When someone asks me what I do and I reply, “I own a Social Media Managing business.” The reactions range from a glazed-over look of confusion to a blatant “Oh? Is that a real thing?”
gify.com
Seriously, the job of a social media manager is 100% essential in today's online world. The problem is that big corporations have known this for YEARS! The small mom and pop business, however, heard once upon a time that they needed a Facebook like page for their business. So, they started one. And that's it. They wonder why no one is liking, commenting, interacting, or otherwise noticing its existence.
“Treat your business like a business and it will pay you like a business. Treat your business like a hobby and it will cost you like a hobby.”
This quote is at the heart of the social media conundrum for small businesses. So many times small businesses feel the need to cut corners in order to keep their heads above water. I understand! I am a small business too. I run my business myself. I make the phone calls, meet customers, and pay the bills myself. I get it!
The part that is hard to understand for most is that social media is actually pretty easy to keep up with and is THE MOST POWERFUL marketing tool they can me using. The cost is minimal. The potential is HUGE! The kicker comes with education and time (but then when doesn't it, right?) So, that is where I come in. My business is to do one of three things (sometimes interchangeably, sometimes all together.)
reachlocal.com
WHAT I DO:
1) Teach business owners how to properly set up social media accounts that are right for their type of business. Let’s face it. If you are a photographer, artist, designer, decorator, baker, cake decorator, underwater basket weaver...anything creative with a pretty product. YOU BELONG ON INSTAGRAM! When I ask all of the crafty folks at the farmer’s market where I can find them on Instagram and they say ‘Yeah, I don’t really do that.” I stop, have a slight heart attack and then proceed to politely suggest that it would be a GREAT idea to go ahead and do that!
2) Suggest content for posting or ideas for crowd appeal. I know it seems like an insurmountable task to post on multiple social media channels every day. Small business owners have multiple questions. Do these sound familiar?
These are all legitimate questions. I find that when I sit down with a business owner and discuss all the concerns then make a plan for moving forward, the fear of social media evaporates. Sometimes it is a simple as a reassurance that they are doing everything right and just need to keep truckin’. Sometimes it is a recommendation to take advantage of my management services.
3) Offer management services. See what I did there? Tricky, right? If a customer needs someone to take the wheel and drive, I can do that. If they need me to field comments and complaints for them, I can do that. If they want to run a giveaway online but aren’t sure how to go about it, I can run that one thing then disappear forever. If they need someone to write blog posts for them, I can do that. It really is anything they need, no matter how big or small.
canva.com
The honest to goodness truth is I spend hour upon hours a day pouring over trends, changes, graphics, blog posts, and news. I write articles. I create beautiful pictures. I engage in conversations. I answer questions. I log in and out of a dozen social media accounts a day.
Why?
bestanimations.com
So small businesses with limited resources can grow and flourish.
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