conversions. Conversions are basically the action that the user has taken. Conversions differ dramatically from donating to a charity through to buying a surfboard or signing up to take a car for a test drive. The conversion metric is up to you.
Why is social media important for my business?
Right now the majority of businesses participate in social media this is because it is a great real-time market research channel, a sales platform, it reaches across all demographics from 18 years old through to 75-year-olds. It should be part of your communication toolbox and one that is integrated into your entire marketing strategy
What are the best social media tools for marketing?
Depending on your objectives the tools may differ slightly however the folllowing tools have been mainstays for quite a few years. These are hootsuite, buffer,CANVA, Icononsquare, Audiense, BuzzSumo, Tribe, VisWiz, Easil, Planoly and Fastory.
Are social media measurements always quantitative?
No. While we often discuss reach and impressions and CPC qualitative metrics are also important. Is the sentiment towards your brand positive or negative? what are the insights that you have derived through reading the comments on your platform? Social media is not just a numbers game.
Which social media platform is best for marketing?
You need to decide is this a B2B or B2C campaign or both. Also, look at the social media statistics reported by Sensis Social media annually to see where the eyeballs are for each of the age groups. Understanding where your tribe is focusing on is key. Under 25’s today are moving away from Facebook apart from messenger while the over 50s are still firmly entrenched in Facebook.
Who is a social media marketer? what qualifications do they have?
Social media marketers came from a range of background but typically have a marketing or PR degree. Understanding the value that social media plays within the macro marketing environment is key. My background has spanned PR agencies, market research agencies, and ad agencies over the past 25 years giving me a holistic view of the sector and the changing requirements. Social media specifically is still taught primarily in small courses however universities are now teaching social media as part of Digital Communications degrees.
Do let me know if you have any further questions. While social media has been part of the landscape now for over 10 years there are still some myths and misconceptions in the marketplace so breaking them down is important.
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