It may not be a surprise to anyone that the world is getting faster. Too bad we still only have 24 hours to complete everything. Social media is no exception to this acceleration as we see articles drop down to the bottom of news feeds faster than a falling brick.
If you want to present your company as an influential member of your industry, you need to prove you are knowledgeable and in tune with what is happening. Be sure watch relevant subject matters carefully and become a news source by spreading the word. You can retweet, share stories, or write an original article or blog post about what is happening in the world.
Content isn’t the only element of social media that demands quick attention. Account maintenance goes beyond sharing posts and staying relevant. You need a sharp eye on all aspects of your company’s profiles. During this series about how to craft an effective social media marketing campaign, we placed a lot of emphasis on planning. One of the most important pieces of a strategy is to stay attentive and responsive.
Social media is all about communication. Because of this, customers have the ability to reach out to your business through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other platforms. They can inquire, comment, or complain, all for the rest of your audience to see. Pretty scary right? Well, it doesn’t have to be if you have an attentive social media manager watching your page.
Even if a customer goes on a rant against your company, you have the ability to diffuse it in a professional manner by responding. However, you will want to do this quickly. Ignoring a tense situation like this will only make your business look like it is either avoiding conflict or neglecting your social media page.
Whether your customers are mentioning you on Twitter or sending a long message on Facebook, you should respond within 24 hours to everything they throw at you. The sooner the better! After all, social media has become the front lines of customer service. By being quick to reply to any and all engagement, you will show your friends and followers that you care about their satisfaction.
Finally, you must be responsive to website updates. Sure, sometimes the big six (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+) will simply change the color of a graphic or move a menu. However, social media marketers need to watch out for algorithm changes. These will affect how your whole social media strategy works. News feeds can change, websites can take preference to certain posts, etc. It is important for marketers to keep an ear out for when algorithms will take effect and must be prepared to adjust.
It’s clear to see that it’s survival of the swiftest on the internet. You need to be quick and responsive to everything social media presents to your team.
How do you stay on top of things in social media? Comment below! Be sure to look out for Part 4 of our series on achieving effective social media marketing.
