In my last post, we took a deep dive into systematizing your social media marketing efforts.
Now, when it comes to social media marketing management one question, in particular, arises again and again, from countless clients…
“Can’t I just hire someone to do social media for me?”
Certainly a relevant and completely valid question.
But the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
On one hand, as a busy small business owner, I get it. The more tasks you can off-load that DO NOT relate to doing the business of your business, the better.
In fact, that’s a uuuuuuuuuge part of my business model. Professional service business owners hire me to write marketing and communications content they don’t have the time or expertise to handle themselves.
So, why not do the same with social media?
Well, then, of course, there’s the (dreaded) other hand…

Major Social Media Mistakes, Gaffes, Missteps + Foot-In-Mouth Moments

Think about the too-many-to-count social media gaffes that have gone viral, been made into memes, garnered major headlines, and generally portrayed the offending celebrity, brand, corporation, etc… as giant boobs.
More often than not, those gaffes were made someone who was paid to manage social media on behalf of these persons or entities. They had little invested in the outcome, beyond a paycheck.
In most cases, these were honest mistakes. But still… Such egregious foot-in-mouth moments can, at best, make the offender seem tone-deaf, and at worst, make them appears as outright racists, misogynist, or homophobic bigots.
Regardless of the miscue’s root cause, it’s not a good look.
And when you hand over the reins to your business’s social media accounts to a third party, you’re entrusting them with a great deal of power. The kind of power that can SERIOUSLY tarnish your reputation.

The Importance + Value of Authenticity on Social Media

I need to preface this section with a disclaimer… I am in no way, shape, or form a Trump supporter. In addition to being a despicable, garbage human being, I can not think of a worse choice for President of the United States (AKA Leader of the Free World — and yes, to clarify, the rest of the world is LAUGHING AT US).
But that note aside, Trump has succeeded in a large because of his social media presence. In fact, he’s the first Twitter President.
Think about it… He’s managed to leapfrog the news outlets + the media in general, and deliver his “message” directly to the “people.”
And because he’s making such provocative statements (and now, as President, ostensibly announcing, if not workshopping, official government policy) on Twitter and NOT speaking directly to the media, the media’s forced to report on “the President’s latest tweet…”
But in all of this maelstrom, one thing is ABUNDANTLY clear. NO ONE ELSE IS TWEETING FOR TRUMP.
The voice, right down to the often awkward syntax, is pure Trump. And so are the statements, language, and ideology (or lack thereof).
This approach has resonated so strongly with those who connect with the presentation Trump is spinning (however disingenuous it happens to be), it carried the man right into the White House.
Could a third party, simply “managing” his account, achieve this pinnacle?
Doubtful, highly doubtful.
Now think about this in the context of your business. If you don’t have a strong, distinct voice that’s already an issue. But hiring someone to update your social platforms for you is only going to compound the problem, and wind up making you sound even more generic and milk toast.

So, You’re INTENT Upon Hiring a Social Media Manager…

OK, so we looked at “both hands” (AKA both sides of the situation). And regardless of the arguments against it, let’s say you’re convinced hiring a third party to “do social media” for you is your best option.
If that’s the case, here’s how you should approach the employing a social media manager:

1. Define Your Strategic Goals

Turning over your social media management to a third party DOES NOT absolve you of the responsibility to define the PURPOSE behind your social media marketing efforts.
It’s still critical that you… Determine your goals, craft a strategy to achieve those goals, curate content that furthers your strategy, measure your results, and make adjustments to improve upon those results.

2. Definite Your AUTHENTIC Voice

This step is actually groundwork you should lay BEFORE you employ a manager.
Social media has become (say might say insidiously) woven into the fabric of our society. And needless to say, it’s grown into an incredibly crowded space.
So many organizations are active on social are providing similar, if not the same, services as you. And those businesses are posting on same topics and issues. Thus, it’s incredibly easy to get lost amid the noise.
The solution? Define your own unique, authentic voice.
Before warned, this is no easy task. In fact, entire books are dedicated to this subject. And many work years to “master” this skill. But defining your “unique voice” is a key ingredient to success on social.
Now, a good social media manager or management firm will likely point this out, too. They will probably also offer to help define this voice for you. Take care in this instance as well to ensure the “voice” this third party develops on your behalf is “authentic.”
The LAST thing you want is one of your most public faces to misrepresent your business’s personality or ethos.

3. Train Your Social Media Manager to Speak in Your “Unique Voice”

Now, a GOOD social manager SHOULD naturally take up this charge. Any player in this industry worth their salt knows all too well the importance of maintaining your business’s distinctive voice.
And if the manager you hire helps you develop your voice, this shouldn’t be an issue.
But regardless, it IMPERATIVE you are your manager on the SAME PAGE! Thus training your manager to speak in your voice is CRITICAL.

4. Review EVERY Post Before it’s Published

If you’ve successfully vetted your social manager and you’re confident they can represent your business using your authentic voice, it can be tempting to “hand over the keys to the shop.”
In other words, give your social manager carte blanche to craft and post updates at will.
Resist this temptation.
Referring again to the social media missteps of public figure noted above, most occurred when a third party was acting unilaterally on behalf of their employer.
The lesson here? While your social manager may have a solid grasp of your business and your authentic voice, NO ONE knows your business like you.
And what might seem like a perfectly pitched post to your social manager, could be an obvious gaff. A gaff ONLY you (and your ideal clients) would spot.

5. Work With Your Social Manager to Develop Your Content Calendar

Along with approving each post, sourcing + curating your content is another duty you should NOT cede to your social manager without providing clear direction.
Review the type of content you wish to feature on your social channels with your social manager. Once you’ve clarified the content you’re aiming for, you can task your manager with the ongoing collection.
But, just like with making the effort to review each post, it’s important that you take time to review your social manager’s content selections.
In part, this is to ensure the tone and approach is on-point. But also to confirm the content is satisfying your strategic goals and moving your prospects further down your sales funnel.
Again, a competent social manager should have this covered themselves. But it’s in your best interest to CONFIRM you and your manager are on the same page.
Got More Questions About Working With a Social Media Manager?
This is just a basic outline of how to approach working with a social media manager. And again, a good manager should cover these items, and lots more, as part of their onboarding process.
But if you have additional questions before you begin vetting potential social media managers, drop by my LinkedIn page and ask away!