As our daily use of social media continues to grow, marketers and global brands find a presence on Facebook, Twitter, or other networks to be increasingly crucial. Without it, you don't just risk falling behind your competitors but a viable and sustainable lead source is being neglected.
But, as you probably know, that doesn't mean simply creating a Facebook account is enough.
Instead, succeeding on social media depends on a variety of variables.
Here are 9 warning signs that you may need help with your social media marketing efforts.
What is the explicit goal of your social media efforts, and what are you doing to achieve it?
How did you decide on which networks would be most valuable for a brand presence, and how often do you post updates on them?
If you can't answer these questions, you lack a defined strategy. Without it, it's difficult to succeed.
Of course, even the best strategy is worth little if you lack the time to execute it.
Social media marketing seems easy, and in many ways, it's intuitive - but only if you have the time to log in, post updates, and engage with your followers on a regular basis.
If you don't, it may be time to hire someone who does.
Without a doubt the most difficult part of social media marketing is building and growing your follower base.
You have to not only provide regular, high-quality content, but also make sure that your target audience knows about it as it's published.
You can grow your followers either organically over time or through paid advertising campaigns, but you may need help in setting them up.
Facebook was the first, but an increasing number of social networks now feature algorithms that determine who among your followers sees your posts based on engagement rates, past engagements, and other variables.
Certain types of content (such as video on Facebook) will outperform others, so a healthy reach depends in large part on the quality of content you publish.
Nobody likes following a direct competitor's social media accounts, only to see them be more successful and reaching your audience.
Of course, you also don't want to copy their methods to catch up. If you find that your competitors are more successful on your preferred social networks than you are, the time to get help is now.
Social media marketers often distinguish between 'vanity' metrics and real, tangible success indicators.
The former, such as reach and impressions, looks impressive but is not actually an indicator of business growth.
If your social efforts don't lead to web clicks, leads, and customer conversions, consider working with experts who can help your marketing make a tangible impact.
A variant of the above is that you simply don't know whether your social media marketing is actually achieving anything.
Networks like Facebook offer comprehensive analytics suite that allow you to learn a great deal of information about your audience and success on the network, but you have to be able to find and analyze those numbers to actually make a difference.
Your marketing efforts may be going great, until someone posts a negative comment.
You decide to delete it, and the situation begins to spiral.
Social media is a two-way street, so knowing how to address every type of comment is crucial to ensuring long-term success and audience satisfaction.
Finally, to be successful on social media, simply focusing on your own business presence is not enough.
Social listening is becoming increasingly important for brands across industries, particularly as it relates to finding out what others are saying about you and addressing concerns before they become problems.
Managing your business page is important, but you also need to be able to see the bigger picture on the network as a whole.
If none of the above applies to you, your brand is probably in a good spot on social media.
But the existence of one or more of the above signs is cause for concern.
As social media continues to occupy an ever-more important place in digital marketing, hiring for the right social media marketing talent should become a central part of your strategy sooner rather than later.