Unfortunately a lot of people who know very little about Social Media and the mechanics behind it are jumping on the Social Media bandwagon and trying to make a buck of it. As a result, many businesses are paying fees and not seeing a return on investment, and even worse, some are seeing their brands damaged through poor guidance. There are a number of things important to look at. Do they also understand SEO?
Who makes an effective social media expert?
A lot of people can create a Facebook Business Page or Twitter account and post updates, but does that make someone an expert? Unfortunately there are many out there now who think they are, just because they can do these things. On the surface level social media may seem simple, however to use this as a marketing method that is really effective, there is so much more that needs to be taken into consideration. An effective Social Media Expert will know what are the most current techniques and trends you need to be aware of (these change very fast, especially with Facebook, Twitter and Google’s new social media strategy). An effective social media expert will offer you guidance and direction on how best to connect with your target market based on both the most up-to-date techniques, as well as tried and tested methodologies. Part of an effective Social Media strategy is providing the technical expertise and implementation to give you all the tools you need to tie everything together and make it all work - whilst you inject the personality of your business into your Social Media. So what are important technical elements of your social media strategy that not just anyone can do? They can include:
- Designing and implementing a customised branded Facebook landing page and backgrounds for Twitter and YouTube to name a few.
- Creating mini websites within Facebook using Facebook iFrames and providing the best design and function for maximum impact and results.
- Knowing the best apps that will benefit your business.
- Knowing the latest techniques to help you. This is the most significant one we come across, and that is the average consumer not being aware of how much is now available them within Social media to help their business.
The Social Media space is very dynamic, and technology is always changing to keep up with the needs of the internet. There are always new opportunities to jump on board and take advantage of, and it becomes quite difficult to be constantly in the loop. Even as specialists in this area, it is often a full-time job just keeping uo-to-date with these changes. It is also really important to ask them their knowledge on SEO (search engine optimisation to bring you strong search engine rankings) and how this fits in with your Social Media strategy. Many will tell you they are completely separate, which is simply not true. Proof in the relationship between Bing and Facebook, and Google’s new social media strategy which will impact the results seen in Google is proof of this. And without considering how your Social Media strategy will also benefit how you are found in the search engines will equate to a significant loss in potential business. Research is very important in keeping up-to-date with these changes. So when determining if the ‘Social Media’ expert you are dealing with really is an expert ask some of the questions we have raised in this article and test them on what they know of recent changes. While you may not know yourself, their ability to rattle of a list of what has changed should give you an indication as to whether they really do know ‘their stuff’. And of course don’t be afraid to talk to a few experts and see who you feel most comfortable to use. Follow us on our Facebook Business Page.
