So, you’ve hired someone to help out with your socials but you’re not sure how you can make their job easier? How do you keep up your own regular activity on your account and interact with your follower base without stepping into the content plan you have set up?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
Communication
When in doubt, the best thing you can do is reach out to your social media manager, or company, and ask what would be within their plan. What sort of activity can you do independently, how can you interact with your followers without stepping onto the set content plan, would it be better to just log out and leave it to your team?
I promise you, your content team has the answer to each of those questions and are more than happy to walk you through. That way, you get to keep up the sort of interaction you have while also appeasing the algorithm overlords.
Avoid GenAI
In theory, it should be a no-brainer but you would be surprised how often businesses fall back onto Gen AI due to it’s marketing as quick, easy and affordable. While it can seem like a great idea on the surface, it’s actually one of the worst things you could add to your social media.
Your clients can tell, your team can tell, I promise you that everyone can tell. Not only that, but social media has begun flagging any content that could potentially be AI generated. It’s honestly not worth it, more so if you have already hired someone to handle your socials.
Have a Strategy
Just throwing ideas at a wall and seeing what sticks won’t work, in the modern day it takes a carefully planned strategy to succeed in the digital landscape. You need to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, what sort of people you want to reach, how the algorithm interacts with the content you want to post. Without having that solid plan of attack, everything begins to fall apart.
This counts double if you’re working alongside a Social Media Manager! You both need to be on the same page with the strategy, otherwise there’s going to be moments where a lapse in communication occurs. Keep having those brainstorming meetings, those quick phonecalls to touch base, making sure everything is written down somewhere that everyone can access it. That way, everyone knows the way forward without needing to play the game of telephone.
Understand the Workload
Now, I’m not strictly talking about the workload that you’re giving to your Social Media Manager but that doesn’t contribute. You need to make sure that what you’re asking is within the scope of possibility… and your budget. Nobody is going to get polished, pristine content with a quick turnaround if that work isn’t fairly compensated.
You need to check that what you’re asking is feasible. Before you provide feedback for an idea, double check what exactly you’re asking. Do you need to organize a photoshoot? Have you received photos that could work alongside that idea? Don’t just rush in because this is something you want.
An idea may not work, what you’re looking for just may not be feasible. There’s even a chance that your idea will work against the algorithm instead of alongside it, meaning that having that content released will hurt you rather than help you. Just remember that your Social Media Manager is only looking out for you to make sure your brand does the best it possibly can, but everyone is human. There’s only so much a single person can do.
Write it Down
Oh hey, this looks familiar. Writing everything down is a way of speaking it into existence, making sure there there’s a way to refer back to the conversation you’ve had or the plan that’s been put into place.
Have a content idea? Write it down.
Need to get a meeting on the books? Write it down.
Have a question you want to ask? Write it down.
There’s a reason why people will swear by getting things in writing, because it means no lapse in communication between any parties. It’s something that both you and your Social Media Manager can fall back on without having to disturb each other’s day, but doesn’t disturb the workflow currently underway.
There’s a lot that goes into maintaining a brand’s, business’ or individual’s presence on Social Media. It can get overwhelming, but that’s exactly why people reach out to Social Media managers for help.
Social media can be overwhelming, intimidating and difficult to navigate for anyone. So just think things through, make sure to help you Social Media Manager have the smoothest time possible working with you to make it a rewarding venture for both of you.
Or… I suppose you could try to do it yourself.
