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What Can a Social Media Manager Do for You?

This is a question that I get all the time. If you’re a social media manager (“SMM”), maybe you get it, too! Every SMM is a little different, as far as their skills, and we refer to each other all the time if something is out of our league. That said, here are a few common things that an SMM can do for you.

Research

We can figure out what things might interest your audience based on knowing your ideal demographic. Your audience is interested in more than just your product or service. For instance, say your non profit works to save the redwoods, like Sempervirens does (one of my favorite organizations). Their followers would probably like to hear about parks that have redwood trees, educational events, and articles about redwood trees. They might also be interested in the animals, insects, and people who visit redwood groves as well as which climates support redwood groves.

Photo by Elsie esq.

Decide Where and When to Post

We figure out where you need to be on the internet–that is, which platform, and when. If you’re a brick-and-mortar store, we would probably focus on times that your local audience is online. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes tools that we use to figure out this stuff, and the post is really just the tip of the iceberg. By the way, you might like this article: Ten Simple Ways to Choose the Best Social Media Platform.

Choose Hashtags

We can help you come up with hashtags for your business, and how many we should use (and where, too!). Because not every platform is hashtag-friendly. Hah! #HashtagFriendly would be a great hashtag, don’t you think? If you like hashtags, you might like this article: How to Catapult Your Tweets Farther? Use a Powerful Hashtag!

Photo by jbolles

Engage Online

The biggest problem for most businesses is having the time to engage online. Most SMMs do this for you (not all of them, though). And since Facebook’s algorithm is changing once again, engagement has become more important than ever so that you appear. Engagement is such an issue for many people that I’ve written a series on Engagement.

On Overwhelm?

Then you might need a social media manager! If “I’ll never get this done” is your constant companion, as Linda Hardenstein says in this Forbes Article, Five Simple Steps to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed at Work, then you may need some help. A social media manager can get you out of overwhelm and let you get back to the business of running your business!

How to Turbocharge Your Blog Post Production: What You Need to Know

Every startup has heard that they need to update their website in order to stay relevant to Google and the little bots that crawl around on the interwebs. But how many of them actually start blogging? Very few, unless forced! Don’t ask me how I know–I just do.

You Can Do it!

So, how do you get started? Here’s a pep talk: How to Create a Wonderful Blog Post in An Hour. Know that you can create something in an hour. That’s the most important thing to keep in mind.

Make an Editorial Calendar

There are many ways to create an editorial calendar, and I’d opt for the simplest if you’re just starting out. A spreadsheet on Google, shared by the entire team would probably do it. Here are some examples:

If You Can Speak, You Can Write

My blogging buddy, Bridget Willard, taught me that and I’ve never forgot it. If you don’t think you can write, start by speaking. You can get help with cleanup (that is, editing) later. Don’t worry too much about that for now.

Break it Down

As my friend Randy Clark explains, writing and editing use different sides of the brain. So do your writing first, then your editing. Don’t edit as you go for a faster experience. You might want to get some great examples of blogging at Randy’s blog about car wraps. And Randy’s book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever, on Amazon is a bargain!

Research First

Research your topic before you dive into the writing. Or, if you’ve already started writing, create space where the researched topics need to go. For example, you could say something like add backup link here, and then keep writing. Since researching and editing use a different part of the brain, you can keep your creative juices flowing if you write this way.

Make an Outline

What do you want your post to be about? Create an outline before you start. Write a header first (here’s a post on How to Write a Headline That People Will Want to Click), then at least five paragraph headings. End with your call to action. Now go back and fill in each of those five paragraphs with two or three sentences.

What Ifs

Secret confession time: I hire both an editor (when I need one), and a full-time graphics person. I’ve been writing for years. Give yourself a break and hire it out if you don’t want to do it. Focus on your strengths!

What if you have bad spelling and/or grammar? Hire an editor!
What if you aren’t artistic? Hire a graphic designer!
What if you are a terrible writer? Hire a writer!

Blogging Buddies

As mentioned earlier, a blogging buddy is a gift you can give yourself. Find someone else to inspire you. The blogging buddies idea can catapult your writing! Brainstorm ideas, and talk to your buddy when you’re stuck!

The Reward System

Like anything else, it’s good to give you or your team member a reward at the end of a successful session. Recognition is also an excellent idea, as outlined in an article from the Next Web: Rewards and Recognition: Two Highly Effective Ways to Reward Your Employees.

Photo by beije

Start the Next Post Early

My best blog articles have been sitting on the back burner for days. I like to write in 15-minute chunks, sometimes once a day, sometimes twice. If you start your next post, it can simmer for awhile. Even if you think you’re not thinking about it, you really are! And don’t procrastinate, since that way madness lies!

How Do You Speed Up Your Writing?

Or do you speed it up at all? Maybe you’re more the type of writer who grinds out words one at a time. Let me know in the comments! And thank you!