5 Common Myths About Social Media Strategists

5 Common Myths About Social Media Strategists

A lot of people who aren't familiar with social media strategists or social media managers will have no idea what in the heck they do. In fact, this is probably the most commonly asked question I get. "What do you actually DO?" "Do you just play around on Facebook all day?" "I mean, why do I have to pay you to post the same thing on social media? I can get my little cousin/nephew/daughter to do that." I am going to debunk five common myths or maybe the most common attitudes that business owners have about social media strategists or managers.

1. Social Media Strategists are a Big Money Suck!

Not true. They actually enhance your business if not grow your business. The best social media strategists will actually find ways to create real growth in your business, not just your pages. Do they cost a lot? Yes! The best social media strategists will be expensive. I always compare it to going to a hairstylist, if you want a really good cut or color in your hair, you are always going to pay more. I actually paid quite a bit for my last color session, but I was fine with it cause it was QUALITY work. It's the same thing as hiring a social media manager or strategist. If you are paying someone overseas to do your social media because it's cheaper, you aren't going to get the quality you want.

2. Social Media Strategists Just Post on Social Media Right? They Aren't Lead Generators.

False! Again the best social media strategists will provide ways for you to monetize off of social media. They will also help you grow and operate your social media in a way that is not only beneficial to you and your brand, but also to your team as well. If your current social media manager or strategist doesn't have a funnel in place, then you aren't really setting your social media pages up for success. I hear this all the time from CEOs, we have someone already handling our pages, but the problem is that we aren't seeing customers or leads from those pages.

3. I Don't Have the Time to Hire One.

The problem isn't time. It's experience. Some business owners will hire someone from Fiverr or Upwork to do their social media strategy for them, and this is a HUGE mistake. Most of these guys are just starting out on their social media manager journey, and you most likely will not get someone that truly knows how to get leads. You do have the time to hire someone, you just need to hire the RIGHT person for YOU. Sometimes you might not always need a social media strategist, sometimes you need a text marketing strategist or someone who can create amazing optimized landing pages for you, which brings me to my next point.

4. Social Media Strategist is the Same Thing as a Marketing Strategist Right?

I get this questions more times than not. I even got this question when I was still interviewing for positions before I started my business! You will be surprised at how many people don't know the difference between a social media manager/strategist and an SEO manager or a Digital Marketing Manager. They are two totally separate things, and if you are trying to hire a social media manager/strategist, it's important to know what you want and who you want to hire. A social media manager/strategist will only handle your social media pages, and create strategies around them. They can sometimes create landing pages or handle some email or text marketing campaigns as it relates to the social media funnel. That's literally it. A digital marketing strategist will handle/build your website, text/email marketing campaigns, your SEO, your online reputation management, social media, paid ads, and a lot more.

I fall into the digital marketing strategist category with a specialty in social media strategy. I can do a lot under the digital marketing umbrella if anyone really needs it, but I have a focus on creating and executing social media strategies. Not everyone does this though. Some people can only do SEO or local search. Some people can only do funnels, and some people can only do email marketing. When you hire make sure you know what you are getting and who you are hiring. Vet them all out!

5. Social Media Manager is the Same Thing as a Social Media Strategist Right?

Yes and no. There are a lot of similarities; we both schedule and create posts, create engagement, handle your message inbox, plan photoshoots, even create ads, but social media strategists will actually strategize with you along the way. Most of us will write out a strategy and spend time creating themes, and projections on what you can expect during the month. Most social media managers won't do this, and if they do they need to change their title!

Social media managers do a lot of the smaller picture things for you while strategists will do a lot of big picture things. They plan for the present as well as the future. While most cost the same, depending on experience and where you are finding them, the overall experience will be different.

How Much Time Do You Have?

Cause that is what it will all come down to at the end of the day. Social media strategy is no longer a want anymore it's a need in every single company out there. While it is also a need, hiring a social media strategist is also a luxury. You CAN do this all yourself, believe me there are plenty of DIY strategies that Google can give you. Most people don't have the time, and don't you want that time back into doing what you do best?

Ahhhh I Need Help, Like Right NOW!

This is where The Spirit Digital comes in! TSD helps you get from ground zero to a business that is soaring by giving you customized marketing strategies that is right FOR YOU. I always say that having a good marketing strategy is like trying to make a spell in your witchy cauldron. If you don't have the right ingredients you could end up making a unicorn a fur horn! It's really important to have all the right ingredients to make sure you come up with a winning strategy that works for you. We help you out with that.

Interested in learning more? Let's get on a call.