Challenges That Faced Social Media for Networking

Life of a SMM professional involves multiple social media challenges they take to deal with every-single-twenty-four hour period. It seems that they're dealing with bug such equally productivity, efficiency, content outreach and branding on a daily basis.

At some point or another, all of the states at Planable worked every bit freelance social media managers before. I personally thought "information technology shouldn't exist this hard". Nosotros couldn't believe that problems in the workflow with our clients and troubles finding new ideas were our day to day challenges. And nosotros understand how it is for you every bit well. We're here to assist.

In the following slice, we'll talk almost challenges social media marketers face and how to can solve them efficiently.

Social Media Challenges #one: There Is Never Enough Time

I know. It doesn't thing how much time you put into a social media strategy, there is always something distracting you from the real work. Due to non plenty articulate deliverables, you end up having to constantly explicate that you're not just browsing Facebook for a living  . It's not easy to program social media campaigns on Facebook direct, as in that location are always diversions that brand you procrastinate.

It's a battleground out at that place when nosotros have to fight notifications, a message from a friend or an adorable post of Watson and Kiko hugging.

I've gathered that organizing my calendar week helps me understand what I want to achieve and actually get shit washed. On Mon morning, I put downwards on a piece of paper my biggest priorities. I list things such as promoting the latest feature update, engaging with new followers, creating next calendar week's social media content calendar or reaching out to an influencer. Now, studies have shown some real and constructive productivity hacks to solve these issues.

Solution #i

Organise your time more than efficiently by planning several time blocks on your calendar for specific tasks, social media posts or campaigns that yous're working on at this moment. I'm personally using Google Agenda, and planning these blocks of time organizes my encephalon as well. It keeps me under constant focus to create awesome content for our social media squad and make sure we evangelize on time.

Solution #2

Ane more way to solve this social media challenge is heed mapping. If yous're more than of a visual person, this will help you remember things better and focus on the most of import issues that you accept at the moment. The framework is simple – draw a circle and write "social media" in the middle of it. And then depict a few lines connected to the circle and split up the chief area of interest into tactics – content agenda, influencer outreach, Facebook ads etc.

I plant out about this by listening to a Coursera course on Learning How To Acquire that I highly recommend. You don't have to utilise any tools for that, a piece of paper is your pal.

Solution #three

Productivity Hack such as the Pomodoro technique is another way to fight social media problems. The Pomodoro technique is a 25 minutes slot of intense piece of work/report, uninterrupted. This tactic allows you to get shit done, step by step. Equally proof, I'g writing this commodity in a few Pomodoro slots.

In between iterations, you can get yourself treats or bonuses, such as browsing social media, watching a Youtube video, getting yourself a chocolate or a refreshed glass of water, which I commonly do. If you want to dive deeper into productivity hacks, we wrote another blog post on improving your efficiency as social media managing director. Y'all tin use tools such as Pomodoro Time , Pomodoro Keeper or Fotrack .

Solution #four

Visually plan your social media campaign on a platform such as Planable . You can see how the content will look similar, before publishing and keep everything in an organized digital content calendar. It will also help y'all collaborate on posts and easily schedule your whole week/month on all the social media channels, making sure anybody is on the same page. Past using tools such as Planable you'll save upwardly to 20% of your time each month.

Challenge #2: Keeping in Impact With Customers

Social media is not just about posting and then waiting for results. Social is about Social. It'south about discussing and debating new ideas, looking for users to engage with and sharing feedback on your product/service. Not to mention asking what prospects are looking for next and what their desires are (which helps identify user personas).

Due to the complication of what social media entails, the 2nd common social media challenge is to be 24/7 connected. 24/vii connected to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Messenger, Emails is A LOT. I got tired just writing that listing. It's an unabridged universe that has the ability to bulldoze anyone insane.

Solution #5

Nosotros'd all love to be able to do customer support on social media in real-time. Only if that'south not the biggest part of your office, your chances are slim. Trying to reply seconds afterwards will make your day very hectic.

A plausible solution? Exist realistic and put specific time blocks for this detail action. For example – y'all'll reply to customers every workday, betwixt two – 3 PM. Managing a brand by yourself is complicated and equally a social media director, in that location are multiple responsibilities – content calendar, date, gathering the data, measuring results, looking for ideas and delivering on time.

Solution #6

Anybody should exist able to take an input. You tin easily improve the company'due south civilization past making everyone involved in the life of your product or service. And how better to do that then encouraging straight contact with customers and addressing their problems personally. It will assistance every part of your business concern exist more connected to the brand and visitor, past understanding what customer's master needs are.

