Marketing and social media now go hand in hand.
“Social media has been invaluable as we have built our business, and when used correctly, it can be a great help to companies who don’t have marketing budgets,” say Laura Mignott and Sara Walker-Santana, co-founders of 5-year-old digital ad agency DigitalFlash. “You can now use social media to follow and learn about potential clients and partners, as well as get loads of useful information about your industry. It can also enable entrepreneurs to tell the story of their company on their own terms.”
Related: 5 Quick and Easy Ways to Use Social Media to Build Your Email List
When it comes to choosing the best social media platform for networking with clients, I agree with Mignott and Walker-Santana that “Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram all help you to learn what people’s expertise and interests are.”
Once you’ve established your social media platforms, it’s important to put the right person in charge of your brand’s social media voice. I strongly advise against using an intern. Instead, choose someone from your business who knows your brand’s message and is willing and able to engage online with clients or future customers. The commitment to handling social media can be time consuming and for some, a 24/7 job.
If you are looking to hire a social media manager, then here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. How much will it cost?
A social media manager’s pricing can vary. The minimum fee depends on the number of platforms you are managing and the number of posts a client is expecting. Social media management can cost anywhere from $500 plus a month, depending on campaigns, contests and ads being run.
