Core competencies, skills of a social media manager

January 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment

It is essential in today’s economy for every company to have a robust, malleable digital presence; and, since social media platforms provide that ability, the demand for social media managers is growing by the day.

Therefore, those seeking social media manager positions or jobs of a similar ilk need to understand what qualities and competencies are required to obtain this type of job and succeed in it. Here are some of the core skills and competencies that a social media manager must have.

Photo courtesy of Martin Brossman

The fall 2018 Social Media Management Certificate Program graduating class

Contrary to popular opinion, the requisite skills for a social media manager are diverse and take practiced refinement. Some of those core skills include collecting, creating and curating content; operating social media scheduling tools; utilizing and interpreting analytical data; SEO and social media writing and editing; understanding social media advertising and post-boosting (especially on Facebook); and marketing to increase interest and revenue. In essence, the skills that a social media manager should have group into three categories: creation, development and maintenance.

Creation requires the ability to gather information quickly and produce engaging and targeted written or visual content that represents a brand well and advances the progression of that brand. While being able to produce effective content with relative speed is a large part of the creation competency, a social media manager must also know which content and form are most effective for each platform. For example, brief posts that have immediate or short-term relevance are ideal for Twitter, whereas Facebook allows for (and users have come to expect) lengthier content. So being able to produce content that utilizes the purpose and format of a social media platform is the name of the game.

Then again, if a social media manager doesn’t know who the platform-specific content is supposed to reach, its effectiveness is compromised. “I start with getting grounded in a comprehensive understanding of who our target audience is and what they care about,” says Vanessa Williams, senior manager of integrated strategy and promotions at Ignite Social Media in Cary. This is where development of content (in the areas of audience, brand exposure and sales) comes into play. If a clothing store producing wares for teenage girls is not using Pinterest (or Instagram) and failing to produce image-heavy posts with catchy text on a daily basis, that company will have a difficult time reaching its intended audience and market.

Which is where analytics enter the fray and aid in the development of market-targeting or narrowcasting. “Social media managers … need to be analytical,” Williams says. “They need to be able to interpret quantitative and qualitative data to determine what is working …  [and] bubble up social results into metrics that matter for the business.” Those metrics include advertising return on investment or spending, cart value, offline- and online-sales conversions and loyalty program enrollment, Williams says.

The more a social media manager or a business knows about its market, the easier it is to forge relationships; and in a social media world, relationships are king. “One of the great things about social media … is the ability to build one-to-one relationships with your current and potential customers in real time,” Williams says. “Being a helpful resource, surprising and delighting fans, and taking their feedback into consideration can help build relationships and brand loyalty with customers.” The content has to engage those most likely to buy the products or services a company offers, and providing resources for customers to accomplish that can establish relationships with new customers and strengthen those with existing customers.

Lastly, there is the maintenance or the curation of the content produced and the relationships and markets that have been developed. Outside of being able to refine, update and schedule content, the most important aspect of the maintenance competency is discipline. A social media manager needs to be consistent in upholding the quality of content and in tailoring it to meet shifting and burgeoning trends while also adhering to the strategy that has been established. Consistency is paramount in maintaining the relationships that have been developed. As with any system, the components that make it work need attention and discipline drives the maintenance of those components.

Social media is a fundamental part of contemporary sales, marketing and advertising and is only going to become a more integral part of those industries. As a result, companies need those inclined to utilize this dynamic tool, those social media managers about to find their stride.

 

Special thanks to Janet Constantino, Melanie Diehl, Cathy Comella-Ports, Martin Brossman, Karen Tiede, Kerry Mead, Davina Ray and Sasha Fetisova, all of whom contributed to this article. Learn more about me, Justin Goldberg (primary author) at https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-goldberg-101a4a16/

Filed Under: Education, Jobs & Income Tagged With: , ,

Marketing to Generation Z on Social Media – Tips for Social Media Managers

November 27, 2017 By Leave a Comment

family photo Social scientists, marketers, and educators identify the generation born between 1998 and 2016 as Generation Z. The Gen Zs are the first generation that is completely native to internet technology. They are the Jedi masters, and the internet is their Force.

The Zs might be the most important generation in the history of humankind. That’s not an overstatement. The Grand Challenges we face today are potentially cataclysmic. Climate change. Terrorism. Nuclear weapons. Economic disparity. Cyber security. Clean water. The rise of machines. Drug-resistance diseases. All of these challenges are reaching a tipping point in the coming decades . . . decades in which the Zs will be running the show. They didn’t create these challenges, but they will be expected to solve them. Fortunately, for all of us, the Zs are uniquely prepared to save the planet.

As parents, educators, and social media marketers, we need to understand this generation and not take them lightly.

The Generation Z Profile

What puts the Z in Gen Z? Here’s the basic makeup of the Gen Z profile:

  • The internet, technology, war, terrorism, the recession, social media, and the emergence of “fake news” shape their lives.
  • They are tech savvy.
  • Social media has connected them globally to like-minded peers.
  • They stream entertainment, information, and data continuously in a cloud-based world.
  • The internet has connection them to global knowledge.
  • They are bright, and their IQ scores are higher than previous generations.
  • They are the most racially diverse generation in American history.
  • Their worldview is distinctly different from the generations before them.

The Hard Road That Shaped Gen Z Values

Every generation thinks the generation that comes after them is spoiled, and no doubt the Millennials think Gen Zs have it easy compared to them. That assumption doesn’t hold up under the most basic scrutiny. Gen Zs only know an America that has been at war. The media is filled with stories of terrorism, gun violence, school violence, and polarized political parties.

Gen Zs see the dark side of the modern world firsthand, too. They know someone who’s been to war. They’ve always had to take their shoes off to board an airplane. Their schools practice active shooter lockdowns. They saw foreclosed homes in their neighborhoods and had a relative who lost a job in the economic downturn.  

All of this has further shaped the Gen Z profile. Here’s a short list of their core values:

  • They are digital natives, but not necessarily digital citizens.
  • They value diversity, inclusion, and equality more than any other generation.
  • They are not as patriotic as previous generations and are more distrusting of their government.
  • They are flexible in nature and expect flexibility from institutions.
  • Surveys show Gen Zs are less optimistic about the nation’s current status than older generations.  
  • The same surveys show Gen Zs are far more optimistic about the future than older generations.  

Gen Zs on Social Media

The internet is sometimes described as the “Wild Wild West,” and if that analogy is true, then Gen Zs would include Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Jesse James. They might not be the pioneers, but they are the settlers who left an indelible mark on the West.

