To SMM or Not SMM: Why Investing in a Professional is Essential for Social Media Success

Whether it’s building a brand, engaging with customers, or driving sales, social media has the potential to achieve these goals and more. However, managing social media can be a complex and time-consuming task that requires specialized skills and knowledge. As such, many organizations are now turning to Social Media Managers (SMMs) to manage their social media presence.

Social media has become an essential part of any organization’s marketing and communication strategy.

Are you struggling to manage your organization’s social media presence effectively? Do you want to achieve your social media goals and build your brand effectively? Investing in a professional Social Media Manager (SMM) is the solution you need! An SMM is a trained professional who is responsible for managing an organization’s social media presence. They have the expertise and knowledge to create engaging content, execute effective social media campaigns, and analyze metrics to measure the success of their efforts.

Having a dedicated SMM managing social media can provide many benefits to an organization, such as…

• Expertise: An SMM brings a level of professionalism and expertise to social media management that a volunteer may not have. They have the necessary skills and experience to create compelling social media content, execute effective social media campaigns, and stay up-to-date with the latest social media trends. This expertise can help an organization to achieve its social media goals and build its brand effectively.
• Consistency: Consistency is key when it comes to social media management. An SMM can dedicate the necessary time and attention to social media management, ensuring that there is a regular posting schedule, engagement with followers, and proper tracking of metrics. This consistency can help an organization to maintain its social media presence and achieve its social media goals.
• Accountability: An SMM is accountable for the results of their social media efforts. They have a vested interest in creating and executing effective social media strategies that drive engagement and achieve the organization’s social media goals. In contrast, a volunteer may not feel the same level of accountability and may not prioritize social media management as much as an SMM would.
• Time Management: Social media management requires careful monitoring and analysis of metrics, which can be time-consuming. An SMM can dedicate their full attention and time to social media management, tracking metrics, analyzing data, and adjusting strategies accordingly. In contrast, a volunteer may not have the same amount of time to dedicate to social media management, which could result in missed opportunities for engagement and growth.

While having volunteer content creators to assist with social media is helpful, there are some potential difficulties that can arise, such as a lack of coordination or conflicting approaches to social media management itself which will impact the effectiveness of the organizations social media strategy. These challenges may include:

• Different Approaches: An SMM and a volunteer may have different ideas on how to approach social media management. These different approaches can lead to conflicts that may impact the effectiveness of the social media strategy.
• Divergent Views on Content: Social media content is critical for engaging with an organization’s audience. If an SMM and a volunteer disagree on the type of content that should be posted, it can cause conflicts that reduce the consistency and effectiveness of the social media strategy.
• Lack of Coordination: When an SMM and a volunteer are not coordinated, they may end up working on the same tasks or neglecting important aspects of social media management. This can lead to gaps in the social media strategy or duplicated efforts that are not effective.
• Inconsistent Messaging: An SMM and a volunteer may have different opinions on the messaging that should be used in social media posts. This can lead to inconsistent messaging that confuses the audience and undermines the brand’s credibility.
• Misaligned Goals: An SMM and a volunteer may have different goals for social media management. These misaligned goals can lead to conflicts and inconsistent efforts.

In order to avoid these potential difficulties, it is important for us to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both the SMM and the content creator. Communication and coordination are also essential to ensure that both parties are working towards the same goals and using the same approach to social media management. Engaging volunteers or employees in social media content creation is an effective way to build your brand’s social media presence while also fostering engagement and advocacy.

7 strategies to consider when engaging employees in social media content creation:

1. Provide training and resources: Ensure that your employees have the necessary training and resources to create social media content that aligns with your brand’s messaging and goals. This can include providing guidelines and templates for creating content, offering social media training sessions, and sharing best practices.
2. Encourage collaboration: Encourage employees to work together and collaborate on social media content creation. This can help to build a sense of community and shared ownership of the brand’s social media presence.
3. Showcase employee content: Highlight the content that your employees create on your brand’s social media channels. This can help to showcase their contributions and also encourage other employees to get involved.
4. Offer incentives: Consider offering incentives or rewards for employees who create social media content that performs well. This can include recognition, gift cards, or other incentives that align with your company culture.
5. Provide feedback: Provide regular feedback and support to employees who are creating social media content. This can include constructive criticism, praise, and suggestions for improvement.
6. Make it fun: Creating social media content should be fun and engaging. Consider hosting social media contests or challenges that encourage employees to create content that is creative, fun, and aligned with your brand’s messaging.
7. Incorporate employee feedback: Listen and incorporate employee feedback into your social media strategy. This helps to build a sense of ownership and engagement among employees and ensures that your content resonates with your target audience.

While having a volunteer assist with social media content creation and management is helpful, investing in a dedicated SMM is the best choice for organizations that want to achieve social media growth. An SMM provides expertise, consistency, and accountability that may not be achievable with a volunteer. Engaging volunteers in social media content creation is an effective way to build your brand’s social media presence while fostering engagement and advocacy. With our social media marketing services, we can provide you with the best of both worlds by offering a dedicated SMM and engaging volunteers to create engaging and compelling content.

At Peterson & associates, we understand the importance of social media marketing and have the expertise and knowledge to help you achieve your social media goals. We are committed to providing you with the best social media marketing services that will take your organization’s social media presence to the next level. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build your brand effectively and achieve your goals!

Do you believe that having a dedicated Social Media Manager (SMM) can provide more benefits than relying on a volunteer for social media management? Have you ever considered investing in an SMM to help achieve your social media goals and build your brand effectively? Alternatively, have you found success with engaging volunteers in social media content creation? We want to know your thoughts and experiences with social media management, so feel free to share your insights in the comments below!