A social media manager role is indeed a fun and exciting job, but definitely not a cakewalk. When it comes to working, no one really knows what to do or how to go about the work. And, if you stop fulfilling your responsibilities, everything falls apart.
Being a social media manager is much more than being a tech-savvy teenager or young adult browsing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit at the same time and posting content from here to there and vice versa.
First and foremost, you have to be technologically advanced, knowing each social media site like the back of your hand and having those so-called “tips and tricks” at the tip of your fingers.
Second, you will need to have superior management skills, complemented by your organization and coordination skills. You must be a people person and have good business and marketing prowess. Last but not least, you need to have the technical expertise to manage the backend processes that help fine-tune each action.
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15 Habits That Successful Social Media Managers Should Inculcate
Anyone with the right skills can become a social media manager. But without discipline and principle, you will not be able to become a successful one. Here are some habits that can take you from being a good social media manager to a great one.
1. Choose Your Focal Platforms Carefully
The more social networking sites you are on, the better your reach. But, you must be more active on those sites that highlight your products better and on which most of your customers are active. That way, you will always be in touch with a greater proportion of your audience.
2. Fix Clear Short-Term And Long-Term Goals
Your social media campaign must have both immediate objectives to achieve and long-term mottos to accomplish. Only having short-term goals makes you short-sighted while having just future visions of success makes you disorganized. Use the SMART framework to set your goals and always note the steps you need to take to achieve each goal.
3. Be Organized And Consistent In Your Approach
This sounds obvious but too many social media managers end up doing exactly the opposite. Every action must have a cause, its impact must be analyzed, and a backup plan must exist in the event of failure.
Successful managers define flexible workflows and are prepared for the prevention and mitigation of any disaster at all times. Also, they are consistent and patient in handling situations and moments when something does not go according to plan. They persist in making a plan work and know when to move on.
4. Use Data Analytics Obsessively
Data analytics is the only way to gain a clear perspective of the performance and success of your social media campaign. It helps you plan and organize your campaign in a scientific manner and keeps the guesswork out of the picture. A winning combination of analytics and intuition is what gives the right push to your campaign.
5. Use A Schedule For Content Publishing
People falling under different demographic categories are more likely to be active at different times on different social media sites. Knowing when the majority of your customer base is active on a site helps you time your posts intelligently.
Moreover, people need a buffer period between digesting one piece of content and moving on to the other. Publishing back to back will cause an overload and repel your audience.
6. Create And Curate Content Of Value To People
There is still no substitute for value content when it comes to social media, or for that matter, any form of digital marketing. People will not convert to your business if they are not convinced that you can provide them value for their money and solve their problems.
Creating original content, curating valuable content from other places, and sharing user-generated content that can aid others will drive brand value.
7. Engage Keenly With The Audience
No matter how perfect your social media campaign is, it will never take off unless you engage your audience. When your audience interacts with your brand over a post, they expect a reply. Providing that makes them feel seen and encourages more engagement like falling dominos.
8. Promote Your Brand At Every Step
It is important to keep reminding your customers which brand is behind the content that they are enjoying at all times. Promoting your brand and letting your audience know how you are relevant to the subject in the post is of paramount importance.
9. Build A Brand Community
A brand is much more than just a company and its audience and customers are much more than consumers of its products. A social media manager must make their audience feel like they belong to it. They must appeal to the inherently social nature of people so that they do not even consider churning.
10. Be Clinical When Judging The Success Of A Campaign
A campaign is the brainchild of a social media manager. But that does not mean you should indulge it impractically. When you inspect the result of your campaign, do not overlook its flaws or let your emotions rule your judgment. Modify your campaign or pull it out completely if you feel like it is not accomplishing the goal it was meant to.
11. Take Into Account The Feedback Of The Audience
Your brand’s social media profile is not just an identity for your company. It is also meant to serve your customers. Therefore, when they express their opinions, you must not only accept them but also take that into account in your next step. Customers who feel heard are more likely to stay loyal.
12. Learn To Say Sorry And Thank You
A brand that takes accountability for its actions and is responsible enough to rectify its mistakes is a brand people will stand behind. As a social media manager, you must give your brand a human face that people know can rely on for their welfare.
13. Keep Your Enemies Closer
It is not enough to monitor your performance; you must also keep a close eye on what your competitors are doing and how, so that you can always stay one step ahead of them. In this digital age, a brand has the potential of surpassing its rival simply by performing well on social media.
14. Jump On The Latest Technological Innovations And Popular Trends
The successful social media manager knows that if they do not use the most efficient and advanced tools, they will fall behind their competitors. Similarly, if they do not participate in popular trends, people will not relate to the brand anymore.
15. Be A Part Of The Social Conversation
A social media manager cannot work if they are not social themselves. Putting yourself in the shoes of your audience is important to get that third-person perspective. When you engage in social media yourself, you get a clearer idea of what the common man wants.
Concluding Line
It does not take any magic formula to become a social media manager to reckon with. The right habits and outlook can get you further than most of your peers. If you understand your brand and know what you are doing, you should be able to become a successful social media manager easily.
