Do I need Social Media Marketing?

It depends. Social Media Marketing and Management should be honest above all. Between going on and simply posting a text celebrating the holidays to creating ad campaigns and promotions for your business; social media should indicate what kind of business you are and how you speak to your customers.

I’m going to give two examples of good Social Media Marketing. You’ve got your mom and pop shop that makes pies. On Instagram, they are always posting pictures of their pies and sharing it to Facebook. There aren’t any hokey hashtags in there and it’s just a small story about when they were younger and picking blackberries in the forest and how she can’t make that pie without remembering her youth. That’s a hell of a post. You know exactly who you are dealing with when you buy that product and you know exactly the quality of the person.

The other example is Wendy’s, you know, the burger company. They’ve gone in a different direction by making their Twitter an absolute must-read. Their twitter is filled with your generic promotions and posts about everything but they have an amazing social media manager who actually responds to posts, and they do not take anyone’s crap. You will regularly find the twitter feed alight with online skirmishes and feuds between people who are either claiming another burger chain is better or just trying to go toe-to-toe with Wendy’s and it is incredibly entertaining to watch.

How to make Social Media work for me?

Be consistent

The most important part of Social Media marketing is consistency. If you know you can only do 2-3 posts a week, then just do that. There’s no reason to try and be a 7 posts a week kind of company if you can’t keep it up.

Don’t Try Too Hard

If you aren’t feeling it one week and you are trying to force something through Social Media, don’t work too hard. Just be authentic. Having a downer day, don’t be afraid to show that, businesses don’t have to be a 1970’s family comedy, this is real life, showcase that.

Be Engaging

That doesn’t mean you need to start glowering on Social Media every day for the rest of your life. Your posts should still be engaging, whether you’re telling a story, promoting a product, or just reviewing something that a competitor or a partner recently did. Social Media posts should be varied enough to get people to come back consistently.

Do I need a Social Media Company?

I would say that you should have a social media manager and marketer if it’s part of a package and you’re not paying extra. I’ve not seen too many exclusively social media companies, but if you have someone who’s gifted with design and the written word, then their services can benefit your company if they get your voice.

Find someone who can accurately convey what you’re saying and who vibes with you. Remember this person is practically acting as the surrogate for your business, and they should understand the core concepts.
If you are looking for one, you might consider sitting down and writing a lookbook or a style guide for your business. What are things you’re okay with and not okay with and showcase that to the potential partner and see if they can be compliant with these things successfully?

After that, take a chill pill. Social media is not the make or break for a company, but it shouldn’t be underappreciated either. If you goof on something, own up to it, don’t just edit it or sweep it under the rug, people will find it.