We all have had “that” coworker, who is a literal chore to deal with, in almost every way. You cringe when they get in the elevator with you. And you certainly don’t want to be stuck sitting next to them at an all-hands meeting or company dinner.
Do not let social media marketing be that coworker! Unfortunately, so many professionals do. Many of the small business owners that we chat with about their social media work seem instantly fatigued when discussing it. It’s clearly a very unenjoyable part of their job. Perhaps it’s because they’re spread thin and they feel that they’re juggling too many responsibilities in too little time. Or maybe it’s because they are overwhelmed by it, since they don’t understand how to navigate the work. Either way, running your social media presence does not have to be such a chore.
Our perspective on social media outreach is one centered on connection. We believe that following this principle can make the job a fun one.
Let’s say that you’re the person running your company’s social media marketing. Chances are you also have your own personal social media presence. You probably like your friends’ photos, and comment on their posts and updates. This is all done in your free time, and is something you genuinely enjoy, right? So why does doing this exact thing for your company have to be such a heavy task? All that’s required is a perspective shift.
Social media marketing isn’t only about creating content. It’s about engaging with your current customer base and with potential customers.
Engaging with them is the same as what you do when you engage with your own friends and connections on your free time, but within the style and context of your brand. On Instagram, for example, you can start by liking and commenting on the posts of people who have already interacted with your posts. You should also interact with any posts or comments where you are mentioned. Another way to interact with your customers that can make a big difference is to repost their content. Two options for that approach would be to include their pictures in your posts (and credit them for the photo) or quote them in a post.
These are just a few examples of fun, simple ways you can engage with your customers, which will help to expand your social media following.
All that being said, if you feel like you’re already doing these engagement practices and you’re still feeling like the work is burdensome, then maybe it’s time to delegate. If you really enjoy the content writing, then divvy up the tasks so that you can continue to write while another staff member takes on the engagement piece. Or vice versa, depending on what part of it you like doing. Of course, if a perspective shift is a struggle for you or if you still feel like you don’t have the bandwidth to manage it, we at The Social Stage are also happy to help tackle any and all of your social media tasks. We love what we do, and we promise we won’t ever be that annoying coworker you don’t want to sit next to at the holiday party.
