You Need A Plan.
Okay, I did say that this is the “doing” part of social media, but you really cannot do anything until you know what you want to do. The first part of being consistent is to define what the ideal looks like for your company and thus what you are planning to do. Your plan needs to include what kinds of topics you are going to write about and how often you are going to post. (Don’t bite off more than you can chew in the beginning. It is better to start off with small achievable goals rather than trying to implement an impossible plan.) Only when you know what you would like your social media to look like can you begin making it happen.
You Need a Process.
Your process is the workflow of turning the big ideas into words put together to form messages which can then be posted to be read by your followers. To put together your process, first make a list of tasks that need to be done to get from where you are to where you want to be. Then assign employees to those tasks, always remembering to consider their individual strengths and abilities. Finally, specify a due date by which the tasks must be done.
You Need People.
Of course, once you have a plan and a process, you still need the people to actually execute the tasks. Employees suited to this should have a flair for writing and an ability to take into account who the audience is, the tone needed, and what must be communicated. The task also requires someone who has a basic understanding of the technology being utilized. Ideally, the worker assigned to social media should be detail-oriented and able to persevere in the task because it really is never-ending.
Assigning the responsible person is often where businesses get tripped up. In the absence of a full-time marketing employee, this work is often assigned to someone who is really good at the job they were hired to do, but not necessarily so good at writing or marketing or even technology. If social media marketing is not one of their primary responsibilities, you can expect it to fall to the bottom of their to-do list, causing a real lack of consistency.
Another common alternative is to hire a young intern to do this job for a minimal cost. This can seem like a good solution since young adults are usually familiar with social media platforms and they often will work for cheap. However, they often do not have a firm grasp on marketing, and they may fail to adequately communicate your message. In other words, they may produce a lot of posts while not really having any effect on revenue or customer acquisition.
A third option is to outsource your social media marketing to a firm with dedicated resources and adequate expertise. Business owners can be hesitant to spend money on outsourcing; however, when you weigh the benefits of working with a knowledgeable and professional firm, it really is a cost-efficient choice. By hiring people to do what they have the expertise to do, you will get good quality work that is done consistently. And your employees can do what they are good at – what you hired them to do!
As you get started with your social media marketing, remember that social media marketing is an ongoing process. Hence, the need for consistency! Don’t expect to achieve all your goals after doing it for a month. Rather it must be done day after day, week after week, year after year. Be patient – you will see results. If there is any way that we can assist you on your social media journey, we would be happy to help! Give us a call today (317-683-7578).
