In this highly digital era that we live in, every company is trying to make use of social media to increase its presence and gain clients. At this point, social media management is something every management student and prospective job seeker should be knowing about.

Social Media Management is the process of using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to create, publish and then analyze content for a company. It includes analyzing social media audiences and developing a strategy to create and distribute content for social media profiles, and engage with users. Efficient and well-organized management of social media actually gives many good opportunities for companies to profit more. Brands and companies can use social media to increase brand awareness and store visits. In a company, a Social Media Manager takes on the task of social media management. Social media managers need to be skilled professionals at social media marketing, management and advertising so that the company can reach its goals such as increasing social media revenue and user engagement. They could be working as a consultant or an in-house employee.

• Social media helps brands engage with users all over the world. This is something traditional marketing and advertising cannot achieve as well as social media networks. Certain platforms like Instagram and Pinterest also help brands connect with niche audiences.
• With this kind of extensive reach, the brand can now align their marketing initiatives with user behaviour.
• Not to mention how convenient and cost-effective a social media initiative is. Setting up an account, posting content and engaging with users through chats and comments are all free of cost. Advertising on social media is a very profitable way of building a strong online following.

Major social media platforms used by brands and companies include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest. There are several paid and unpaid tools that help in managing social media networks by scheduling posts, content, responding to inquiries and comments, etc.  

Here are 3 essential steps that will help a brand gain useful information about its social media strategy and direct it through the right path:

Reviewing the company’s social media through an audit:

Conducting a social media audit will help a company understand how effective its marketing strategy is. The audit would include listing all the social media profiles of the company and reviewing social media analytics regarding top-performing posts, engagement, publishing frequency follower growth, traffic sources, average response time, audience interests and demographics. Analyzing this data and reviewing competitor’s social media presence aids the brand in improving its social media management and identifying where it might be wasting its resources.

Researching Target Audience:

Having a good idea about who your audience is, is essential for efficiently managing social media. It helps in creating relevant content and boosting customer relationships. Without knowing your target audience you are basically wasting a lot of time, money and resources.

Determining the Right Social Media Platforms:

While a company should definitely have social media profiles on top networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it should put most effort on networks that is used most by its audience. Not every platform may work well for the brand’s vision and marketing strategy. It should prioritize and put in effort for every platform according to how frequently its audience uses them. Brands that cater to a niche audience can also make use of such platforms that connect with its specific audience demographics.