With the rise of social media, there has been an accompanying increase in the need for help with handling accounts and content. Social media management is the term for this kind of work.
If you're looking for social media management solutions, though, you should have a clear idea of what they are. Likewise, you will want to know what managing social media accounts entails. You should understand these five things about social media management efforts.
Operating Accounts
Fundamentally, a social media manager deals with the daily operation of accounts. Suppose a photography business wants to find new customers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. An SMM would create accounts on those platforms and populate them with information about the business. They would then post regular content with the goal of attracting followers and likes.
Content Creation
A lot of folks look at social media and wonder what the heck should they post. Broadly speaking, you want to post content regularly. In the example of a photography business, the client should set aside some of their best photos to attract eyeballs on social media. The SMM will post perhaps one or two every day to keep up the social media presence. Likewise, they might make seasonal postings for holidays, wedding season, and back-to-school.
Interaction
Ideally, people will interact with the content. Some folks will post comments. Also, a few will find the social media accounts of businesses to post complaints.
An SMM has to act as a PR and a customer service rep. When folks love the content, they want to speak to them and keep the interaction going. If someone has a complaint, they need to move it into direct messages and address the person's concerns. This may include looping the client in if there are serious problems.
Branding and Persona
One area where social media management solutions may diverge a bit is when it comes to brands and personas. You want to stay on brand as much as possible. If you have a relatively serious business, for example, you probably don't want to develop a playful online persona. Nobody wants to hear too many jokes from an injury lawyer, for example. Conversely, a youth-oriented fashion brand may take the risk of developing a playful and even slightly combative persona.
Maintenance and Compliance
Finally, your social media management provider should maintain your accounts. Maintenance means making sure accounts are running, posts are going up, and people are interacting. It also includes complying with rules that may change at a moment's notice. That may include taking down old posts.