Automatic Post Scheduling Apps vs “Real–Live” Social Media Managers

What is the difference between automatic post scheduling apps (e.g., Hootsuite, etc.) vs. “real, live” social media managers?

A questionso I often see is asked is “Why should hire a social media manager when I can use an automated post scheduler?” Automatic schedulers like Agorapulse, Hootsuite, Post Planner, Later, etc. are awesome tools to assist with social media management. But yet, when it comes to social media management there is much more than just posting to platforms.

So, what the real question is why should you invest in a social media manager?

Time:

Social media management is more than posting to the various social platforms. Curating content, scheduling the posts, and monitoring engagement all take skills and time. Take a look at your daily schedule and ask yourself—“How much time do I have to devote to social media?” If you only have 30 minutes a day, your time would best be used for engagement. You are the only YOU! And yes, as a social media manager I do assist with engagement and growth. It is when my clients take a few minutes a day to do some interaction, we see the “real magic” happen. Also, when speaking about time, many of my clients share how much they appreciate me keeping an eye on their social media platforms. Most business owners don’t have the time or desire to monitor their networks 24/7. Your social media manager is an extra set of eyes.

Skills and Training:  

Every week I take courses/classes to stay up to date with the latest online trends.  Now, can the average business owner do this? Yes, but should they? No. Do you keep up to date with the latest tax laws? No. Most of us hire an accountant. Well, that is what a Social Media Manager does—we stay up to date on the ever-changing world of social media. By us knowing the latest trends, we help you be a leader in your industry. Also, by working with various clients and platforms, I can bring what “works this week” to you.

Strategy: 

As a Social Media Manager, I spend time auditing and analyzing your online presence. I can assist you in developing a strategy and plan to reach your goals. Also, throughout our partnership, I will be continually monitoring. Is what we are doing working? Do we need to tweak something? Are we reaching your marketing goals?

Focus: 

When you partner with a social media manager, it allows you the time and energy to focus on what you do best. (Manage your business.)

Those are just a few of the benefits of partnering with a social media manager. If you’d like to know how a social media manager can help your business meet it’s marketing goals, feel free to send me a message.

Keeping Social Simple~Kim

5 Tips for Creating Social Media Content

So you have a Facebook page or an Instagram account for your business, now what? When it comes to starting the conversation, creating the connection and building relationships, publishing content should be at the top of your to-do list. Publishing the right content on your feed(s) as well as in your groups will attract potential customers and increase your credibility and expertise.

To assist you in the planning of your content, an editorial calendar is helpful. (For a free content planner template and training, click here.)

As you plan out your editorial calendar, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Know your audience and your industry.

Publish information they can use. Are there big changes coming to your industry or new laws affecting your industry? Explain those changes in lay terms in a short article. Do you know what problems plague them? Offer daily action steps to help solve those problems.

2. Include photos for more engagement and interest.

Photos used in articles should relate directly back to the main topic. Photos also help break up a large page of text, which can be intimidating for even the best readers to tackle online. Purchase photos legally from stock photos houses or use Unsplash.com for completely free photos. For list of free photo sites, click here. Never copy/paste from Google Images; that’s copyright infringement.

3. Ask questions and provide insight.

Are there misconceptions about your industry or what you do? Clear these up in a simple Q&A article. Create a whole Q&A series with the questions you receive online as well as via email or your help desk. When you ask questions you may also discover a new pain point which you can then discuss or create a new product to address it.

4. Give people a behind-the-scenes look into your business and what it’s like to work with you.

This topic lends itself to a fun video series where you can address exactly what you do and who your ideal clients are. Don’t be afraid to clearly identify your ideal clients and let them qualify themselves to work with you. The worst thing is to sign on with someone who can’t afford your prices or who won’t do the work necessary.

5. Include a call to action on all your posts.

What should your reader do next: Join your email list? Call you for a consult? Meet you at a local networking event? Gently guide your reader to the next step in your sales funnel. Relate the Call to Action to the topic of the post.

When in doubt about what to publish, consider outsourcing the content creation to an experienced freelancer. They will brainstorm ideas and help fill in your editorial calendar rather quickly as well as prepare your content so all you need to do is approve it and publish.

Extend your knowledge and expertise to your audience with your content. You just never know how your content will affect someone or to whom they will pass along your articles.

Action Tips to Make a Digital Impact in 2020

Here are a few key ways social media can make a digital impact and help you grow your business. 

Be YOURSELF:

A story is much more enjoyable to follow than a marketing scheme. Let your customers into your business and maybe into your life. Make sure you are having fun.

