I’ve been chatting with my team lately about how we can better serve our clients. And we’ve noticed that we keep getting the same question over and over: “What does a social media management company actually do?”
Sure, the question may take different forms: Will a social media manager create reels for me? Will I have to send in my own photos and videos? How much work is involved on my end? What’s the payoff?
That’s why we’ve developed this comprehensive guide to hiring a social media manager (SMM).
The Basics – What Every Social Media Manager Should Know
These are the bare minimum traits that any decent SMM will possess. Before asking what an SMM can do for you, ensure they have these qualities and skills.
- Expertise: Your SMM should have expert-level knowledge of multiple social media platforms, including trends, algorithms, and best practices. They should understand your target market and your industry.
- Adaptability: You can only be a true expert if you stay up to date on trends and are ready and willing to shift your strategy as needed.
- A Communication Strategy: A great SMM will have a clearly spelled-out communication strategy and expectations.
The Work – What a Social Media Manager Can Do For You and Your Business
1. Strategy
First things first. Before creating any content, you need a clearly defined action plan. An SMM will get to know your brand and goals, define your target audience, choose KPIs, and create a content calendar. They never post on a whim. Every post and action is tied to a clearly stated business goal.
The #Strella Difference: We don’t create a strategy, hand it over to you, and leave you on your own to figure out how to put it into action. We execute that strategy and see it through. What makes our process unique is that we hold a kickoff meeting with all stakeholders involved with the project — and together we outline a plan that will generate the best results. In addition, we identify roadblocks to success so we can address them head-on before they compromise your progress. In our 13 years of social media management experience, we’ve learned that every client faces unique challenges. We dig deep to discover barriers to success you may not have thought about — and we devise a plan to overcome them.
2. Content Creation
Your SMM will create everything for your feed. That means videos, images, graphics, text, audio, reels, and more.
The #Strella Difference: When you work with #Strella, we’ll tell you what content we need from you to create these assets. We might ask for behind-the-scenes images or a voice memo telling us what your typical day looks like. Whatever the case, you only need to provide the raw content, and we’ll make it shine!
3. Posting and Scheduling
An SMM typically works with scheduling software to make sure they never miss an optimized posting time. They schedule everything in advance so you have a consistent feed your followers can count on.
The #Strella Difference: All SMMs schedule your content, but at #Strella, we go a step beyond posting to your feed to build relationships with influencers; create groups of loyal, highly engaged fans; and sometimes distribute content through industry syndication sites. We make sure your content is seen, interacted with, and shared by your audience.
4. Community Management
Your reputation is everything. When you don’t properly engage with your audience, or they feel like nobody is listening, it can be deadly for your brand. An SMM will actively manage your community, so you don’t have to check in every hour.
The #Strella Difference: One of our core values is “Customer Service,” and it encompasses not only our clients but also their customers and prospective customers who interact with them on social media. We take our community management responsibilities very seriously, and we have several dedicated community managers who serve our clients. They take the time to understand the voice of the client, common inquiries the client receives from customers, and how the client prefers to communicate and coordinate anything that might require their attention. Before any social media engagement with a client’s customers takes place, the #Strella team spends a great deal of time researching and understanding the client and developing a strategy and goals. There is no guesswork regarding interaction with a client’s social media followers because we know how mission-critical it is to get it right.
5. Data Monitoring and Analytics
All this work is useless without reviewing the data and assessing your progress. An SMM will regularly review your stats and measure the success of your campaigns.
The #Strella Difference: Many SMMs focus exclusively on performance metrics, like follower count and reach. While these are good to know, we think of them as “vanity metrics” because they’re useless without engagement. At #Strella, we also focus on optimization metrics like cost-per-interaction and engagement rates. This cohesive data allows us to shift our strategy as needed to boost engagement and build brand loyalty.
What You Should Ask Before Signing A Contract
It’s critical to ask some questions to determine if an SMM is trustworthy, reliable, and has the systems and processes in place to ensure everything flows smoothly.
For example:
- What’s your security plan? Your SMM will have direct access to your social media channels — and potentially sensitive data. Make sure they take security and data protection seriously and have safeguards in place. Ask if they use a VPN or firewall when posting on your behalf and how they will protect your passwords. And be sure they have a plan in case any of this protection fails.
- What will you need from me? How will they communicate with you? What will be expected of you in the content creation process?
- Will I have one point of contact or many? Too many points of contact can result in information falling through the cracks and a lack of branding consistency across your social media channels.
Be sure to ask a prospective SMM company all of your questions before signing on the dotted line.
What Does Success Look Like?
Social media marketing may not yield immediate results, so if you’re looking for a quick-fix cash cow to sell your new product, you should look elsewhere. Social media management is about much more than sales. It’s about building an engaged audience of loyal followers over time and building a solid reputation with those followers. It takes time and patience, but the payoff is worth it!
At #Strella, we put our clients first and go the extra mile to make you feel seen, heard, and understood. We work closely with you, communicate every step of the way, and never drop the ball. You can trust us to elevate your brand so you can be unforgettable.
Want to know how we can work with you to develop a collaborative, cohesive social media plan? Learn more about our services by watching this video!
