I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Your job can’t be that hard; you’re just posting on Facebook.” Cue horrified internal screaming. Let me be honest, I love what I do and so do my team members, but our jobs involve so much more than posting on Facebook. I guess that comment makes me and others scream inside especially after a client who was doing so well cancels because, “You know, it can’t be that hard to post on Facebook.”
There are so many unspoken rules, new changes, and a certain way things are just supposed to look that make our job much more than a Facebook post. You aren’t just hiring someone to post on Facebook when you hire an agency, but you are hiring an extended team who has your brand's best interest at heart online. An individual who has an eye for creativity, someone who is always online to respond to a comment or message on your social pages. Someone who stays up-to-date on all the latest social media changes such as Facebook Live, Snapchat for business, and how to properly post on all social channels without coming off like a robot.
Sometimes I let out a silent scream when I look back at a canceled client’s Facebook and see that they haven’t posted in weeks, they are posting text blocks with no images, or have unanswered comments or questions on their page. Instagram is a whole other story. It’s disappointing when you see 10 pictures from an event posted back-to-back with no caption.
Believe me when I say, it’s so much more than a Facebook post. It’s a glimpse of your brand, your product, your service, and that glimpse could determine whether you have a potential customer's interest. Now, I know there is still a select group of naysayers out there who still don’t believe in the power of social media, but people didn’t believe in the PC either and look what happened.
Here are just a few stats on how social media plays a role in everyday life and business. One stat that blows my mind is that 8 out of 10 minutes spent on an app online is spent on Facebook! Reviews are now playing a huge role in the decision making process of a sale. 88 percent of people trust online reviews written by other consumers as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts [BrightLocal]. Word of mouth, which is the number one sales referer in business, has been shown to improve marketing effectiveness.
I’ve seen Facebook events posted for an event that have driven hundreds of people to an Easter egg hunt or an Instagram photo that caused a clothing boutique to sell out of a specific item. Average Joe’s are now becoming overnight celebrities because someone just simply took their picture and posted it on Twitter (Check out Alex from Target). This is the power of social media. We’re in the day where the top content company produces no content and the top video company doesn’t make videos.
Social media is the marketing of today, not tomorrow. Your customers are online 24/7 with smartphones in hand and, on average, less than 2 feet away from them at all times. It’s their phone, their computer, their connection to friends, family, events, CONVERSATIONS and ANSWERS!
An account manager's sole role is to be the voice behind the brand. The person online having meaningful conversations and experiences with your audience. We are there to answer their questions, help solve their problems, and find out what it is that they’re looking for. We help educate, engage, entertain and set your company as the expert when buyers are looking for a solution to solve their problem or meet their need. People will be online having conversations whether you’re there or not, the key is to help companies like yours be part of the conversation.
Social media is still continuing to grow with Millennials and Generation Z becoming more and more influential in the marketplace. In fact, millennials now outnumber baby-boomers as the largest audience. We are living in the largest market and advertising shift of the century. Social media platforms and the best practices associated with them will continue to change as these two generations of individuals continue to take over. Are you ready? Are you prepared to stay active and in the know of what’s going on?
If you aren’t ready or just don’t have the time to be the best at social media, it’s okay. Part of being the best is knowing when to turn the job over to someone else who has the passion and drive to be the best. You can’t practice or study passion, it’s just something that's inside of you. Next time you think it's just a Facebook post or just an Instagram post, think about those successful events, sold out products, or those who became viral sensations and toured the world because of just a social media post.
Helpful resources:
Qualities of a Social Media Account Manager
Questions to ask before hiring a social media Account Manager
What’s the benefit of hiring a social media marketing agency? Find out!
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