Know YOUR Audience and FOCUS On Relationships:

Social media is all about connecting with your audience on an authentic level. Understanding your current and potential customers is key to potential success.

1.      To help you do this, define your audience. Write down the details of their individual character profiles example age, gender, interests, profession, etc. Bonus tip: Find images that represent your target audience and place the images next to your computer.

2.      What is your marketing message? What are the key problems or concerns for your targeted customer? Under each customer profile, write down how you can solve these problems.

3.      Now, write down three key marketing messages you want to communicate to that audience.

BE Generous:

Start creating a tip sheet on areas of your expertise, so when you are ready to be more active on the various platforms, you will have relevant content.

• Share the content of other businesses in your industry.

• Helps build relationships.

• Everything you share helps tell a story about you.

Start with One Platform and Have a Strategy:

It’s better to be a pro at using a few social media accounts than to be average at using all of them. Social media takes time and energy, which are precious resources. Set yourself up for success by starting with a manageable load. To begin with, I suggest you choose one or two platforms.

1.      Develop a strategy on what platforms would best suit your business and develop a plan of implementation so you can be consistent.

2.      Incorporating social media into your daily routine is the best way to guarantee consistency.

3.      Block out the time on your calendar, turn off all distractions and dedicate time to managing your social media accounts.

4   Select one or two different time slots every day.

5. Expect to spend at least 15-30 minutes a day on social activities the first month or two.

Link Accounts:

Don’t treat each social media as stand-alone platforms. When you develop your overall strategy, it should include a plan on how you can incorporate all platforms to achieve your goals.

• Your website is your brand’s home base. Coordinate your social media efforts to push people to your website where they can buy your product or service.

• Blogging is a great way to establish your brand’s voice and share information. It’s also a valuable opportunity to engage with your site visitors and lead them through your sales funnel.

Give it Time:

Social media success doesn’t happen overnight. Many times it will take at least six months before you see any return on your investment.

Don’t forget to check out our FREE resource: Top 5 Social Media Tips to Make Your Message Matter.

If you have any questions, please send us an email at hello@freshimpactllc.com

17 Social Media Post Ideas to Grow Your Business

Your goal is to convert social media followers into customers, but it’s easier said than done, right?  The first step is to post engaging content to capture your followers’ attention.

My own rules of social media posts are pretty simple:

Rule #1: Never be boring.

Rule #2: Post regularly and make it interesting.

Rule #3: Try not to stress about Rules #1 and #2 and just enjoy the process. Because if you’re having fun, then odds are your followers are having fun, too.

Here are 17 ideas for your upcoming social media posts:

1: Share your latest blog post. They should be the first to know, because they can help you spread the word.

2: Poll your followers. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook all provide options for you to engage your followers with a poll. Or simply ask thought-provoking or humorous questions, and remember to check back in and respond to the answers, too.

3: Show off your photos. We’re not talking about stock photos, but YOUR photos of yourself doing relevant or interesting things, the view from the coffee shop where you’re working on your next product, etc.

4: Tease followers with enticing details about your new product. Build hype for your next launch by letting your followers be the first to know what you’re offering next.

5: Use emojis. According to one survey, Facebook headlines with emojis generate 241% more clicks than those without.

6: Customer case studies. Show how your product or service is helping people on an individual basis.

7: Videos. Social media videos generate more than 1,200% more shares than images and text combined. Whoa.

8: Share old blog posts. You can bring new life to old content if it’s still relevant.

9: User-generated content. Find posts of people using your products and share them to build trust.

10: Infographics. These visual aids can help cement your stories, products and services into the memory of your prospects, as well as helping to persuade them to buy.

11: Inspirational quotes. Don’t just grab any quote. Find something relevant to what’s happening now, or a quote that uses humor to get the message across.

12: Giveaways and contests. Use a contest to encourage user-generated content. This content will be exposed to many people, which is always a good thing for you.

13: “How to” posts. Share a demo video on how to do something in your niche, such as sharing a step-by-step process to get a specific result.

14: Review and testimonials. These add credibility to you and your products.

15: Curated content. Share the content of others in your niche.

16: Industry news. News articles get more shares than any other type of article, so why not have it come from you?

17: Tips and advice. A quick tip or tidbit can be highly valuable and it makes you look generous for sharing the advice.

This list is by no means comprehensive, yet it should keep you quite busy building and engaging your audience on social media.

Looking for a little extra help, every month we send free images for you to use on your social platforms. Click here to get on our list: Social Media Free Images.