Forty-seven percent of social media managers surveyed in a 2020 study said they worked more hours than their colleagues, 57% of social media managers were planning to quit their job within two years, and 47% also said they worked more hours than their colleagues. According to Zippia, 29% of social media managers stay in their roles for less than a year. Despite the social media ad downturn, your social media manager is essential to your brand.
Since you can read users’ posts in real-time, users will demand that you also respond in real-time. That means there’s no longer time for crisis communications and public relations teams to meet up, discuss options, and cultivate a well-worded response to related issues. You have to think on the spot and use your gut to respond as soon as possible or risk users coming to negative conclusions.
79% of customers expect a response to their social media posts within 24 hours. But, even though 63% of social media complaints are responded to within 24 hours, only 32% of people are happy with their response time. One study found that the average response time for companies on Facebook is one hour and 56 minutes. While most customers want a response within 30 minutes, only 50% of businesses meet this expectation.
Social media is now an established customer service channel. It’s one of the first places your customers go when they want to solve a problem, complain, or rate your products or services. But some companies still don’t treat their social inboxes as legitimate customer service channels. So why are so many social media managers burning out?
One of the top reasons for leaving was a lack of growth. Even though 70% of social media managers wanted to be promoted, only 40% saw any possibility of advancing where they were, according to the 2020 study. That’s insane because your social media managers know what your customers are saying about your brand/service. If anything, they should be promoted to a position within your brand product team.
The other common complaint is the lack of budget. I’m always amazed when I learn that huge brands only have one person to execute their social media strategy. One person can’t do it alone, and hiring an agency is not the answer.
So how can you ensure your social media strategy works?
1ne: Social media is the voice of your brand. Ensure that the people who are your brand’s voice understand your brand’s key elements.
2wo: Customers expect answers quickly on social media, so have people work in shifts but, above all, ensure they get frequent breaks.
3hree: Leverage your social media for input in your marketing. They hear what customers say, and it’s essential to understand what they think of your products and marketing.
4our: Understand the difference between social media as a customer service channel and an ad channel. Two completely different strategies require different skill sets.
5ive: Stop asking, “did we do ok?”. You’ll know by your sales and repeat customers.
6ix: Empower your social media people to solve customers’ problems. Do not tell them to call customer service with a phone tree and long wait times.
7even: Reward social media managers for good work and provide a career path when ready to move up. Invite them to marketing meetings to present a snapshot of what people are saying or complaining about with their suggestions.
Yes, advertising on social media is sinking, but people still prefer social media to contact your brand. It would be best if you listened and responded on THEIR timeline, not yours.
