Social media management involves the planning and execution of your social media strategy. It includes the posting and promotion of content, social engagement, marketing, and the generation of traffic, leads, and sales. It also involves the examination of metrics and fine-tuning the social media strategy. More indirectly, social media management is the raising of brand awareness through social media channels, as well as the management of an individual or business’s online reputation.

A social media manager becomes the voice of an individual, business, or brand on social media. Responsibilities include the creation and/or sharing of content and campaigns, engagement of followers, promotion, public relations, and even lead conversion. A social media manager’s goal is to increase traffic, boost engagement, and raise their client’s online profile. They are also directly responsible for building a community, or a tribe, around their client.

There are 3.5 billion worldwide social media users, making social media management a critical element for developing awareness and interest. Most professionals do not have the time or the skills to manage follower engagement or to promote, market, and advertise. They might also struggle to analyze metrics and devise a social media strategy that will create buzz. 78% of social media users say that a company’s social media posts influence their purchasing decisions. A well-managed social media presence will build trust and provide social proof to others, critical to success online.

Hootsuite, SproutSocial, Buffer, and Tailwind are among the most popular social media software solutions in the world. But online social media management tools will fall short of your expectations unless there’s a professional who’s monitoring metrics and adjusting your overall strategy and tactics. An expert social media manager will prove to be the best social media management tool available. That’s because only a human can conduct authentic research into the humans who will ultimately become your followers. A professional social media manager will take the time to study your audience’s psychology, speak with a language that moves them, and engage fans and followers to build trust.

Hire a social media management company that can demonstrate its ability to grow an audience through atypical engagement. That means they join social media groups, share videos, and other unique content and have real conversations in media build trust and bolster your reputation. Choose a company that will provide monthly reports that prove growth. Ask for data to support whether they are tapping the full potential of the world’s 3.5 billion social media users, including the 11 new users who sign up every second. And finally, choose a social media management company that is experienced in all the major platforms that are relevant to you or your brand: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.