As a Social media account manager it’s all about day-to-day content management that never ends. Don’t be swayed by consultants who say they’re ‘industry specific.’ You need a social media partner who understands social media, period. If you understand social media you can apply that knowledge across many different industries. Social media accounts demand constant monitoring.

You need me  as your Social Media Account Manager, or not?

In today’s digital world, it’s crucial to build a social media following to engage with your audience, build your brand and manage your companies perception. Being a Social Media Account Manager is a dedicated day to day job. It’s not enough to simply throw a couple of links or images on Facebook every few days and hope for the best; there’s significant strategy behind what to post, when to post it, and how to craft content so that it reaches as many people as possible. Did you know?

• Facebook is the biggest and arguably most powerful social network in the world with 1.55 billion active monthly users. Regardless if you are a startup or fortune 500 company, you need to be on Facebook and start *engaging with your consumers.
• Twitter is known as the ‘‘in the moment’’ platform and boasts a respectful 255 million active monthly users. Twitter is a perfect online marketing tool for businesses that want to reach out to people (and are ready for a reply).
• Instagram is a visual platform designed for customers to post, share, comment and engage through digital media. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
• LinkedIn is regarded as the professional social networking site. LinkedIn largely focuses on b2b marketing rather than b2c.
• Google +, Youtube, Foursquare and Pintrest are other social network sites that harshly miss out on the list.  And then there’s Snapchat, the new kid on the block, who recently recorded six billion daily views.

To Outsource to a Social Media Account Manager or not?

So now that you are convinced on the importance of having an online social media presence managed by a dedicated Social Media Account Manager, the question has to be asked, should you even try? Or should you rather hire an outsource dedicated Social Media Account Manager to run your social media?  Well, this is an interesting question and something as a Business owner especially a new business gets confronted with many times.  Quality, dedication, skills versus financial concerns.

If you run a small business, you do not have time to manage all those social networks yourself. In fact, you probably don’t have time to manage even one. Studies show it takes a midsize company about 32 hours a month to capably handle a single social media platform. That’s almost an entire workweek – and unless you’re running a travel agency or a video rental shop, you can’t spare a workweek out of each month to spend on a social profile.

My Attributes as a Social Media Account Manager

The following attributes are important as a Social Media Account Manager  managing Social Media Platforms:

• I have a solid, in-depth understanding of how social media works and how to leverage particular platforms that are relevant to the business in different scenarios.
• I am a strategic thinker who can map out a particular strategy and know how to measure the outcomes.
• I have an excellent grasp of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), consumer psychology, customer service, just to name a few.
• I have a real content plan that maps out how different platforms can complement each other, when to post, what to post, how often, and why.
• I know what measurements are important.
• I can create, curate, and manage content across various platforms.
• I make it my business to get to know your competitors’ movements.
• I know how to do an in dept Keyword search.
• I am a web designer, which is an important part when it comes to managing a blog on behalf of your business.
• My web design skills is an added value and an important point for start-ups when they start developing their corporate strategy and webpage.
• I am a graphic designer and another reason you will not need to in source this function, as this will if outsourced indirectly create many time delays.  My service cover a basic design hours per month.
• I am a professional photographer another time and money saving reason.
• I am a organisational development consultant, maybe the best reason for any company to join forces with me.  All my marketing ventures are aligned to create revenue and exposure in line with the companies strategic goals.
• I have a holistic approach.  My services range from product shoot, to corporate stationaries, to web design, to ghost writing, to website management, hosting and lastly but not the least strategic management consultancy.

Understand Social Media Management

Social media management can be a double-edged sword for small businesses. But when done improperly, it can do more harm than good. Determining whether to hire someone to handle your social profiles for you is a highly personal decision, but it ultimately comes down to what’s best for your business.

If you would like to find out how I can start building your online presence, please contact me.  No account is too small.  When done correctly, I can build your fan base, create exposure, and inevitable create revenue. Send me an email at laura@corporateaxtion.com or contact me directly on +27 84 787 1032, Paarl, South Africa.

For a more in dept scope of my credentials follow the link to my Linkedin Profile.