How to organize the squad? Simple – divide client interactions per day and per team member. For example, Josh will respond to users on Monday, Monica will practise the same on Wednesday and Tommy will answer the questions on Friday. Employ the agenda above to non get dislocated and make sure everyone is accountable. On more affair to be aware of is the gamble of miscommunication. To ensure it doesn't happen – create a good training for anyone who starts to practise customer back up.

Also, any customer management process that tin be automatized and have repetitive chaotic tasks off your shoulders – exercise it. Utilize tools to get back important time. For example, if you have a membership business organization, choose a great membership management software similar Wild Apricot.

Social Media C hallenges #3: Providing ROI with Social Media

Convince and Convert says that measuring ROI was listed as one of the biggest social media challenges  by virtually 59% of digital marketers in 2017. Turning followers into customers, making money using SMM and making significant sales online is a frequent topic on the web.

Solution #vii

Continue the performance reports of your social media campaigns connected to your goals and KPIs. Always keep track of your social media goals and suit the tactics by looking into the budget spent vs the bodily results. Do not wait for generic goals, it'south always tailored individually to your agency, startup, company or make. Before starting campaigns, define both the KPIs and the estimated results in order to know whether a campaign is going well or not.

You lot'll accept to constantly A/B test your campaigns for dissimilar audiences, based on age, location, interests, chore title, and company.

Challenge #4: How to Be Different Than Your Competitors

In a place where contest is constantly breathing downwards your neck, it's hard to be different and build your own identity. At that place are millions of companies always explaining to their customers how are they different from X or Y. We all know from history and feel that some of these fights never cease: Pepsi vs Coca-Cola, KFC vs McDonald's vs Wendy's or Zara vs H&M. They've all congenital a digital brand to specific markets and audience.

Solution #8

When you're looking to build something amend than your competitors you accept to wait at the personality of the visitor. You tin await into the founder's blog posts, podcasts he/she participated in, presentations they had, pitch decks available online, descriptions on forums, the mode they speak almost the visitor and what problems they're really looking to solve. What do you accept that they don't?

Solution #9

Provide excellent customer back up. All studies show that customers leave after horrible customer support or considering the company simply doesn't care about them. As a social media manager, yous have to be nice to your users, website visitors, and clients. It volition make a difference, believe me. Peculiarly, when yous're a small growing brand. People will love and remember the attitude you had towards them. This volition brand a departure.

Social Media Challenges #5: The Constant Decrease of Organic Reach

Facebook is growing like crazy each calendar month and reached more two.2B users past April 2018. With the unbelievable corporeality of content produced on each social media aqueduct, it'southward difficult for a brand to go on all of their audiences engaged. Especially since they accept to gauge and win the constantly different content algorithms. Social media networks are becoming a Pay 2 Play instrument for brands to promote their products or services.

2018 Q2 Global Digital Statshot by Nosotros Are Social and Hootsuite

As users welcome the new algorithm updates that brand sure irrelevant content stays out of their screens, the life of digital marketers becomes increasingly difficult. Social media challenges are hard to overcome. Over the last few years, nosotros've seen a driblet in organic attain year by year. Forgotten are the days when users would see all the posts of their dearest brands. At present brands are reaching only ii-3% of their full audience on Facebook.

Solution #10

How to solve this social media challenge? At that place'southward no quick win here. Throwing coin at Facebook won't solve the issue.

It puts more importance on collaboration in 2018. Brands have to work better with their digital agencies and social media teams for improve content. With collaboration,  you lot can easily commutation feedback, requite ideas, brainstorm ideas and understand how to avoid fuck ups like Pepsi once had . Working adjacent with all of your teammate plus good collaboration will salvage you fourth dimension and improve the ROI of the brand.

All social media marketers have challenges, and non only they're likely here to stay but new ones are waiting effectually the corner. You're probably not gonna solve near of them tomorrow, but in time things become easier and less frustrating. Digital marketing has many heady concepts to learn from. It's important to remember that you lot need to know your audience, channels, vocalization and what you're passionate well-nigh. Doing this will assistance you concentrate on things that affair most.

Make sure that you're creating content that users want to engage with. Follow the solutions we wrote above and it will help you lot avert common social media challenges that are pulling you back.

Vlad Calus

Dropped out of higher, moved to another country with two of my friends and congenital Planable (Techstars London '17), social media collaboration platform, at 19 y. o. Forbes thirty under 30

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