We understand that business owners wear a lot of hats on a day-to-day basis, and it’s hard to find time for social media management. The good news is – you don’t have to. Gone are the days you started a business and had to become an expert on every level. Plus, there is a lot of research on social media suggesting you shouldn’t!

When you first open a business, you may not believe you have the financial means to hire an in-house marketing associate, or even an agency for that matter. Typically, we have found this to be when our clients begin feeling overwhelmed with the digital world and call out to us for help.

Why should I not focus my energy on social media?

Well, there are many reasons. We have highlighted a few below:

1. The Learning Curve – The most crucial element to social media marketing for your business is learning the platforms in their entirety. If you are not using the programs and apps to their full potential or using them incorrectly, you may actually see a negative effect on sales.
2. Constant Updates – It is challenging enough to learn a social platform, but to keep up with the never-ending updates and lingo can be daunting. As soon as you have learned the basics of posting, a platform will move buttons around and take features away. This makes the process frustrating when you have a long to-do list for your business.
3. Time Consumption – Once you figure out how many times a month you need to post to see engagement, then you must find time to write your content, find visuals, and put your strategy together. That is, if you have a strategy at all! Planning can eat up your entire workday, but it is critical in the development of a brand. Once you have published your work, now you must monitor your posts across all channels. Leaving a comment or private message hanging for more than 24 hours is bad business practice. So now you have just committed yourself to full time social media manager.
4. The Last Edit – There is nothing more embarrassing for a business than a premature social post launch. Whether you made a spelling mistake, grammatical error, inserted an incorrect date, or accidentally pushed a button that you weren’t aware of – proofreading can be intimidating if you don’t hold a degree in writing.
5. The Real Cost – The allure of social media posting is that it’s “free.” But is it? When you look at updates, strategize, locate imagery, research hashtags, implement trends, write compelling copy, AND proofread, how much time are you consuming? When your time is as valuable as a business owner’s is, it is important to take the whole picture into consideration when thinking about being your own social media manager.

How can I solve this issue?

If hiring an in-house marketing associate is not in your budget, there are a lot of good options for taking control of your social media to save time and money. Many classes are available online that can give you the skillset you need to get started. Taking a “social media for business” class can elevate your skillset, providing you with the resources needed to find answers to all your social media challenges. Another option is to hire a freelancer. If you only need to hire someone for a few projects, a freelancer will complete your tasks in a decent amount of time – plus, you might use them for future projects. If you don’t know where to start or are looking for someone to strategize, develop all your visual and verbal content, and upload posts for you, an agency is your best bet.  A digital media marketing agency is a one-stop-shop for all your social needs, so you will never need to stress about your social media presence again.

How can you improve your social media management?