Here’s the bottom line, right up front:  Every business who wants to have a personality should have an active social media presence.

Now, let’s define some terms…

Social media marketing means using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others to create a community around your business. It provides a source other than your website for customers to research your organization, and it allows your company to express a clear voice. If your website is a lake, your social media is a river.

How do you know if your social media is working?

It’s always a shame when folks misunderstand the purpose and value of social media management. They’ll either have different expectations about engagement, or they’ll insist on the DIY option. We’re going to debunk these two common misconceptions about social media management, one at a time.

In order to understand the engagement you’re getting on your social media, you need to understand what you should expect for your industry. Here are the top 3 outcomes of social media management, broken down by types.

First, there are the brick-and-mortars. 

These are niche places that tend to already have a diverse and devoted customer base at their physical locations: bookstores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and the like. They have numerous social media followers, a growing fan base, and frequent engagement in the form of likes, comments, and shares. This is because they operate a revolving door of activity, all day every day. They’re frequented by travelers and locals alike, and their market is just about everyone.

Their social media manager will establish weekly campaigns that are consistent and that will only become more familiar with time. They’ll post photos of their staff at work, or their new products or menu items. Their following will grow organically because of their physical shop, and it’s up to the manager to keep folks engaged on social media between visits.

Second, there are the tradespeople.

These are the crafters, landscapers, and painters. They might build custom cabinets, install stone pathways, or provide interior decorating services. Their actual customer base is loyal and their followers on social stay pretty steady. Once people find them, they swear by them. These folks will see steady social media engagement from their base clientele, but will grow a following more slowly than shops and eateries.

Their social media manager will do best by posting strategic, visual examples of their work—freshly painted houses, renovated interiors. They might run discounts or promotions to attract new clientele, or offer referral incentives.

Third, there are the service providers.

These are the HR firms, the financial consultants, the insurance agencies. These folks should expect a different type of social media engagement than others. They’re not in the business of starting conversations in the comments or getting twenty shares. They might have less than 50 followers. They might get two or three likes per post. And they should be fine with this. Their social media presence is about providing reliability and trustworthy character, not fun engagement.

Here’s how social media helps their business:  Someone finds them through Google or word of mouth. They check out their website, then their social media links. 

If their last post was from six years ago, the consumer will likely look no further. If the last post was yesterday, a helpful Economist article about strategic financial planning, they might follow through and set up an appointment, if the business is right for them. Why? Because the social media managers were disciplined and kept their efforts steady.

Of course having lots of likes, followers, and engagement is desirable. But even with a small following, having a consistent presence is a benefit. Most customers do their research before making a purchase, and that often includes viewing the company's social media presence. They won’t necessarily like or follow you, but their experience can definitely influence whether or not they do business with you.

Customers are interested in perceived benefit. This means seeing photos of your product portfolio, learning your company’s culture and personality, checking out your events, and the like. These things are rarely on a website, but they will be on social media.

Can I manage my own social media?

A poorly designed social media presence can do more harm than good. Do you have what it takes? Let’s find out. 

Here’s a quick job description:

Social media management is the act of overseeing, posting, engaging with, and monitoring a social media platform. It’s what we do at Sprout. A social media manager should have training and skills in visual design, content development, research, writing, and other forms of interactive media. They should be proficient in the use of different platforms, and should have an understanding of analytics and marketing strategies. They should remain up to date with changes and updates in social media platforms.

If this sounds like you, we’re impressed, and you don’t need us! If not, consider that our social media managers are sharply trained in all of the above. We use the best practices in the industry, and we create the consistency that many businesses won’t or can’t.

Keep this in mind:  when folks try to do their own social, they usually don’t do it. They get burnt out and stop posting. Or, they post at the wrong times, with the wrong sized image files, without hashtags, without variety, without brand consistency, with misspellings. It takes a lot of work to master social media, and you shouldn’t have to. You’re running your company!

Social media services for businesses

At Sprout, we’re social media managers. We create, maintain, and optimize social media platforms for clients in all industries. We post regular original content, interact with other businesses and community members, and direct messages to you, the business owner, for response. We provide services on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Houzz, and LinkedIn.

Social media management for every industry

  • Construction

  • Retail and commerce

  • Carpentry

  • Restaurants

  • Tax firms

As we said up front, every business in every industry can and will benefit from having a social media presence. If you have mixed feelings about digital marketing in general, consider social media a strategic business move for today’s era.

It’s about adapting to your clients where they are. Regardless of how you may feel about it, where they are is on social media!

Curious which platforms are best for your industry? Have a chat with us. We’ll look at what you do and determine how you can expect to grow through social media. Give us a shout when you’re ready!