Running a small business can be hugely demanding; it takes hard work, determination and grit.
Whether you have staff or you’re a lone soldier, as a small business owner you’re most likely doing more than one person’s role. Juggling many roles and responsibilities at once is synonymous to running a small business. You’re probably a jack of all trades, playing the role of the Accountant, the HR Manager, the Sales Director and everyone in-between.
Add Social Media Manager into the mix and that puts a spanner in the works for many a small business owner.
Social media has become the digital medium of choice for small business owners around the globe due to its ability to give small businesses access to such a large audience of potential customers for a relatively low cost.
The cost of traditional advertising mediums is mostly out of reach for small businesses that have little or no marketing budget.
In theory, social media is an affordable way to advertise online to potential customers around the globe. Although, in reality it’s more complex than most small business owners expect it to be.
Social media can be hugely time consuming and demanding.
Gone are the days of posting random, funny content and getting thousands of likes. The algorithms behind platforms like Instagram and Facebook are evolving at such a rapid rate, getting smarter and more complicated as we speak.
It’s no longer about how many followers you have, or how many people like your post, it’s about who’s engaging with your content.
Comments and interactions equate to gold in the social media world.
When a follower engages, it means that they’re interested in what you have to say. They’ll only be interested in what you have to say if you’re communicating something of value. That’s where the challenge comes into play for small business owners. They’re innately time poor due to them having to multitask an array of operational responsibilities.
Creating engaging content takes time and effort, and requires a certain degree of skill. Most small business owners you talk to will say that they need more hours in the day, they’re drained from the demands of running their business, and/or they aren’t creative geniuses who have the ability to create amazing content.
So, what’s the alternative? Zero social media presence is better than having one that’s substandard. Having an unprofessional social presence says exactly that, you’re an unprofessional business.
It can have detrimental effects on your brand and your business so tread carefully if you decide to take it on yourself.
The world wide web has not only opened up a gateway to goods and services for your customers, but it’s also given you access to an endless stream of skilled experts.
A professional Social Media Management Agency is just a click away.
They are highly skilled, knowledgeable and creative in the social space. This is what they do for a living, and they’re good at it. They keep up to date with trends and algorithm changes, knowing how your content fits into the whole scheme of things.
Small business owners have a tendency to take on everything themselves, rather than outsource certain parts of their business where they lack the skills to perform.
They undertake a multitude of tasks that they really don’t have the skills to do, which leads to things being done below par. It can be hard to ask for help, or you may think that outsourcing costs too much.
If this sounds familiar then continue reading.
Social media is a hugely important aspect of digital marketing, so if you’re not an expert, then find someone who is and don’t feel guilty about it.
Here’s what to look for when it comes to Social Media Management for Melbourne Small Businesses
1. What Is Social Media Management?
Social media management is the process of creating, scheduling and analysing content, as well as engaging with the audience in a strategic way on social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
A social media manager can be employed by a either brand, individual or business to reach new customers or to improve and/or maintain their image or reputation.
Social media management is a type of digital marketing that’s implemented in a strategic way for the purpose of building brand presence, increasing brand loyalty and improving brand image. It’s no longer about posting random content on social platforms, hoping that someone will like it. It’s a professional avenue of digital marketing that requires knowledge, skill and expertise.
A social media manager is a professional individual who has most likely obtained a marketing degree or had years of experience in the industry. They’re social savvy, up to date with current trends and tactical in their execution.
They’ll have creative ways to engage an audience and keep them coming back for more.
Social media management will save you time, increase your brand authority, give you a better understanding of your audience, improve your customer support and engagement, give you control of your brand’s reputation and so much more.
2. What Do Social Media Management Companies Do?
Social media management companies are a one stop social shop.
From identifying social goals and developing a social strategy to achieve long-term marketing goals, to creating and publishing original content and engaging with customers, they manage the entire process for you.
They’re experts at handling all aspects of social media activity.
Identifying marketing goals: What is it you want to achieve?
Your social media management company will work closely with you to help identify your short-term and long-term marketing goals. These goals can include things like increase sales, build brand loyalty, change your brand image through brand collaborations etc.
If you already have a presence, they’ll perform a social media audit and see how your current performance stacks up to your future goals.
Developing a social media Strategy: How are you going to achieve your goals?
Your social media management company will develop a strategic plan outlining how you are going to achieve your social goals. It’ll outline actions and requirements that need to be undertaken.