Where is Gen Z on social media? Let’s be honest, they own it. Sure, millennials created Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, but then the Gen Zs took all of it and made it theirs. When Johnny Cash remade the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt, Trent Reznor (NIN frontman) said, “I felt like I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn’t mine anymore.” Gen Zs did the same. They made social media their own, and they probably took Trent Reznor’s girlfriend, too. We have a lot to learn about the Zs and from the Zs if we want to connect with their generation on social media.  

Here’s where they are on social media:

  • Gen Zs are continuously and seamlessly connected to their friends, relatives, acquaintances, celebrities, brands, and complete strangers through social media.
  • Gen Zs use social media and social media profiles to create their own personal brands.
  • Instant contact is very important to them.
  • Waiting for emails has never been part of the Gen Z world.
  • Social media has led to a sense of social justice, especially when they are bombarded with images and news of war, recession, and climate change.
  • Social media has made it easy for them to take up social causes. They search for careers and opportunities that will help the world.
  • Rating things on the internet is in their DNA. Giving plus 1s, clicking on thumbs up or down, awarding stars, and leaving comments is a natural part of their day.
  • Making celebrity and big brand misbehavior go viral is a major achievement for the Zs.
  • Gen Zs use social media to find like-minded people, giving greater strength than ever to counterculture and alternative groups.
  • They “crowd source” for solutions on social media.
  • They’ve learned to be careful on social media. They are concerned it is too public. This is why Snapchat is so popular with them. They want to better control who sees their messages.

Marketing to the Gen Zs

Is it important for social media managers to understand Generalization Z? Yes, because they are running roughshod over traditional marketing campaigns. They are brand resistant and social media savvy.  If you connect with them, they will be your best ally.  If you dismiss or ignore them, they will make you go viral in the worst way. And they will do it quicker than you can log in and delete your entire internet footprint.  

Here are some key points for commerce and marketing with Gen Zs:

  • Gen Zs are not brand loyal. They will mix and match everything from clothes brands to philosophies.
  • Gen Z teens and preteens have the biggest impact on the economy for that age group ever. Their social media “likes,” product ratings, forum feedback have companies and marketers scrambling.
  • They see way too much negative product information online to immediately believe ad campaigns.  
  • Gen Zs have grown up in the world of online reviews. They not only write reviews, but they rely on them and trust them for making their own purchases.  
  • Events like the recession and Occupy Wall Street have left Gen Zs distrusting of big brands.
  • They spend more on the economy than any generation before them at their age. Most of their spending happens online. This is driven by gift cards like Amazon, Etsy, PayPal, Xbox, PlayStation, and iTunes.
  • Gen Zs also understand commerce online. They sell and swap their own goods (and possessions) on sites like Etsy, Depop, OfferUp, Poshmark, and letgo.
  • They are more concerned about purchasing environmentally safe products than the generations before them.
  • They don’t have a regard for the traditional “Pro America” brands.
  • Gen Zs want to be the first to like something, follow something, buy something.
  • They like anti-establishment brands
  • Label wariness has led to the rise of the thrift shops. See Thrift Shops by Macklemore.
  • Big brands that use social media openly and honestly have connected with Gen Z.  
  • Big brands have reached Generation Zs through other Gen Zs. Big brands have reached out to popular Gen Z YouTubers and Instagram user to advertise their products. Gen Zs are much more trusting of individuals within their own generation than of big brand institutions.
  • Gen Zs spend their money wisely. The know too many Gen Xers who graduated college, live with their parents, and are saddled with college debt. Gen Zs find this horrifying.  
  • Gen Zs value “cheap” more than older generations.
  • Gen Zs are not easily impressed with technological improvements because it is an expectation. Unless your technology improvements revolutionize the product, don’t make it the center of your ad campaign if you’re targeting Gen Zs.
  • Gen Zs like brands that “stand for something.” Brands score well that stand for diversity, inclusion, and equality.
  • Gender specific ad campaigns don’t fare as well with Gen Zs, who tend to think more in gender neutral terms than older generations.  

Marketing to Generation Zs on social media will be no easy task. We have to catch up in areas where we are used to leading. The better we understand this group, the better we can connect with them, and that’s really what social media marketing is all about.

Note that the last people born into Generation Z ended sometime around 2016. This year gave birth to a new generation. Wait until you meet Generation Alpha. (Que intense Darth Vader entrance music.)

Look forward to hearing your comments.
– Adam Renfro

 

Filed Under: Education, Social Media Management Tagged With:

Content Tips for Social Media Managers Whose Clients Offer Nothing

May 30, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Can't get content

Photo credit Sean MacEntee

Finding content for your company’s social media accounts is not easy. While some businesses supply social media managers with a steady stream of white papers, blog posts, videos, and ideas, many of us are left with almost nothing.

Even worse: the very people who hire you refuse to participate in anything fun, even as a modest team photo. (It’s called social media, people.) Maybe your client does not have a blog, or your colleagues refuse to write. (Check out Martin’s useful tips for that situation.)

Alas, until AI (artificial intelligence) takes over our job, we must create a lot of content to post on social platforms each day. Make your life easier with these ideas for finding, producing, and tracking content for your social platforms for your B2B clients:

Tried and True

Let’s start with the basics.

  • Content Calendar – This is a must if you manage multiple accounts. A content calendar allows you to see what you’ve done before and plan for the future. These don’t have to be fancy, by the way. I like to use spreadsheets.
  • Google Alerts – As we learned in SMMCP class, Google alerts are a useful way to find blog posts and other people’s content to share on your social media accounts. One idea: get creative with the alert terms so you can find something different from what everyone else is sharing.
  • Evernote/Notebook – Make sure you have a notebook or someplace you can write down brilliant ideas while you’re having lunch. Creativity doesn’t keep to a schedule; keep your notebook on hand. Many of my best blog post ideas occur while I’m trying to fall asleep. (Darn it.)
  • Feedly or other RSS Reader – Who’s got time to read? You do if your client leaves you high and dry. While we know it’s better to share in-house content, you’ll need a strong mix of other people’s links.
  • Basic photo editing software and programs like Canva. With no graphic artist handy, you’re in charge. Find royalty-free images and try out infographic programs so you can produce your own useful, shareable content.
  • A face for video. Or at least the bravery to try it. Join the new video-focused Toastmaster group in Raleigh and start practicing. If your company/client allows you to shoot videos for Facebook (or better yet, go live!), you’ve got one useful way to generate something interesting.
  • Find the one. There is probably one person in the office mildly interested in social media. Chat with him or her. Is he/she willing to help or offer ideas? Follow his/her accounts.
  • The holiday list. Yep, time to drag out the “It’s National Topic that Relates to Our Company Day.” (Curious about those holidays? Check out this podcast episode.)     

Other Avenues

Next, here are some other ideas for finding and creating content. Some of these might not work for all industries. Some brands and companies prefer to stay safe rather than stand out. If that’s yours, best wishes to convince them to be bold! As Ann Handley always says, our biggest mistake is playing it too safe with content.

