Social media should always be handled carefully because mistakes on this platform have a tendency to adversely affect a company’s reputation. A well-managed social media marketing campaign can increase brand visibility and help you reach a wider audience. Most franchise owners wonder if they should manage their social media accounts and campaigns themselves instead of hiring a professional. There are pros and cons to both options so consider the points mentioned below before you make a decision.
If you’re on a tight budget and need to take money away from more important business-related expenses for social media management, you might want to consider DIY. There are several online tools available to help you and you can even purchase software that would help you manage all of your accounts from one location. If you have time, you can take some classes or read online guides and tutorials to understand how the system works.
Business owners often fail to consider the value of time when they plan their expenses and decide to take the DIY route. For example, would your time be better spent if you work on a new project or train new franchisees rather than learn social media marketing management? If your business is growing and you have to sacrifice your weekends to meet goals, you should probably consider hiring a professional.
Almost everyone has a Facebook and LinkedIn account but that doesn’t mean you’re social media savvy. When you’re on social media for marketing, you need to post content on a regular basis, rely to comments, and engage audiences. You’ll also have to engage audiences across different platforms in different ways. For examples, Facebook and LinkedIn would require blog posts or informative articles while Twitter would require links and small lines of text. You’ll need to post pictures and infographics on Instagram and videos on platforms like YouTube. You’ll be responsible for content creation as well as management and that can be a hassle.
If you’re very active on social media and are familiar with the behaviour and characteristics of all platforms, you might find social media management very easy. Some franchise owners create highly personalised and effective social media marketing campaigns by managing all accounts themselves. This allows them to connect with the audience on a deeper level and helps them understand what their customers need. If you are an active social media user, you should consider taking the DIY route and manage the accounts yourself. You can always hire someone else at a later date if you find the work too overwhelming.
This is one of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself before you choose between DIY and professional social media management. This task requires regular attention and monitoring. You can’t just set it and forget it after you’ve reached your goal of a few hundred thousand followers or subscribers. Social media will only help your brand if you post content consistently and follow a regular schedule. You have to find the right balance between frequency and quality to keep your audiences engaged and happy. If you’re not consistent, your social media marketing campaign won’t produce good results.
If you want to know more about social media marketing and management, or want some advice, feel free to get in touch with us at The Franchise Institute. You can call us on 1300 855 435 or fill in this contact us form and we’ll reply as soon as we can.
Thanks for reading,
The Franchise Institute Team
1300 855 435
