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It’s difficult to be a social media manager these days. Many people are cooped up at home just looking for online fights to keep them entertained. And everyone is dealing with stress from pandemics, lockdowns, political unrest, and more.
Some companies respond by pulling on all of their social media campaigns. While it is understandable, companies that are pulling out now could lose critical momentum. Rebooting won’t be easy.
There is a better way, though it does take a bit of planning.
Why Avoid Social Media?
Campaigns that you develop and run on social media are available 24/7 even if you are not closely monitoring them. The risks are real.
Companies are withdrawing their campaigns because they are concerned about:
- Association. Your clever posts could be somewhere between dangerous or explosive content. Your brand could be associated with negativity over time.
- Speed. A hashtag or keyword that you used on Friday could have a completely different meaning by Saturday and you could be offensive without doing so.
- Conversations. Fans can turn the comment area into a battlefield. Any attack can damage your brand as well.
Adding staff to monitor your accounts 24/7 can be helpful. If someone is always watching, the problems stop before they spread.
Few companies can add multiple full-time social media managers to payroll. In such a scenario, stopping all work seems like a wise choice.
Assess the benefit of persistence
Social media risks are real, but so are the benefits. Step back from your fear and you may find that your channels are just too important to give up.
If you stop posting, you could risk:
- Pendant. Dark channels aren’t attracting any attention and some of your fans may switch to your competition.
- Opportunities. Constant conversation will keep your fans close so they’ll be ready to jump when you ask them to. Quit for a while and they may be less likely to react.
- Credibility. Consumers demand quick and accurate social responses. That expectation doesn’t stop if you don’t post. Fans could still comment on your old posts. And they can still write reviews. Without surveillance, these attacks will not unfold.
Stay active on your social channels and you will continue to deliver the experience your fans have come to expect. Your hard work will likely pay off.
A four step social media action plan
Rules and regulations save you money when you use social media to help your brand.
Consider adopting these four social media best practice guidelines.
- Focus on your brand. Everything you create, comment on, or share should be directly linked to what you do or what you do. All of your hashtags should relate too. When making lampshades, all of your social work should be focused on lighting a room. Don’t step out of line by posting about bird watching. Stay focused.
- Stay positive. Snarky comments and angry reviews are hard to read and sometimes infuriating social media managers. If you respond with kindness and compassion, you are a professional brand, not an irritable kid. Stay above the fight and collect what you can. The one angry person who speaks could speak for dozens of others.
- Gain internal consensus. Hold a conversation before joining a potentially nervous conversation, either by commenting or by creating content. Is that the right message for your brand?
- Streamline ad spend. Examine every audience, keyword, and phrase in your paid campaigns. Pick anything that doesn’t respond to your branded and nixed concepts that seem out of the ordinary. Now is not the time to experiment.
A social media channel with a narrow focus, positive comments, and thoughtful conversations is far from nervous. Your fans cannot visit your pages to break out the popcorn and watch the fights.
Such a channel supports your brand and keeps you connected with potential customers. You also reduce the risk of an online explosion.
Continuous monitoring is key, and you can find that you can relax your rules in time. But for now, when odd times persist, the implementation could keep you both engaged and secure.
Author: Jean Dion
I’m a writer, editor, blogger, SEO, PPC, social media manager and marketing nerd. I would love to talk about your next freelance project. I’m always ready for a conversation about search, digital marketing, member communication, and social media management. And I love a good pet video. … Show complete profile >