So, all the hip cats are talking about this “social media” thing, and the old guys in suits are keenly interested in staking a claim on their share of the social marketing pie.
But if senior management just doesn’t “get” Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, the temptation is usually to push the task of Social Media Management onto the youngest person in the office. The Junior Staffer. Or worse, the intern.
Big mistake.
Here are seven reasons why.
1. In the social landscape, company reputation is everything.
All it takes is one tweet in bad taste to ruin a career, end a product, recall an advertising campaign, and forever mar a businesses’ legacy. You want all that responsibility on someone who spends the whole day playing Candy Crush Saga on his iPhone?
2. If you do goof up on social media, you can delete it (but you know you can never really delete it right?).
That snarky post your intern made about the competition may have been quickly scrubbed from your Page, but you know it’s screencapped, and screencaps can go viral quicker than… well, a virus spreads.
3. We’re not saying Social Media Management is hard, but doing it well and doing it right is not easy.
And because of the ever increasing importance of a company's social reputation, you should really consider profile management to fall under your marketing budget. In other words, outsource it to a Pro before you hand it to an internal n00b.
4. Brilliant social media marketing can make a brand.
And that’s the ultimate goal, right? If you feel like you’re managing a Facebook page out of begrudging obligation, you’re thinking about it entirely backwards.
5. Your Page or Profile is the face of your company.
So think long and hard about the face and voice you want to put forth. You need someone in the driver’s seat who is knowledgeable about your businesses, and a competent, engaging communicator or copywriter.
6. Customers are increasingly turning to social media when they need support or have questions.
It’s just a thing nowadays that when people have problems with the airlines, they tweet at their social media team. Customer support via Facebook messaging and Twitter needs to be handled efficiently and effectively.
If potential customers see you ignoring requests for help, they’ll think you don’t care about them.
So make sure that the person you peg to post on your company’s behalf can handle that role with grace.
7. In this emerging social landscape, reputation is everything.
It was point number one too, but it bears repeating. You cannot afford to mess up your social media. And if you toss it to an underling, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to bolster your brand, increase customer engagement, and cement your position ahead of your competitors.