  • Thrift stores. You don’t have to be a #Girlboss to find a deal at a thrift store. Can you drag a team member in there and take a fun photo? Can you find an item that relates to the business in some way? Can you tell a story of a forgotten, cast aside item and tie that into the business? Can you buy some items and put them in the office for a photo?
  • Art gallery. Or some other interesting place. The idea is to tie it back to your company’s services in some way. Of course, you don’t always have to be “sell, sell, sell,” as we know. But it pays to think hard about the stories you’re telling.
  • Events. Is the company involved in charity work? Are you attending something interesting this weekend you can share? If nothing else events provide a photo opp. A lot of North Carolina’s smaller towns have various fun things happening. If you client is located in one of them, help spread the word about those local events. By using hashtags, you might even gain a few followers in the process.
  • The long story in short segments. Write a blog post or story related to your company, but then divide it up into 140 character statements. Number each one and then spread out those posts on Twitter, labeling each with a number and/or hashtag.

Often the hardest part about content creation and social media for businesses is convincing them it’s OK to be different. Many of the people I work with prefer to stick to the basics. What helped you convince someone to be bold? What helps you create strong content for social media platforms?

Jennifer Suarez is a Raleigh content writer who offers blog posts, social media, and other writing services to small business owners and marketing agencies. She graduated from the SMMCP program in May 2016.

 

Photo credit Sean MacEntee https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/

Filed Under: Education, Resources

How to Encourage Coworkers to Blog for Social Media Managers

September 3, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Blogging for BusinessHow to Encourage Coworkers to Blog – An important aspect for Social Media Managers filling their content requirements
Madi Johnson – Graduate of the NCSU TTS Social Media Management Certificate Program

Blogging is crucial for a business’s overall marketing plan. We’ve all heard it before. More blogs lead to more website views which leads to more conversions. But HOW. How do we create blog content ourselves, and more importantly, encourage our coworkers to create blogs.

The Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less team takes pride in our blog page. The entire team recognizes the importance of the blog. But since we have been blogging since 2011, sometimes motivation is lacking. What else can I possibly blog about? How many more exercise with my dog posts can I write? As I forged through each month, repeatedly asking for coworkers to send me their blog, I realized a few simple practices could put a pep in their [blog] step again.

Make it a competition. This is the number one motivating factor for our team to blog at least once a month. We hold a monthly competition of the top 5 most viewed blogs. At our monthly team meeting the winners are announced and congratulated (or lovingly booed if someone is bitter). The top 5 blogs are featured at the top of a handout everyone receives. These handouts have been known to be framed when the number 1 spot is claimed. At the end of each year, we look back at the top blogs for the entire year. Now THAT is a coveted list of top 5 to be on! The winner of the year’s blog gets a small prize, but it’s more about the bragging rights. It sounds simple and insignificant, but you wouldn’t believe the competitive spirits that come out. It’s amazing what a little recognition and praise will do.

Top 5 blogs

Create specific (and fun!) blog challenges. Throughout the year, I create extra blog challenges to change it up and re-motivate colleagues. Over the holidays, it’s a challenge for the most creative holiday blog. Occasionally, it’s a challenge to see who can recruit a guest blogger and whoever’s guest blogger gets the most views wins. Another example is our 4th of July challenge for the best grilling/cookout recipe (healthy of course). Or, as we just recently launched, an Olympic themed challenge where a gold, silver, and bronze medal are awarded. Now who doesn’t want a gold metal (even if it’s actually a fake apple spray painted gold… because #health).

Blogging

Start it for them. Help your coworkers get their creative juices flowing with blog prompts. Whether you provide them with a theme, a title, a picture, or the first paragraph, get them on the right track. This helps you gather the type of blogs you want for the website as well as eases the writing process for your colleagues. We all know the title is the hardest part of a blog.

Create a theme or a series. It’s easy to jump on board when something has already been set in motion. Create a series of blogs your coworkers can add to, or a theme they can always come back to. For example, we did a series of frozen lunch reviews. Coworkers could taste test their own frozen lunches, rank and review them, and add it to the blog. Easy peasy and it generated great content.

It’s important to remember to encourage your colleagues to blog, not force them to blog. No one wants to read a disgruntled negative blog. Help them find things they like to write about and understand writing is not everyone’s strong suit. Make it fun. Make it exciting. Make it fresh. Make it simple.

 

 

Filed Under: Education

5 Social Media Management Platforms for Small Businesses

December 13, 2014 By 1 Comment

Social Media Management ToolsSocial Media and Digital Media Managers need effective tools for managing multiple social media accounts whether they are for their own companies or they are working with clients. As tools are always upgrading and new ones continually coming onto the market, managers get comfortable with specific ones. Different tools are needed for different levels of management. It is not always easy to know which to use or try.  As I have tried many of them, I want to mention a number of the major ones that are more affordable to micro and small businesses.

1) Buffer: https://bufferapp.com

Comment: The sign up free version gives you a little taste of how the app works and no credit card is required until you decide to go to the Awesome version. These are both “personal” or 1 business versions.

The free 7 day trial for Business versions requires no credit card which is always nice because at the end of the 7 days if you have decided you do not care to continue with it, it will drop back to the free version. No harm done!

Benefits:

  • Schedule Posts.
  • You can aggregate content from RSS feeds and share content directly from them on the paid business and awesome versions.
  • They have an app for Android and iOS.
  • You can que posts from your email.
  • It posts images as inline images on Twitter.
  • You can use a personal domain for link shortening.
  • Time saving when using to post to social media platforms.
  • Has a built in URL shortener.
  • Has analytics depending on version.

Challenges:

  • You can only schedule posts to TW, FB LI, G+ and App.net. on the free version.
  • Tagging is only available with Twitter.
  • The individual plan can only connect one of each social profile so it is just for sole-proprietors or personal use. This doesn’t give you a good picture of how the social media management side truly works and 7 days of free use for businesses means you have to make good use of those days to see if it is something you really want to pay for.
  • No Dashboard – as in overall view of everything going on with any particular social media account. You have to click on each individual account to see what was posted and it also shows analytics.

Cost:

  • The Awesome version starts at $10/month and includes 200 posts, 12 social profiles and 2 team members.
  • Small business plans start at $50/month and include 25 connected social accounts, 5 team members, unlimited scheduled posts, RSS feeds and rich analytics along with all standard features.
  • They have a transparency policy as far as where your fees go when paying for any business version of Buffer and show you here https://bufferapp.com/business.

Free version or free test period:

  • You can sign up for Buffer and use a very limited versions for free.
  • The business plans have a free 7 day trial.
  • Non-profits get a 50% discount.

