5 Things Small Business Owners Need To Do Before Hiring A Social Media Manager

Hiring a social media manager almost a decade ago was unheard of. All you needed was a business idea, a location, flyers, and people would come to you. Right? 

Wrong. 

Gone are the days when a prime location would guarantee a flying success.

These days, not having a social media presence is NOT an option. For small business owners, the struggle is real. They know they need to be on social media. They try to learn because it seems like the most cost-effective thing to do.  But it takes them a few months to realize they can’t spend the time just posting on social media. 

So what’s the solution? I’m sure that you’re reading this because you want to know where is the balance between outsourcing your social media and still keeping your authentic voice. 

Which tasks should be kept in house and which ones should be delegated?

What’s the best way to hire a social media manager?

Well-qualified social media managers on your team can positively affect the ROI of your social media efforts.  As a small business owner, you already know that you can’t grow your business without a marketing strategy in place. On the other hand, you might have other priorities and commitments, and social media management doesn’t seem to be feasible or “necessary.”

Your social media accounts are a great way to find new potential leads and turn them into customers.  Did you know that 77% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media over one they do not?  Source: SproutSocial.

By utilizing social media the “right way,” you’re able to engage authentically with your audience, highlight who you are, and win over the trust of potential clients and customers. 

If you do decide to hire a social media manager, it’s important that you, the business owner, have certain assets in place so that they can create valuable content for your social networks. 

5 Things You Need To Delegate Social Media Marketing The Right Way

Let’s dive in and discuss what’s the “right way” to hire your social media specialist and get your social media magic done!

1. Branding Guide With Details About Your Voice And Vision

You social media manager may have an idea of what to post, but in order for the content to accurately reflect your business’ voice and style, it would be helpful to find and share with them a brand style guide (branding guide).

What’s a branding guide anyway?

A brand style guide is the primary visual DNA of your company’s branding, though it can also reference grammar, tone, word usage and point of view. Essentially, it’s a document that describes, defines and presents examples of what your brand looks like in various visual media such as print, Internet and broadcast. 

To be effective it must clearly define the rules around your online presence in all channels such as websites, landing pages, mobile sites, online ads, blogs, social media channels and email communications (including email signatures!).

It’ll also help if you provide specific details about your voice and style.  Find other social media profiles that you admire. Note what you like about their posts and what you don’t prefer. This is why it’s important for any business owner to get clear on their brand vision before putting out content. You want your brand to connect with your target audience in a natural and authentic way. For your social media manager, having this information upfront will allow them to do a more effective job in creating your presence and increasing brand loyalty.

Don’t expect your social media specialist to also work on your brand. That’s totally another set of skills that your digital marketing team (and you as the CEO) should handle.  

On a side note -you can take it as a direct pitch 😉 – the brands we help using Forensic Digital Marketing, get the perks of having us orchestrating the full strategy, so business owners can sit down and relax! 

2. Content Marketing Strategy

It’s important to know that not all social media managers are content marketing strategists. Content marketing comes before social media marketing. Content marketing is about the entire process, including the distribution platforms and how it’ll be promoted. Social media marketing is the pipeline by which your content will reach your potential clients and customers. Therefore, it’s important that you is about the entire process, including the way you distribute and promote your content. 

Before hiring a social media manager, make sure you have a clear content marketing strategy, or else you will have a marketing calendar, but full of irrelevant content. As the business owner, you should lead the content marketing strategy and guide them on what to share. 

Not sure where to start your content marketing strategy? 

Think about the top 5 products or services you sell. What are their features and benefits? How can you communicate with future buyers of those top products to help them find you, trust in you, and buy from you? That’s the kind of content that will bring in new customers, new clients, and more revenue!

3. Promos

The majority of the social media content created will be evergreen – meaning it can be used at any time. However, make your social media manager aware of any special promotions you want to run. It could be a holiday sale, a special deal, certain events, or anything else that is time-bound. That way they can integrate it into their schedule.

If you’re not sure how much are Facebook ads, understand that there are many different types that can suit your ad budget. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but if you utilize the Facebook ads guide, you can then plan for your budget in terms of Facebook advertising costs, lowest cost for ad type, appropriate lead ads, and of course, precisely incorporate this into your social media content calendar.

If your social media strategy includes paid advertising on Facebook and running Facebook Ad campaigns (which I hope you are!) for any of your promos, your social media manager should know the basics. But don’t expect them to be website developers, sales experts, and traffic experts. Those are completely different skills a digital marketing expert have. 

Your digital marketing expert should be able to hand over to your social media manager — a Facebook account with the right activated pixel, the target Facebook audience, custom audience, and lookalike audiences. It’s very important to designate teams to specific tasks so your social media marketing team can run like a well-oiled machine.

4. Pictures Behind The Scenes

We are in an era where everything is visual.  Posting images can help increase engagement and shares on Facebook. Photo posts account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook. They can get 53% more likes, 104% more comments and 84% more click-throughs on links than text-based posts! Source: Buffer.

If you’re currently using stock photos on your website or throughout your social media channels, I recommend to test with your own image and you will notice that stock photos won’t get as much engagement as your own images!

These days, people want to see the “realness” behind your brand. Your clients and customers want to know as much as possible about your brand. There’s no better way to showcase your brand than with beautiful and authentic images. There will be situations where pictures will need to be posted in real-time. Make sure your social media manager is able to post pictures on the spot on your behalf! 

Trust is earned when people can see what you’re all about. If you don’t have the budget to invest in a photographer, your smart-phone is the next best option, or you can barter with a local photographer in exchange for your products or services. The point is, if you want your brand to be represented in the best light possible, avoid stock photos at all costs.

5. Community Manager

There is a difference between social media and community manager. And while the two may seem like they are similar to one another, their functions are quite different. Depending on your budget and time, you either serve as the community manager or assign this role to an existing employee. Your social media manager is NOT a community manager. 

What does a community manager do?

A social media manager is responsible for showcasing the brand on social media. Their role includes content creation, copy for posts, responding to comments, and much more as the brand. They will be able to interact and deal with people who have either heard of, or already have a relationship with your brand.

Community managers typically will boost awareness, and focus on engaging with those who may not have a relationship with the brand. They have great customer service skills and business development skills.

Whether you have a community manager or not depends on, once again, your time and budget. If you do not have a community manager, then remember to engage and connect with your audience, always. 

Over To You 

Your social media profiles don’t exist for fun and keeping up with old friends. When used effectively and with intention, they can actually grow your business. Use these helpful tips as you set out to hire your first social media manager. Onboarding fresh new talent can definitely help you accomplish your business’ goals. 

If you’re looking to hire your first social media manager, then you’re in the right place. Get instant access to your branding guide template.

Take advantage of my free assessment to audit how your brand currently shows up on social media.