- [Voiceover] Most small businesses can't afford the luxury
of a full-time social media team.
Sometimes the responsibility falls to the owner
who's too busy juggling all the other priorities
and may not have the time to give social media
the attention it needs.
Or maybe you try to spread social media responsibilities
among your staff and they start complaining
they're overworked.
Some companies outsource social media to freelancers
or small agencies.
Regardless of the route you take,
some skills like creativity and visual storytelling
are essential for a social media team.
Like the Internet, social media is a visual medium,
so that people who manage it for your business
should have some skills in photography,
video production, and design.
Your social media team should include a talented writer
who can craft updates and blog posts,
and a conversationalist who loves interacting with
and helping your customers.
You also need a good researcher
who can find ideas and content to curate
and identify which influencers you want to connect with.
What makes someone an influencer?
They could be a blogger, someone with a passion
for your industry and an engaged social media following,
or a reporter who's active on social platforms.
Your social team should know how to find, credential,
and build relationships with them.
Not everyone has the personality, attitude and judgment
to become the social voice of your company.
It's important to have people who like talking with
and helping customers.
If you have the wrong person at the helm,
the results can be devastating
to your business and reputation.
So where do you start?
In a small business, it's natural to turn to your team.
Ask employees if they'd like to add social media
to their responsibilities,
and then determine what their skills and hobbies are.
You may be surprised to learn that you have
a budding video producer on your staff
who would be more than happy to create and share videos.
Or maybe you have a few self-starters
with a desire to learn new skills.
Some companies hire freelancers or a small agency
to provide strategy and extra arms and legs
to bring their content to life.
It's important to ensure that whoever you hire is a good fit
and understands the culture of your organization
as they're going to be your public face.
If things go really well, you may find your business
can afford an in-house community manager
to oversee your social channels and build relationships
that help achieve your business goals.
What makes someone a good community manager?
Ideally they should be part salesperson,
part expert, part creative director,
and part conversationalist.
They should have strong writing skills
and production expertise,
so they can engage and inspire your customers
with multimedia.
Whether you build from within, hire externally,
or find a full-time community manager,
you social media team needs to be aligned with your goals.
Then they can help you engage your customers,
grow your business, and take your company to the next level.