Support:

  • Unknown.
  • On the free version support is reached either through Tweeting to them or through an internal email.
  • They have quite an extensive FAQ page for general assistance also.
  • They have several “how to” videos on their YouTube Channel.
  • Support appears to be all email.

 2) Hootsuite: https://hootsuite.com/

Comment: For $9.99 a month a social media manager for small businesses can maintain several social media accounts and see how the platform really works. Their 30 day trial also gives you a good amount of time to try either the Pro or Small Business Plans.

The free version only allows posting to three platforms, making that basically for the casual user.

Benefits:

  • Schedule posts.
  • You can aggregate content from RSS feeds and share content directly from them on the paid business and awesome versions.
  • They have an app for Android and iOS.
  • Geo targeting for Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
  • It has an app directory with a collection of extensions and applications business professionals can add to their Hootsuite dashboard to create a customized experience. http://appdirectory.hootsuite.com/
  • You can use a personal domain (vanity url) for link shortening.
  • Time saving when using to post to social media platforms.
  • Has a built in URL shortener.
  • Has analytics depending on version.

Challenges:

  • You can only schedule to 3 platforms on the free version.
  • Due to LinkedIn changing their API frequently, Hootsuite tends to drop connection with those accounts off and on.
  • It posts images as inline images on Twitter only from the Pro paid version or above.

Cost:

  • The Free plan allows up to 3 social profiles, no team members and 2 RSS feeds.
  • The Pro Plan costs $9.99/month with  50 social profiles, 1 team member and unlimited RSS feeds.
  • Their Small Business Plan is $49/month includes all Pro features with extras like One hour 1-on-1 dashboard setup and training session, 1 additional Enhanced Analytics Reports, Enhanced technical support and Hootsuite University on-demand training.
  • Hootsuite offers a discount to non-profits.

Free version or free test period:

  • They do have a free version for personal use.
  • They have a 30 day free trial on the Pro Plan and Small Business Plan.

Support:

  • Good.
  • They offer you to send them feedback to any of their many social media channels.
  • They offer support through their Twitter Account and you can contact sales at another one of their Twitter Accounts.
  • They also have an online Help Desk that seems to have good search capability.

3) TweetDeck: https://about.twitter.com/products/tweetdeck

Comment: Tweetdeck is currently owned by Twitter. In my observations, when the social media platform owns a posting or photo platform, those are the ones you tend to give better results with.

Tweetdeck is an online / mobile app, which differs it from Hootsuite which is an internet based platform.

Benefits:

  • Scheduled Tweets.
  • TweetDeck is set up to use Twitter to it’s fullest capabilities via searches, listening and more.
  • It posts images as inline images on Twitter.
  • You can add multiple Twitter accounts.
  • Tweet, monitor and follow new accounts from all—or just one of your accounts.
  • You can set up alerts.

Challenges:

  • This is a Twitter Specific posting platform. It does not post to any other social media accounts.
  • If you use TweetDeck it would be in addition to whatever other platform you are using to post to your other social media accounts.
  • You need to use Google or another URL shortener if you wish to shorten links.
  • No analytics – you need to use Twitters analytics or another product.

Cost:

  • Free

Best Use:

  • If you want to schedule your Twitter posts and want them seen as if you posted them directly to Twitter, this is the app to use.

Free version or free test period:

  • As TweetDeck is free you can test it all you would like.

Support:

  • Unknown
  • If you wanted to forward an idea to them for improvement or have an issue with the app, they have an account on Twitter along with Twitter itself has a Support account to be reached at too.
  • There are many tutorials on YouTube by others on how to use TweetDeck.

 4) SocialOomph   https://www.socialoomph.com/

Comment:

They can automate their Twitter accounts to automatically send welcome DMs to their new followers. This is an intrusive way to welcome people on Twitter. It should be done through the feed. It takes several steps on Twitter to opt out of this.

Benefits:

  • Monitor many social media channels all in one place.
  • Schedule posts.
  • You can aggregate content from RSS feeds and share content directly from them on the paid business and awesome versions.
  • Could not find if the have an app for Android and iOS.
  • Time saving when using to post to social media platforms.
  • Integrate blog and social media updates
  • Has a URL shortener.
  • Has analytics depending on version.
  • Employees can email tweets.

Challenges:

  • In the professional version it has many automated items you may not want. I’m not sure if you can turn these off and on easily.
  • You have to use their in-house URL shortening service, dld.bz.

Cost:

  • The Free version only handles up to 5 Twitter accounts and no other social media channels.
  • The Professional version starts at $35.94/month billing $17.97 every two weeks.
  • If you need to connect more than five Twitter accounts, then their SocialOomph Twitter Unlimited subscription is your solution at an additional $6.97 every two weeks.

Best Use:

  • Social Media Monitoring and post scheduling
  • Software created heavily around Twitter Use

Free version or free test period:

  • Free Version for Twitter only
  • 7 day free trial on Professional Level

Support:

  • They have a forum.
  • They prefer to correspond by email. They favorite reply is We will need to investigate further.
  • 302-261-5717 Number Listed but it is noted – (Please do not call this number for user support, questions, or inquiries. You will get much faster response by submitting a support ticket using the link above.)  support@socialoomph.com
  • Self help center only list basic questions.
  • YouTube how to videos done by others.

5) Send Social Media: – This is first hand experience a few months ago. It may have or have not improved since.   https://sendsocialmedia

Comment:

Send Social Media is a very robust social media management platform. Small to mid size companies and social media managers would find this platform exceedingly useful in monitoring, posting, analytics and much more for their social media channels / clients.

Benefits:

  • Supports 30+ networks.
  • Create SMS Text campaigns.
  • Email auto responders.
  • Monitor your brand / reviews across the internet.
  • Manage accounts for multiple clients and assign to team members.
  • Monitor many social media channels all in one place.
  • Schedule posts.
  • You can aggregate content from RSS feeds and share content directly from them.
  • Has mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows7.
  • Time saving when using to post to social media platforms.
  • Integrate blog and social media updates.

Challenges:

  • You have to purchase additional credits to use the email and SMS features.
  • There is a learning curve as this platform can do so much.
  • Starts at $39/month for up to 100 profiles at Bronze Level.

Best Use:

  • Social media scheduling and keyword monitoring.

Free version or free test period:

  • They give a 14 day free trial on their plans.

Support:

  • Poor customer service.
  • Phone number is an answering service. I never received a return call.
  • They have submit a request via email on their site.
  • They have a YouTube channel with “how-to” videos.

 A Couple of Other Helpful Sites:

Buzzsumo

Buzzsumo has all types of great plans to pull alerts and mentions and much more. But they have a free one that you can create and account and use to manually search. You can find any type of top content or influencers and see what is getting top shares and on what sites, use it to manually post to your sites and see who has shared the information. It is a really strong site for the free version to help you find content to share or to blog about.

