You might not realize it, but your social media manager wears many hats every day, from photographer/videographer to strategist, graphic designer, copywriter/editor, and more. While they often make it look effortless, don’t be fooled. It takes quite a bit of effort.
Here are a few things your social media manager wishes you knew, from “going viral” and buying followers to paid ads and engagement.
It’s not so easy to “go viral.”
“Can we make it go viral?” You’ve probably heard this one, right? What your social media manager wishes you knew is that making something “go viral” is a lot like winning the lottery.
While the right strategy can increase your odds, luck and the whims of the algorithm remain a significant part of the equation. Basically, it’s the right post at the right time targeted at the right people.
It’s important to accept that most content you create won’t go viral, and that’s okay.
Think of it like a baseball game. Homeruns are amazing, but not nearly as common as base hits. Remember the scene from “Moneyball” where Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill’s characters talk about a player they want “because he gets on base”? That’s what you’re looking for in your social media—posts that consistently load up your bases, setting you up for that elusive Grand Slam.
Speaking of bases…if your goal is to build your base, boost your brand, and foster greater engagement with your community of followers, going viral would help, but it isn’t the only way to accomplish those goals.
In essence, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t try so hard to go viral that you lose sight of your own audience and why your organization or business is on social media in the first place. If you focus on creating good, quality content and take the time to understand your audience, not only will you steadily grow your following on social, but you’ll also increase your chances of a post going viral.
While it’s by no means a guarantee, short shareable content (like videos) and hopping on current trends are a few ways to give your followers value. Just remember, keep it genuine, short, entertaining, and fun.
Buying followers isn’t a good strategy. Ever.
Here’s one your social media manager REALLY wants you to understand. It might seem like a good idea at first to purchase followers for your social media accounts, but this faux pas is one that will come back to haunt you. This move can cost you credibility and hurt your engagement at the same time. Fake followers aren’t real people, so they won’t be sharing, liking, or saving your content, which will screw up your analytics. Yeah, you’ll have a ton of followers, but your reach and engagement numbers will tank.
Plus, other social media users will lose trust in a brand that has to fake their following. AND it goes against Instagram’s community guidelines to artificially collect followers. If you’re caught, your account will be suspended or permanently deleted.
That’s why it’s best to stick to an organic strategy when looking to grow your following. Be genuine and opt for real followers who can engage with your brand. It may take longer, but that’s OK. Slow and steady wins the race.
Being successful means knowing your audience.
This has got to be the number one rule in marketing. If you don’t know your audience, your foundation is shaky at best. Social media managers get that understanding your target audience is the goal. When you know what your followers want or are looking for, you can craft the content that will speak to them. In short, you’re giving the people what they want.
Make sure you understand your audience’s demographics, too. This will play a major role in how you speak to each of your audiences, when to post, which platform to use, and so on.
You’ll need to put some effort into capturing quality content.
We’re not suggesting you go out and buy the most expensive camera equipment to capture incredible photos for the ‘gram. But we are recommending you strive to capture quality content for your social media accounts. Not just image quality (which is important, nobody likes blurry photos), but the actual content, too.
Genuine does better. Video does best.
We recommend honing your Instagram Reels and TikTok game and crafting great shortform clips and copy that engage, involve, and captivate your followers. Think about how you can best stop their scroll. Powerful storytelling, interactive content, breathtaking imagery, influencer collabs and user generated content are just some ways you can make sure your content is top notch.
Quality over quantity, we like to say.
Social isn’t static. Engage with your fans and followers!
Any social media manager worth their salt will tell you: It’s all about building relationships with your followers and fans – and relationships aren’t supposed to be one-way. Taking the time to engage with users is important. It means you’re approachable as an organization and that you’re willing to have conversations with your audience. That will make many of your followers feel seen and heard.
Want to level up your engagement? Try user generated content (if possible)! Many followers enjoy having their posts and stories shared by the organization/business/brand that they tagged. It’s an easy way to share content that will likely drum up some good engagement. Plus, you’ve made your followers happy, and they’ll be more likely to share their content with you in the future.
Don’t be afraid to try new trends and have some fun.
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time on social media knows how much things change within short periods of time. The social landscape is always in a state of flux. Today’s hot trends are tomorrow’s memes. That’s why it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. Your marketing team needs to be able to hop on the latest and greatest trends while they’re still a thing before social users move on to the next craze.
Remember to be genuine but also to have some fun with your content. It usually isn’t the most planned out or serious posts that end up trending. It’s usually something simple, funny, and REAL. Don’t overthink things, and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Fun social posts won’t hurt your brand’s credibility. In fact, they may make it more relatable and likeable to followers.
Not every post will perform to your expectations.
If you want every single post to go viral, it might be time to get another dream. Not every single post is going to be a winner, and that’s okay. There is immense competition in the social media arena. Each day your followers are seeing posts from many other brands. Plus, people are busy. They don’t have time to see everything you share, and frankly, the algorithms only shows them a fraction of your posts.
Treat each post that doesn’t succeed as a learning experience. What worked? What didn’t? Why did the post not perform? It could have been the timing. Maybe your audience just isn’t interested in that topic. Or perhaps it was something else. You’ll never know unless you frequently analyze your metrics and try new things.
Your social media manager wishes you knew that not every post will meet your expectations, and that’s completely normal. Some posts will perform well, and some won’t. Your analytics will rock one month and suck the next. Control what you can, and don’t sweat the things you can’t.
Organic is great, but paid ads can help boost your brand.
A lot of social media managers are often told to grow a following – and fast! The truth about organic growth is that it isn’t going to happen right away. It isn’t magic. It’s hard work. Organic growth on social has to do with building a relationship with your followers, and like any good relationship, that takes time.
Now, if you want to increase your reach quickly, a great way to do that is with a paid ad spend. However, many balk at the idea of spending more money. But the truth is, it’s the best way to get more eyeballs on your brand. Think of the money you budget for your social media spends as an investment. Lots of people are on social media, and an ad can be targeted to the specific audience you are trying to reach.
Ads are a tool, and like most tools, they aren’t free. But they are an investment that can yield impressive returns. And you can tailor your ads for any size budget. While we believe that organic growth is amazing, ads can be a useful tool to boost your brand awareness and fuel your following.
While we’re sure this isn’t everything we could say, you get the gist.
Got more questions or need some help managing your social media? Our team of knowledgeable experts are here to help you craft compelling social posts that will land you more followers, grow your reach, and drive engagement.
Contact us for a FREE, custom quote today!
