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Success or Failure
I’ve been thinking about Social Media Management over the 1st 13 days of 2020

We’ve managed Social Media for businesses for over a decade now

We’ve delivered huge results

So what is the difference between success and failure?

Our longest and most successful client says yes to 90% of what we suggest

Social Media delivers a huge ROI for them

On the flipside a client we walked away from recently pretty much said
– No, we won’t provide photos
– No, we won’t ask customers for testimonials
– No, we don’t want local customers as a local business
– No, we won’t listen to your expertise

I know that’s pretty hard to believe, but it’s 100% true

In short, everything we’re going to say below comes down to one thing

If you’re paying an expert to help grow your business, listen to their expertise, take their ideas on board and work with them to action them

Those that respect experts generally win

And for us the outcomes should be the same mission for both parties

We both want the same mission – success for one another, but there are times when everything just falls apart and is doomed to fail

Here’s for us indepth what makes the difference between success and failure of Social Media Management

CONTENT VS ZERO CONTENT
Content for us is at the heart of every campaign

It might be photos, graphics, video, blogs, news updates and a range of different types of content

A social media manager needs content to function like a painter needs paint, a bar needs glasses, a chef needs ingredients and a printer needs ink

It’s impossible for social media manager to function without content

At the start of every social media marketing campaign we will discuss the type of content that is needed to aid the social selling process and we’ll get sign off from the client

The different between success and failure is often whether that content is forthcoming from the client

STAFF ARE IN THE LOOP VS STAFF NOT INFORMED
Can each of your staff members tell your customers the Social Media Profile names off the top of their heads?

Do they understand what impact social media has or can have on the business?

Do they understand their part in making this a success?

Do they have a personal dislike / distrust of social media which may sabotage the success of a campaign?

These are all questions that need to asked and often a successful social media campaign will rest on staff being fully behind the social media marketer

If they’re not on board then you get no content, no testimonials, no response on email, no success

TESTIMONIALS VS NO TESTIMONIALS
“We’re too busy to get you photos at the moment as it’s our busiest time helping clients out”

“OK – it’s great you’re busy. Can you please ask all these happy clients to leave a testimonial on LinkedIn or Google?”

… Silence …

That genuinely happened recently

Social Media is the shop front to your business and you need social proof to help with the sales conversion process

If you’re bringing attention to your business to the point where customers are considering buying then they’re going to check out reviews

And if those reviews are from years ago or don’t exist – then sorry to break it you, but you won’t generate the sales volume you expect

PHYSICAL MARKETING VS NO PHYSICAL SIGNAGE
I work in social media

I’m the sort of person who checks-in on Facebook, Tweets praise and puts a lovely photo on Instagram

The average person isn’t like me

They won’t search for your usernames – they need to be signposted at every aspect of the business your eyeballs will be at

Online that might be an email signature or a link on your website, offline that is print such as business cards, leaflets, table toppers, window displays, boards, signage, receipts etc

Link the physical with the social

NOTIFY CHANGES IN ADVANCE VS TELL THEM AFTER THE EVENT
You’ll be shocked after reading this – but there was one client we worked with that after delaying the launch of their new business 3 times, we were told less than 1 hour before they were launching and opening doors

I was in the middle of a social media training session at the time

The most important day of their business and they notified the marketing manager less than 1 hour before launch

Social Media takes planning and if you don’t inform marketing managers in advance then they can not plan a campaign around this

Marketing, apart from trend jacking, is not done on the hoof

RESPECT TIME VS WASTE TIME
Some clients want a 20 minute meeting over work that will take 16 hours

Some clients want a 2 hour meeting over something that could have been actioned in 5 minutes

There’s a huge difference

Often we find the clients that don’t respect our time, don’t respect their own time

They prefer to talk rather than action

Talking is not action and if you have a meeting / phone call set an agenda with timings and stick to it

90% of our successful clients meetings over 10 years have been 30 minutes or less and we’ve made big leaps within those 30 minutes that have delivered results

RESPOND PROMPTLY VS NO RESPONSE
Silence is the death of a relationship

Whenever we contact a client it’s important

Sure if the client doesn’t monitor Social Media we sent regular feedback such as social media wins, positive news etc which only requires a thank you

But often we’re contacting the client because we need something (and often need it fast)

A response is simple etiquette

Worse than silence is multiple lack of responses

APPRECIATE IDEA VS REJECT ALL IDEAS
Our longest and most successful client says yes to 99% of what we suggest

Social Media delivers a huge ROI for them

On the flipside a client we walked away from recently pretty much said
– No, we don’t provide photos
– No, we won’t ask customers for testimonials
– No, we don’t want local customers as a local business
– No, we won’t listen to your expertise

In short and to conclude

Everything we’ve said above comes down to one thing

If you’re paying an expert to help grow your business, listen to their expertise, take their ideas on board and work with them to action them

Those that respect experts generally win

 

NEED HELP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
Chat to us about Social Media Marketing for YOUR organisation , so we can better understand YOU and what will grow your organisation

We can only find out what is unique to your business by chatting with you

Look at our Social Media Training and Social Media Management services

We offer Social Media Training on
* Twitter
* Facebook
* LinkedIn
* Instagram
* Blogging

We can do this
* 121
* Corporate Workshops
* Group Workshops
* Face to Face or Via Skype

Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk

 

 

Alex McCann

Author Alex McCann

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