From understanding your audience and selecting relevant platforms to developing content, they’ll layout out a solid strategy to get you to where you want to be.
Content creation: What’s the best way to communicate with your audience?
Creating content can be a challenge. Understanding how to best communicate with an audience takes experience and skill in the marketing and communications space.
Let me guess, you’re not a comms expert?
Your social media management company will have expert content creators that will tell your story the way you want it to be told, in an engaging and creative way.
Executing the strategy: Putting everything in place
Your agency will have the know-how when it comes to execution. When and which platforms to post content and so on. They’ll have tools to automate scheduling, monitor and respond to audience engagement, develop brand collaborations and more.
Monitoring performance: Tracking how you’re performing according to your strategy
Your agency will have the expertise necessary to monitor campaign performance, and tweak the strategy if required.
They’ll also have a good understanding of each platform’s algorithms, including current updates, as well as how they affect your content. They’ll adjust their strategy to ensure that it incorporates each change as it’s implemented.
3. Why Do Small Businesses Need Social Media Management?
Now that you know what a social media management company does, and what it takes to successfully manage your social presence, you’re probably thinking: “Wow, that’s a lot of work!”.
You would be correct in thinking that social media marketing is heaps of work.
It’s a huge amount for a small business owner to take on. It requires continuous planning, executing, monitoring and adjusting, which most small business owners frankly don’t have the time to do.
Affordable social media management for any budget is out there, you just need to take the first step.
4. What To Look For In A Social Media Management Company?
When it comes to social media management in Melbourne, the proof is in the pudding.
The best indicator of social media management ability are the platforms themselves. If you want to determine how successful a social media management company is, your first port of call should be their profile(s).
Their social media profile(s) is essentially an example of what they’re capable of as a professional social media management agency.
You have complete freedom do stalk their profiles(s) in this case, don’t feel guilty at all.
Their profile(s) will give you a clear indicator of how successful they are at their own game. You’ll get a feel for how innovative, creative and inventive they are in this space.
Don’t just look at how many followers they have, look at the content that they’re posting, who’s engaging with it, and what they’re saying about it. This will give you an idea of how relevant or valuable their content is to their audience.
If a social media management company has a poor performing profile then that’s a clear indicator that they’re either too busy to focus on/aren’t prioritising their own profiles, or they just aren’t as good at the social game as they make out to be.
This is a huge no no for a business who’s promoting their ability to successfully manage social platforms. If they aren’t impressing you with their socials then I wouldn’t expect too much from them when it comes to your social media management.
If you’re keen to determine if the agency has a good ability within your space, then ask them about which customers they service within your industry or whose social goals are similar to yours. Check out their customer’s profiles to get a better understanding of their approach.
You’ll get a feel for their strategy and be able to decide whether their strategy is aligned to your values, mission and vision.
5. Why choose ADV Marketing For Your Social Media Management?
ADV Marketing has been successfully serving customers within the social media space for many years now. We’ve built our reputation on putting our clients’ needs first. We take the time to get to know our clients, understand their goals, and provide value for money.
We understand how precious our customer’s marketing budgets are so we don’t dwindle them away. We work hard to stretch their budgets as far and wide as possible, to maximise the results.
We have the skills to find your ideal target audience, and ensure that they’re seeing you. We use creative ways to tap into their feeds, making sure that your message is seen time and time again. We have a strong focus on firstly, engaging your audience, and secondly adding value in order to nurture your followers.
We have tactics to create a loyal following that sticks around.
We strategically design and create engaging content that will get you noticed by the right people. Our team of content creators are innovative, creative and skilled when it comes to all things content.
At ADV Marketing, we’ll go the extra mile to ensure that those loyal followers ultimately become customers, building that sales funnel so you see results. We’ll keep your business front-of-mind so you’re their first choice.
We don’t stop there. We’ll make sure that not only are your customers loyal to your business, but they become your biggest fans, telling their friends and family about you!
Conclusion
Social media is your gateway to millions of potential customers that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
Affordable social media management is available for all types of businesses and budgets. It’s a reasonably inexpensive way to market your services in a meaningful way in order to create a community of loyal followers.
If you continue to provide valuable content, your following will only grow. The more engaging your content is, the more engaged your audience will be. You’ll be top of mind the next time a follower needs to make a purchase.
Social Media Advertising doesn’t have to be burdensome. Reach out to an expert to build your online presence and grow your brand.