Cyfe

This is an all in one dashboard that gives you at-a-glance statistics on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.  Cyfe markets itself as social media, analytics, marketing, sales, support, infrastructure… monitor everything! I believe it can if you purchase the paid version which is only $19/month.

There are so many apps and programs on the internet now to help you manage your social media and to be used in managing clients’ social media it is hard to even begin to list them. It can be really confusing filtering through all of them; believe me I know. I search through them daily.

The ones I have listed above are some of the main ones used for micro and small businesses, along with social media managers that have a small number of clients they are working with.

There are many robust platforms that run in the hundreds of dollars a month for large companies and corporations. You may have run into some when looking for one for yourself. This is why I wanted to get this information out to small businesses to let them know that there are many that don’t have to break the bank, but that work really well, and others to watch out for.


Colleen Gray and the Social Media Management Certification Class – Boomerang Social http://Boomerang-Social.com

Filed Under: Education, Social Media Management Tagged With:

How do I respond to negative reviews online?

September 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Responding to Negative Reviews

Responding to Negative Reviews

Let’s face it, before social media and Yelp, Google+ Pages, TripAdvisor, Angies List, and Amazon, most unhappy customer’s complaints didn’t reach thousands of people. Now, they do. How your business chooses to respond to these reviews can either help or damage your business’ reputation. Here are a few suggested do’s and don’ts and examples to illustrate the good, the bad, and the ugly responses businesses wrote to their customer’s reviews.

When responding to negative online reviews, DON’T DO THESE:

  • Respond when you are very angry or hurt…cool off. Wait a day to respond.
  • Flag all negative reviews as fake or delete all negative reviews. A few negative ones validates the rest of the reviews. Your intelligent response on behalf of your company to negative reviews shows that the company is listening and cares.
  • Respond with a long essay. It comes across as defensive.
  • Use your response to a review as an advertisement, i.e. “You may have missed the green car sale but, wait! There’s more! The blue car sale just began. But act quickly! Supplies are limited.” Relate to the reviewer as a person.
  • Omit an apology to the reviewer. Empathize with them – this shows that you understand and care.
  • Ignore negative reviews completely and let them go unanswered. This is like ignoring a customer complaint in your store with others watching.

What to keep in mind when you respond to negative online reviews:

  • Have everyone on your team be sensitive to less then fully satisfied customers and do your best to address their concerns while they are in your presence.
  • Treat reviewers as sane, real people. Even if you know the review is fake – or the person is just crazy – the rest of the world doesn’t know that.
  • A well thought-out response to a complaint will help your credibility more than any marketing you can do.
  • Conditional reviews look and sound conditional. For example, don’t give a reviewer an extra cookie for a positive review. Listen for real raving fans and make it easy for your customers to write reviews.
  • Keep the bigger picture in mind: come from your commitment to service and not your emotional gut reaction.
  • Always thank reviewers for their thoughts – their time is precious to them.
  • Be personable. Pretend you’re having a conversation with the reviewer on the phone or at your business. Use first names to tailor your response. Don’t write a generic response to negative or positive reviews.
  • Keep in mind: you don’t want to write something that you will regret later. It will stay up online for many other customers to read. If it is written poorly, your business’ response may damage your online reputation further.
  • If you can determine who the negative reviewer is, first try to reach out to them privately by phone if possible. Some review sites will allow you to privately message the reviewer, and you can get their information that way in order to call them.

Additional thoughts and resources:

  • Be proactive. Claim all of your online listings and keep a close watch for new reviews.
  • You don’t need thank every reviewer that posts positively. Look for the ones that made a big effort to write a glowing review and consider thanking them.
  • Here is a possible handout to give customers which you can modify with your company information on it: bit.ly/localreview
  • Watch Martin Brossman and Andy Beal’s video filled with helpful tips Enhancing your reputation online for individuals and businesses  http://bit.ly/REPPEDInterview ******
  • Check out the guidelines on review sites to help business owners respond to reviews.

A good response to a negative review:

Ideal Business response: “Sally, we’d like to address this situation personally. Please email Manager Name name@businessname.com with your contact information and we will personally handle your issue.”

Customer review: “I stayed at this hotel over XXX weekend. The rate was good XXX a night and I likes that there were shops…right out the front door. Check in went well front desk was very nice. My room was on the 4th floor bad view etc I guess that’s why rate was great…and then the loud neighbors started you could hear others in the halls being loud what you normally experience at [this kind of] hotel. Called front desk they offered to love me and send up keys, apparently there was confusion and housekeeping came up and told me I needed to leave when I tried to explain I was waiting on bellman with new keys they told me to go downstairs with my things. Front desk was really nice upgraded my room and gave me club access and apologized for the misunderstanding –honestly I wasn’t mad just goes and ready to take a nap. New room was nice I will say the walls are thin and hallways are loud I was woken several times during the night (and that was with earplugs in). Another disappointment I had was wifi is $10 a day…really? Who charges for wifi now days. I guess I am used to [XXX hotel]. The club room was nice the staff was wonderful very friendly and caring. All in all this hotel is just okay but I think for area it’s prob better than other options.”

Business owner’s response: “Thank you for your review. I appreciate you acknowledging that our staff was friendly and accommodating during your visit. I’m very sorry to hear you found the hallways disruptive. This is definitely not up to our standards and we are constantly working on improving the quality of service provided. Your feedback is of great importance to us and allows us to monitor and continually improve our property. Thank you for staying with us and we all hope to have an opportunity to serve you again.
Best,
First and last name, General Manager”

A bad responses to a negative review:

Customer’s review: “I’m glad it wasn’t just me. The bald dude that runs the store stands there and stares at you the whole time you are there, and acts like you are wasting his time. The prices are fairly high. The ONLY reason I go there is to buy small ticket items because it is a convenient location.”

Business response: “Of course you’re wasting my time when you just come in for small ticket items. Buy something big or don’t come in at all. Why are you young kids so rude these days?”

A good responses to a positive review:

Ideal Business response: “Sally, thanks so much for these kind words! We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to seeing you again soon!”

Customer’s Review: “The staff…the property, the food, […the] manager’s cocktail reception [and the] free airport shuttle…were amazing! Rooms are so well equipped! I was there for a group event and the meeting space was also great. Breakfast, lunch & break snacks also excellent. Only thing missing in my room was a bathtub.”

Business’ response: “Dear [XXX ] – Thank you for sharing your recommendation [on XYZ] during your stay with us while you hosted your business meeting at our hotel. We value the opportunity to have been selected as the site for group meetings! Thank you for making exception to the efforts our team to provide spotless accommodations, exceptional service and an outstanding experience to all of our guests as we are very proud of our beautiful [type of rooms] ! Additionally, we do have room models with bathtubs included. Please let us know your preference in the future and we will work to place you in a room with a tub. Again, we are proud you found our services and accommodations to be a value and we look forward to seeing you during your future visits to the…area!”

