There’s been a lot of chatter in mainstream media over recent weeks about ‘pointless jobs’ and more than once social media has been mentioned amongst other ‘pointless’ jobs.
And they’re right. A lot of professional social media is pointless. That might seem a contradictory statement for people who work in social media but hear me out.
The issue is that a lot of business social media exists in a vacuum. People devise posts, create content, schedule and post that content. And nothing happens. Or at best very little. I know of one B2B social media account that has had nolikes or shares for at least three months. So, what’s going on?
Doing social media is very different to doing effective social media. Doing social media is just that – the task is delegated, exists as a function and the box is ticked. Yes, say the managers, we are doing social media and it looks great! It probably does, but if it’s not getting traction, engaging with your target audience or driving traffic to your website, then stop – it’s pointless!
All social media needs to be implemented and evaluated in a business context and aligned with business goals. Best practice social media reflects key messages, drives awareness around key products and delivers genuine engagement and return on investment. Oh, wait, you’re not measuring ROI? Again, pointless.
The first step to establishing effective social media is to find your tribe. Who are the people you want to communicate with? If you don’t spend time on your selected feeds (more of that below) liking, following and engaging with the people you want to sell to, your social media will be, well you get it now, pointless. If it’s only Amy the social media exec, Mike her manager and Tim in sales liking the posts, then you’ve got a problem. Finding your tribe takes time and patience, but a strong online community is a really valuable business asset.
Talking of assets, you’d be amazed how many businesses don’t know the registration, owner or manager details of their social assets – largely because it was set up by Annie the Intern 10 years ago who has now disappeared without trace. Recovering ownership of social assets has caused many a business headache – usually when a disgruntled ex employee who was also the social media administrator decides to wreak havoc. Check yours now.
The second step is to work out where you need to be active and where you will get return on investment. The MD’s daughter may well be brilliant at TikTok but is this really your target audience? Facebook, for sheer numbers is usually on the list but recent algorithm changes and the introduction of reels might make you question this veteran of social media platforms. Does your range of nuts, screws, washers and bolts really lend itself to Instagram’s grid? Are you maximising Twitter’s potential to get media coverage? Are you talking in the right way on LinkedIn or simply reposting across all the platforms you are active on? That’s one sure-fire way to limit engagement.
Thirdly get an expert in to review what you are doing. Yes, it will cost, but there is real value to ensuring you are not doing pointless social media and that your channels help grow your business in a meaningful way. Call us now, we’re happy to help.