5 Ways to Empower Your Social Team

Photo Credit: Frédéric Bisson

You’ve interviewed dozens of companies and finally found the right team to manage your brand’s social media presence.

Now comes the hard part: handing over the keys and letting them drive the bus.

It’s difficult to do but it’s important to empower your social team so they can shine for you. Here are some tips for letting go of the

reins.

Take some time to get to know the group that’s managing your social accounts.

Ask them to show you a portfolio of work and talk to references.

Find out how they run their day-to-day operation and how they handle emergencies that may come up.

Any good social media team will be happy to answer all your questions because they know you’re trusting them with one of the most precious parts of your business.

1. Ask questions.

Every business owner wants certain things done their way and social media management is no different.

If you want to answer all direct messages personally or want to review updates before they go live, let them know.

The team is guiding the ship, but you’re still the captain.

They’ll want to go the extra mile to make you happy.

2. Review the dos and don’ts you expect from the team.

The social team you hire is an extension of both your marketing and customer service departments.

Review your company’s policies and procedures to make sure they don’t over-promise or under-deliver.

Knowing details about your shipping policies or holiday service hours helps your team make the best decisions on the fly.

3. Teach them your policies.

Is a competitor gaining ground in your target market?

Is there a social snafu from the past you’d like to forget about?

Is there a new demographic you’re having difficulty reaching?

Be sure to let your team know so they can draft blueprints that help you reach your marketing and sales goals.

4. Tell them your challenges.

Social media teams love a challenge!

Social management companies make it their business to know the latest trends in social media.

Ask them their advice on the best analytics tools, when to tweet new content, or how to structure promotions for maximum impact.

You know your brand and they know social, together you’ll make a killer team.

5. Ask their advice.

At the end of the day, you hired a team to take the burden of social media off of you.

They’re happy to shoulder the load if you let them.

Have faith in the knowledge that you’ve got a group of trained professionals standing ready to make your company’s online presence the best it can be.

6. Trust their judgment.