We hope this will help you put your best “foot” forward when responding to your customer’s reviews online. Love to hear your responses below.

By Martin Brossman & Ellen Hammond 

Learn more about the Social Media Management Training at: http://smmcp.wpengine.com

Special thanks to the following people that contributed to this article:
Heather Cutchin Evans – www.linkedin.com/in/heathercevans/
Chloe Tuttle with Big Mill Bed & Breakfast – BigMill.com

Filed Under: Directory Sites, Education Tagged With: , , , , ,

52 Ways to Increase Facebook Engagement on a Facebook Business Page

June 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

How do I get more people to interact with my Facebook Business page? Here are 52 ways for Social Media Managers – and anyone that manages a Facebook Page – to increase Engagement.

 

How do I get more Engagement on Facebook

52 Ways to Get More Engagement on Facebook

When in Doubt, Test it Out

1) Change the types of content you post – test different formats (photo, video, links) to see which yields the highest comments, shares and reach.

2) Run Facebook Ads to existing customers and potential customers. Increasingly Pages are running ads just to be seen in their Fans’ Newsfeed as the result of Newsfeed changes.

3) Alter when you post. Test different days and times to learn when your content will receive more Fan Engagement.

4) Schedule your posts ahead of time directly in Facebook, instead of with auto content schedule tools like Hootsuite or Buffer. Facebook favors posts sent within its platform.

5) Test the length of text in your posts to see if it has an affect on the response you get. Being succinct is best.

6) Make sure your Page has two to 10 high-quality posts your customers will value, before running a Facebook Ad. Customers are willing to put up with an ad – even welcome it – if it leads them to useful content.

7) Test out contests and giveaways. Review Facebook’s contest and giveaway rules first to ensure fairness. Make sure you follow through on prizes or it will hurt your reputation.

What do I say?

8) Share blog posts occasionally, selecting ones that speak to your Facebook customer demographic. It may be a blog from your business, it may not. Describe one nugget you got out of it and ask a thoughtful question, urging your customers to weigh in.

9) Spontaneous posting is ok occasionally. Look at trending hashtags and post something relevant to your business using that hashtag(s).

10) Ask your fans to share their weather photos and stories of snowmen, downed trees, etc., on your Page. Remember to like, thank and comment on the photos they share.

11) Feature a question from a Twitter follower and answer it on Facebook. If you don’t have another social media platform, quote a customer who asked you in person. Ask them permission to quote them or make it a general attribution.

12) Ask your fans a fill-in-the-blank question like “My favorite hot dog condiment is ___.” This type of question is less intimidating to answer than an open-ended question. You might get question ideas to use later on, based on their answers. Please this type of question sparingly.

13) Post photos that pull on the emotions of your fans. You may choose nostalgia for the “good ‘ol days” or cute animals that you tie-in to your business. Eliciting ohhhs and awwwws is ok…but don’t overuse.

14) Re-purpose your content, pointing out a new and unique aspect. Examples: Share a link to a blog post, highlighting a new insight… or how about “Christmas in July” – re-sharing Christmas content in July.

15) If no one has responded to your post yet, reply to your own post with valuable comments that might spark responses…do sparingly and only once per post.

16) Depending on your fans’ social media savviness, giving tips on how Facebook works might be useful to them. You might say “To see our updates on xyz go to your New-feed and click ‘Most recent stories.’ “

The Event Angle

17) When there is a big event or major weather going down, more people will be on Facebook than usual. See if you have something useful to add. One example: post a picture of snow at your bed and breakfast during a snowstorm. Another idea – post updates the news is not providing in your area.

18) Test out the Event app for your events, especially social ones and not seasonal sales. Encourage fans to invite other fans to join them. Create it in advance of the event and post updates there regularly. This gives the event time to build momentum.

19) Post a podcast, video or blog by an event headliner in advance to get your audience excited and create a buzz about the speaker or performer.

20) Drum up nostalgia on holidays and past events like anniversaries. Here’s one example: “This day in 1975 we were ____, where where you?”

21) Post about an event (before, during and after) with photos and without photos and see the difference in responses.

22) Share photos or a video during an event. Make it a single quality post that conveys the event’s “spirit,” helping fans feel like they’re there. Only select the best and don’t overdo it.

Strategy: Thinking Big

23) Write in first person instead of third person. Your business should have its own “voice” – i.e., a certain tone and consistency. Maybe develop this “voice” into a persona that your company uses as a guideline for how to write on social media and other media.

24) What is your competition is doing? Think of different things you can do to stand out.

25) Pay to promote all or key posts to your followers by bidding $1 to $5 dollars. This promotes it directly into your Fan’s Newsfeed, using Facebook.com/ads (different than boosting a post).

26) Use hashtags to make your posts more easily discoverable. Choose some for branding, some for emphasis and some for reference to connect to other content like yours.

27) Curate quality content with a comment of why it is worth your customer/prospects time to look at. Pull out an idea that gave you an “ah-hah” moment and explain why.

28)  Intersperse your content, ensuring a variety of posts. Sales pitches for a whole week doesn’t cut it. Aim for posting certain types of content on a regular basis, like a video once a month, a sale coupon, a link to your blog, etc.

29) Have clearly defined personas, avatars or profiles of customer types you are talking to. Decide the percentage of each type you have and create content (blogs, photos, video, etc.) in that percentage.

29) Plan holiday-related posts ahead of time, especially holidays that are big for your business.

30) Daily review your Newsfeed to see what you can like, comment or share as your business. For a quick view on your interaction with other Pages, view your Page’s Activity Log in your Admin settings.

31) Whatever you do, do it in high quality not quantity, your customers’ attention is expensive to them.

Empower Your Team

32) Let board members, employees and other stakeholders know the value of sharing or commenting on content that speaks personally to them.

33) Create and share a Facebook content schedule with your stakeholders (board member, employees, etc.) in order to 1) have a backup 2) collaborate 3) idea dump before it’s ever scheduled to be posted.

34) Consider developing your business avatars or personas in detail with other people on your business team. This fosters in-house collaboration and helps you write future social media content with your audience in mind.

Stories Rule

35) Share your business stories and pictures/videos of the past. Build out the past over time on your timeline all the way back to “the beginning.” See this example of Big Mill Bed and Breakfast and look at the earliest date: https://www.facebook.com/bigmillbedandbreakfast “Born in February 1922” Is there a story about how the business came into existence? If so, share it.

36) Tell relatable stories and include pictures/videos of the owner’s connection to the business.

