Last time I wrote, I talked about all of the great features you have access to using social media management platforms. They allow you to schedule posts, manage multiple social media platforms at once, respond to comments, follow hashtags, and collect data and analytics...so many cool things. But how do you know when it's time to use a management platform?
You might be ready for a social media management tool if...
- You're managing teams and have multiple people posting on different social media platforms on your behalf, you may find these powerful platforms helpful.
- You understand the differences in all the social media channels and how to use each of them in the best manner. You know why you need hashtags on Instagram and how to write posts to encourage engagement (especially comments) on Facebook. You would never cross post the same thing on all your platforms! 😉
- You need data from your efforts to prove results or make strategic decisions. While we all think this is great to have, many businesses and organizations are not utilizing the data available to them.
- You are creating content and not just sharing what is already out there without adding additional value. The days of a share being worth $10 and a like worth $1 are long gone. Content that creates comment conversation is worth $100! Content can be text, graphics, photos, videos, gifs, and more.
You probably shouldn't use a social media management platform if...
- You really only want a scheduling tool. If all you want to do is save some time by preparing and scheduling some of your content ahead of time, there are cost-effective tools dedicated to just that. I highly recommend the scheduling tool Later. Later allows you to schedule photo and video posts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. It also allows you to schedule IG stories! Plans begin for free, and paid plans start at $9 a month.
- You aren't ready to use social media to be social. The goal is to be a part of the real-time conversation. If you automate your social media posts, it’s going to feel as if you’re just advertising. That will not get you the engagement you need with your content, and it will in turn negatively affect the algorithm and your posts will not be seen as much!
- You don't want a big learning curve. Even though I have been using tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, Zoho Social, and others for many years, they are still complex and take consistent use to be worth the hassle.
What you really want
What most of us really want is time-saving tools. You want something that will help you do all the things that you need to do on social media, without adding hours to every day. I look forward to covering a vital process that every business and organization MUST be doing if staying on top of social media communications is your goal. Stay tuned!
You can...do it!
Elizabeth Collins
Focus on being productive instead of busy.
Tim Ferriss, author of 4-Hour Workweek