You wouldn't allow your student worker to plan and execute a print marketing campaign, would you? Your online presence should be no different. Think of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Blogging as an extension of your brand. Getting on these networking sites are free but maintenance takes marketing skill, insight and time.
“But they're on Facebook already...”
Your student having a Facebook/Twitter account doesn't make them a social media specialist. Not to say they can't be helpful in the execution process, such as posting pre written content. Your community manager represents your brand, with tweets, blogs, opinions, photos, videos, mentions, likes, links - seen by all followers. Without a clear guide to follow, you run the risk of not connecting with your target audience and wasting valuable time.
What You're Missing Out On
Content Creation/Management:
Strong copy-writing skills are essential to building your online community with quality information and using keywords for SEO. Social media is all about two-way communication, making it about engagement rather than broadcasting.
- Clearly conveying your marketing message in the appropriate tone/style that best fits your brand.
- Engaging and turning your followers into paying customers
Measuring Success:
You need to know how your social media efforts are reaching your goals through programs like Google Analytics and Facebook Insights.
- Tracking total reach and impressions of posted content
- Are the right people following you?
The Big Picture:
What goals does your business want to achieve with social media?
- Brand awareness
- Attracting new customers
- Building a loyal online community
- Contests, promotional offers, etc
Use it Effectively
In order to see a return on investment from social media marketing, you must first invest. It is easy to count out social media as apart of the marketing mix, passing the huge responsibility to a junior employee. The fact is, social media marketing is now as common as newspaper, TV and radio, requiring more attention and marketing strategy than ever before. Don't trust just anyone with your brand, give your student a social media break and let real marketing professionals build your online presence.