37) Ask your employees to share authentic stories and pictures/videos of their passion for the business. Make it a regular feature, like once a month, for planning purposes.

38) Occasionally do a spontaneous post related to an event, local good events and local or national tragedies. If your business knows of an organization or individual affected by an event, tell that story as soon as possible while it’s still on everyone’s mind.

39) Answer questions customers ask – on social media or face to face at your business – by linking to your blog with a more extensive answer.

Show How Good Your Company Is

40) If your business is sponsoring a nonprofit event, comment on their event posts leading up to, during and after the event. Don’t forget to share these posts on your Business Page wall with a note on how to support the event to your Fans.

41) If your employees volunteer for a cause on company time, share a photo of them on Facebook, tagging the nonprofit and commending your employees. Do this as timely as possible.

42) Share nonprofit posts on your Page before, during and after an event your business is sponsoring. Let people know how they can get involved in it and why you’re sponsoring it.

43) Do your employees volunteer, but not on company time? Ask them permission to share their story and photos, in the same spirit as “Employee of the month,” but call it something else.

Recognition is Right

44) Ask questions that you think your customer would enjoy answering, and include a related photo. Have a fan ready to respond to “prime the pump” – it will encourage others to answer too.

45) Say “thank you” when people comment on your posts. If you can, add a comment in your reply, mentioning them with the “@” symbol. This recognizes them in a way they know you are talking to them.

46) Spend a good 1/3 of your time, as your business, commenting, liking and sharing key ally posts. Key allies may include other businesses, vendors, your chamber of commerce, and nonprofits you support.

47) Help fans feel like they’re a part of something bigger. Ask them for input on a project you’re working on.

48) Follow up with a photo of the finished project, thanking fans for their input as soon as it’s completed.

49) Mention your strategic allies in posts and blogs in ways that may also be of interest to your customers, as well as prospective customers.

51) If someone posts a negative comment, step up to the plate and show how you can take the high road by responding, not ignoring or deleting it. There are exceptions with fake Facebook accounts and other inappropriate spam responses.

52) If someone gives your business a bad review and the review hints at why, address it in a post or blog and share the link on Facebook. It could be others have similar issues. Turn it into useful information for your customers.

As a Social Media Manager or manager of any Facebook Business page you are always looking  for creative ways to get more of your customers/prospects to like, share or comment on your posts. We hope this was helpful for you. Let us know what you found useful or other ways you have gained more engagement below.

by Martin Brossman and Ellen Hammond

Learn more about the Social Media Management training at: http://smmcp.wpengine.com 

Special thanks to the following people who contributed ideas or inspired ideas for this post:
Heather Cutchin Evans – http://www.linkedin.com/in/heathercevans
Colleen Gray – http://Boomerang-Social.com
Jay Izso http://www.internetdr.com/
Joel McClosky https://plus.google.com/u/0/109893483113029960788/posts
Drew Becker: http://conveymediagroup.com/

 

Filed Under: Education, Facebook for Business, Social Media Management Tagged With: ,

How do I set up Multiple Google Places for Clients

April 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Multiple Google Places for Business

Multiple Google Places for Business

There’s no doubt about it; Google has forever changed our lives and our businesses. This is especially true when it comes to Google Places. Google Places is one of the best and cost effective ways to be found online. After all, not only is it free, it also integrates with Google maps, so people can physically find you, and the Google search engine, so people can find you online. Google Places also offers a section for images, videos and customer reviews so future customers can learn more about your business.

Small business owners with only one or two locations find it easy to use. But what about large business owners, the ones with many locations? Can they get as much benefit from Google Places? The answer is yes. Google has recently unveiled their bulk listing manager and uploader, which promises to be a real boon for large businesses.

Not that every business qualifies for a bulk listing or even a Google Places listing at all. The types of businesses that qualify to do bulk listing are the ones with physical locations. Because everything is integrated with Maps, Google Places does not accept virtual businesses or businesses where the provider comes to you without having a storefront.

For example, a REALTOR® who works out of their home without a public office is not eligible for a Google Places listing of any kind. However, a REALTOR® who is affiliated with a company or has a walk-in office is eligible. It’s important to note that the agent’s location has to be the physical office, not the area they service.

Google Places is great for any kind of retail, restaurant or storefront with many locations. Ten locations is what Google considers ‘bulk’. If you have nine or fewer locations, each one has to be handled individually.

The first step for bulk management is getting verified. There is a link for “verify for bulk” in your Google dashboard. Once you are verified, it’s a simple matter of filling out the form and waiting. When filling out this form, give Google the business email of the person who will be managing these listings. Google prefers that there be only one email to manage all of the listings included in a “bulk” package.

Verification can take up to a week. Google checks out your business to ensure its legitimacy, that all the contact information is correct, and you do have the authority to create these listings. While you wait, you can start working on your bulk listing immediately. However, the listing won’t go live until after verification has been completed.

Bulk uploading enables you to upload a spreadsheet with all relevant information on it for each location. Typically, this spreadsheet contains name of business, phone number, hours of operation, websites and more. Google makes this process as easy as possible for you by providing a spreadsheet template for your use. It also has a guiding feature to point out errors and to help you correct them.

Once you’re verified and your listings go live, the person who logs in with the given email address and login makes any changes that need to be made. You can add or close a location at any time. You can even do another bulk upload without going through verification again. In fact, the only time you need to go through verification again is if your places account sits inactive for too long.

Now that all your locations are uploaded and live, it’s time to have some fun with them. Even franchises like McDonalds don’t all look alike or have the same features, though they do all sell the same food. While it’s important that you brand yourself consistently, you also have the ability to customize each listing to bring out its best features.

It all starts with the photo. Each location needs its own photo of the building. This helps differentiate multiple locations. It also helps the customer when they are in your area looking for a special location.

Next, comes the description. Even though your stores will be similar, each one should have its unique description. This gives you the opportunity to optimize for location specific keywords, excite the customers in that area and create the original content that Google loves to show.

Providing different images or videos of each location is another way to differentiate your locations. This helps fill out your places page, encourages interaction, and delights your future customers as they can now see which location is best for them. Sometimes, it’s not always the closest one.

Google Places has a section for promotions, contests and special offers. Google allows you to post special offers that are available at some locations, but not all. This is a great way to drive traffic to an underperforming location or to celebrate a special location’s specific event such as a grand opening or anniversary.

Google Places is one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to be found online. Not only does it benefit “small,” it also gives large businesses a chance to brand themselves as “small.” Even when people know you’re part of a larger company, differentiating each location through Google Places gives each location a more ‘small business’ feel and helps make it an important part of the community.

