You CAN manage your business' social media...but SHOULD you?
Picture this. You run a coffee shop. You've been doing this awhile. You know how to juggle all the hats a small business owner wears - You keep track of inventory, provide customer service, manage your employees (and cover for them when they can't show up). You pay the utilities, lock up at night, sweep the floors, find some entertainment to perform Friday night, and make sure your beans are roasted to nothing short of perfection. You even come up with fun specialty lattes and drink names and never forget to ask your regular customer Beverly what her toddler has been up to lately. You totally get your business and you're good at it.
But what about marketing? You do that too! You are involved in your local Chamber of Commerce group, support the community in school fundraisers, are listed in the yellow-pages, and you have a Facebook page that you post on every time you need to tell your customers about a special deal or event.
It's pretty impressive the amazing things you make happen in a day. It's really a shame to see that your marketing really isn't getting you the results it could. Here's why small business owners suck at telling their own story to market themselves on social media.
Small business owners have trouble telling their own story because they are living it. Being "in the weeds" keeps you from having an accurate perspective of what your customers crave to hear from you. Here's a secret- it's not just the drink special for the day. They want to see your passion shine through!
So. Many. Responsibilities. As an entrepreneur, at one point or another you have probably literally done every single task there is to do related to your business. And if you have been able to hire someone to take something off your plate, if they don't come through, it always lands right back in your lap. Social media is one burden that can be handed off seamlessly to the right person and provide a new asset to your business, instead of sucking more time and energy..
Lack of knowledge. Sure, setting up a Facebook page or Instagram account is easy. Snapping a pic and writing a post doesn't require a PhD. But there is strategy to social media. Having someone with the know-how to get you results can keep you from posting and hearing crickets, as well as devoting all that energy for no real return.
So, even if you CAN manage social media for your business, SHOULD you?
Here are a few signs your business would thank you for letting a social media manager handle your online marketing:
You don't post consistently.
You don't know what time of day to post so the most people will see.
You don't know the difference between a good hashtag and a bad one.
You aren't sure what platform your business should be on.
You only post about events happening at your business.
You have never or rarely post a video.
You don't have a social media strategy with goals, action steps, and a content calendar.
If you answered "that's me" to any of these, you are doing your business a disservice. Social media marketing can be so powerful - if you give it the opportunity to be. Find a social media manager who can tell your story, bring more people to your business, and turn your customers into your biggest fans. Your business will thank you.
