Starple.co.uk

Dealing with the core aspect of a business such as sales and customer service can be a challenging and time consuming task, that demands a great deal of time and attention.

However, with the ongoing buzz of social media marketing and the fact that recent survey showed that 50% of small businesses acquire new customers from social media such as Facebook and twitter, many business owner have tried to build an account without any real success.

This is because the time and the dedication required to build consistency, add value to followers and keep the conversation going is just not available. In fact many businesses are now hiring social media managers all across the UK to tap into this new media and to bring value to their business.

In fact, a simple search on one of the UKs’ biggest job sites- Reeds returned over 100 search results for businesses looking for social media managers for up to £40K per annum.

But hiring just anyone to run your Social media campaign may not work in your favour. Here are 7 reasons why you need a business minded, social media manager who understands that building relationship is what it takes to be successful in social media marketing.

1) PROPER TARGETING: Study by Gartner back in July 2010 reported that 74% of consumers reply on feedback on social media network to guide purchasing decisions. Your social media manager should therefore target those who influence other peoples’ purchasing decision.

2) BRAND CONSISTENCY: Consistency matters especially if your goal is to build a brand and be portrayed as professional. Your social media manager must be aware of your branding and convey its consistency across multiple social media platforms.

3) RIGHT PLACE: There is no point setting up a page on MySpace if your target audience is on Twitter and vice versa. Your social media manager must have some insight about where your potential clients are having day-to-day conversations. They should also have a working knowledge of how Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn work.

4) ADDING VALUE: Without value on a social media platform, you fall out of place so all across the board your business need to bring valuable information to fans and followers. This comes in the form of blog post, links and other factual information. Your social media manager must understand this and do their home work on a daily basis in order to bring your potential and existing clients the value that they expect.

5) ENGAGE PEOPLE: Social media has shut the door to a one-way conversation and it’s not good enough to dish out masses of information. An effective business asks questions and seeks feedback. A good social media manager knows this and so they will keep up to date with you to find out if there’s any pressing issues that can be addressed via the social media platforms.

6) BE ACTIVE: Being active is a key to social media success but there must be a balance so that your conversations aren’t missed or become a nuisance to others. A skilled social media manager knows the difference and can discern between them.

7) FAST RESPONSE: Because of the open nature of the platform, any business owners must be alert and respond to queries and complaints in a timely manner. A good social media manager is skilled enough to keep the situation under control while they consult business owners on the final verdict.

When looking for a social media manager, ensure that they know their boundaries and the extent to which they can speak on your behalf. You should also ensure that you give out any specific instructions about the management of your account/s. You must also agree on the task that should be carried out on your behalf.

All in all, a professional social media manager can bring value to your business and save you hours of keeping up-to-date with online social media marketing task. The good thing is that you will always be in charge as there should be a comprehensive monthly report and ongoing means of communication.