See our other post for Social Media Managers at:
http://smmcp.wpengine.com/blog/ and learn more about our Social Media Management Certificate Program at: http://smmcp.wpengine.com/

By Martin Brossman and Karen Tiede

Research by Mercedes Tabano II

Filed Under: Education, Resources, Social Media Management Tagged With: , ,

Social Media Management Reporting for Social Media Managers

March 30, 2014 By 2 Comments

Social Media ReportingAs a Social Media Manager for a micro, small and large business, you may be asked to produce regular reports to justify the investment in Social Media.  Real social media management involves up-front organization, a streamlined system for ongoing maintenance, and measurable results. Below, we’ll offer some guidance for forming social media management reports.

Making sure that you have a clear base line produced by your in depth 360 survey including: screenshots showing engagement on social media platforms, analytics from the website, and level of sales when you start, restart or take over a social media program.

Step 1: Organize your social media efforts.

Producing a quality social media report hinges on three main areas:

  • Brand (# of mentions, shares, voice and other key insights)
  • Engagement (# of tweets, likes, shares, campaigns & engagement scores)
  • Service (# of inquiries, response times and sentiment)

As a social media manager, you are responsible for creating regular reports that demonstrate how you are implementing your social media plan. Decide what data you want to include in your reports and how frequently you want to report to your client(s). On average, most social media reports are generated weekly, quarterly and/or annually to help track and measure success.

Step 2: Deliver evidence of return on investment.

Come up with a list of measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

There are numerous ways to track the growth of your social presence, and many social networking sites actually have their own reporting that you can customize to look at certain KPIs more closely. Examples of KPIs may vary across social channels, but they may include:

  • # of followers
  • # of comments
  • # of likes
  • % engagement with posted content
  • # of re-tweets or shares

Determine which social media measuring tools to use, if any.

Today, there are countless tools available on the web to help you make sense of your social data. Not only can this be helpful; it can save you hours of raking through data manually to find what you’re looking for. The following are are a few of the online tools worth considering:

Step 3: Put your KPIs into a presentable format/report.

There are a number of ways you can pull together a report, such as:

  • Visual
    -Powerpoint presentations
    – Infographics
    – Graphs, etc.
    – Prezi.com
    – Mindmeister.com

  • Data Driven/Analytical
    – Excel spreadsheets, etc.
    – Google Docs, Spreadsheet

When presenting your information, determine whether you will be showing weekly or monthly data. Determine if you need to include comparative information on competitors, and be sure to note any week-over-week and/or monthly changes in your data reporting.

Below are some examples of different ways in which social media managers have organized their information into reports.

Social Media Report Examples:

Social-media-metrics-template.jpg

Social Media Report Example #1 [source]

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Social Media Report Example #2 [source]

excel_monthly_reporting_template.png

Social Media Report Example #3 [source]

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Social Media Report Example #4 [source]

Develop the muscle to capture as you go! 

– Always have a screen capture program active on your computer.  When you see a big win or something you may want to do in the future get a capture of it. One Manager in our class did not know their superior was deleting past posts of some of their best work on Facebook. going back in  If they had screen shots, they could have evidence of their good work. You can use Dropbox, Google Drive or even Evernote to capture this information.

In the end, responsible social media management reporting begins and ends with organization – from assessing which social media sites to build a presence on, to researching, establishing and tracking KPIs, to formulating highly organized, structured data to present to clients in a way that will reveal online social trends, success, and places for continued improvement.

The key thing is make sure you take the time to set the baseline when you start with screenshots, sales and analytics from the website. As a Social Media Manager, you are responsible for communicating the value you are creating.  Make sure you get all the key information from the beginning (which can be a challenge a times).  We go into this more extensively in our Social Media Management training but I hope you got a few ideas that are useful and would love to hear your comments below.

by Martin Brossman and Karen Tiede 

Learn more about the Social Media Certificate Training at http://smmcp.wpengine.com 

Filed Under: Education, Resources

Bilingual Social Media Online Marketing Manager

March 12, 2014 By 1 Comment
Spanish Speakers in North America

Spanish Speakers in North America

The last US census conducted revealed an astonishing large number of Spanish speakers living within the United States: 53 million. With this number quickly growing by an average 2.2% per year, speaking Spanish has moved from an interesting trait to a mandatory skill. As the Hispanic population in the United States grows, the international love affair with social media simultaneously expands. While the growth of the two is independent of one another, there’s no doubt that there’s a large interaction between the online community and the Spanish-speaking one. As such, the services I can offer you as a bilingual social media manager are invaluable.

Cultural Acknowledgement

As a bilingual social media manager, I bring more than just language skills to the table. Rather, my translations extend beyond simple vocabulary to understanding cultural appropriateness, norms, and expectations. While anyone can look up words in an online translator or dictionary, I can provide your business or organization with the skills necessary to promote a positive relationship with clients and customers. This relationship, that recognizes and incorporates cultural diversity, is essential in creating and maintaining a connection between a business and its consumers.

Essential Skills

In addition to providing culturally relevant information to consumers, I possess the essential skills to getting the job done right. By having fluency in both English and Spanish, I am able to focus on:

  • Creating enticing and shareable content for various social platforms;

  • Integrating social, community-based media business strategies;

  • Creating, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on social media trends within the Hispanic community; and

  • Acting as a liaison between communication teams, online influencers, and Spanish-speaking communities.

In addition to these cultural and lingual-specific skills, I also have all the know-how of an experienced social media manager. I fully recognize the benefits of guiding and executing strategic social media initiatives, developing and managing viral campaigns, creating and maintaining high-profile channel accounts, understanding how to grow a brand’s social presence through paid and organic means, and maintaining an influencer-level profile across key social media platforms.

Conflict Resolution and Improved Communication

A bilingual social media manager is beneficial within the workplace–not only can I help you to create a business culture that recognizes and appreciates diversity, but I’m also an effective tool in conflict resolution and communication improvement.  With a bilingual social media manager, miscommunication and misunderstandings are no longer a cause for concern. When there is a problem in the workplace, the problem can be exacerbated by a language barrier. I can help to coach clients and employees through conflict resolution, as well help promote direct communication.

Translating between English and Spanish

Translating between English and Spanish

 

Additional Benefits

A bilingual social media manger acts as the social media voice for the organization or business, and cultivates new communities and manages branded online communities. By running reports and translating metrics and data into useable information, I’ll help to guide the overall communication strategy of the brand. Additionally, I promise to engage in and lead a community of social media followers across all platforms. In conclusion, a monolingual social media manager can no longer be considered the most effective means of creating and maintain meaningful social media; rather, a bilingual social media manager provides the cultural expertise and language know-how to accomplish the task at hand; I will provide your organization with both.

by Olga Santo Tomás Monroe   919-604-0104   olgamaria3@aol.com

Filed Under: Education, Social Media Management
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