by ANNELISE | management, Time Management
As you all know social media runs 24/7. That means every second of the day someone is actively scrolling through their feeds, sending messages, sharing posts and asking questions.
The funny thing about social media is that the peak times tend to be when business hours are at their low point. That brings me to the next question many of you have:
Should Social Media Managers Work On Weekends and Evenings After Regular Business Hours?
As a social media manager you may be wondering if you need to work on Saturdays, Sundays and even evenings. I will tell you what I have done in the past….
Setup Automatic Replies
Yes Facebook fan pages do record when the page owner typically replies which give insight to the level of customer service on social media. They let the customer know that their page is active and and their are humans behind the scene ready to answer questions proactively. However, you can setup automatic replies with most social platforms that at least reply back to the person after hours with a message that lets them know you have received their inquiry and when they can hear from you, such as “Thank you for your inquiry , we will get back to you within 24 hours during our regular business hours of 9am -5:30pm.” (Of course remember if you state how long it will take you to reply then be sure to honour that statement.)
Make Exceptions For Special Events
If there are special events or peak times for customer service for certain business, maybe you will just want to make exceptions. The positive about this if you know ahead of time that extra hour in the evening may not seem as much of a hassle or get in the way if you know about it. Plus, tuning in after regular business hours is one of the bonuses that make you such an awesome asset to the company that has hired you to be there for them!
Get Hired Help
You can hire on Upwork, sometimes for cost effective purposes on Upwork which is great if you have someone overseas. During our evening and nighttime hours they can check in on messages and comments. This actually gives you 24/7 coverage which is huge. If you are worried about the extra expense this is something that should be stated in your contract ahead of time ensuring to the client that you will provide them 24.7 coverage which is extremly valuable for clients.
You May Also Be Interested In – 5 Guidelines to Set With Your Social Media Clients as a Social Media Manager
Of course being transparent and talking about these details with your client before signing the contract is always important. You are not required to strain yourself all hours of the day just to keep someone happy so balance is key! (ha! – that easier said than done right;)
by ANNELISE | management, social media
As a social media manager there can be a lot of grey areas when it comes to client management. Compared to many industries, this field of work is much more modern and new and there is not as much transparency out there when it comes to setting guidelines. That is why I always like to ensure that my clients know exactly what is required of them and what services they will be receiving.
What You Are Managing For Your Client
In your client contract state which platforms that you will be managing for your client. It is important it is clearly stated in your contract how many platforms you will manage and create content for and which was those are specifically. For example you may have started with a Facebook and Twitter management program for your client and now all of a sudden they want to take advantage of real time stories and dive into the Instagram and Snapchat word. Thats great, however this means much more work for you so you will want to ensure that you state that in your contract that each extra platform means x amount of dollars, or you may take the hourly approach and state that more hours spend on other platforms means less time to devote to others.
Set Deadlines For When Content Should Be Provided
As a social media manager you need to let your clients know when their deadline is to provide content. Sure you may be able to post something as soon as they send it to you, but keep in mind that may not always be possible and therefore a guideline should be set. A great rule of thumb you can set with your clients is the 24 hour rule. If they upload a photo or post let them know that any content provide will be up within 24 hours.
Confirm Who Is Creating The Content
Have a conversation with the client about who will be creating the content for blogs, social media posts and videos etc. Will they be giving you the wording or is this something that you will create yourself? You will also want to talk about the content plan for the week and if they have a specific strategy or if this is something that you will create yourself and present to them.
Confirm Who Is Responding To Customer Inquiries
As part of a social media managers duties, you will play the role of customer service for the client. When visitors come to each site they may ask questions or want to know more information. If you are clear about the company you are working for and their products and services you may be able to answer these questions for the client. However, for certain clients that you are unsure of you may respond to customer inquiries that lead them in the direction of the right person. Have this conversation with your client and clearly state with them how you will respond and if they want you to take care of all responses make sure you ASK for a script or clear understanding on how to respond to customers. This will get much easier as you build a stronger relationship with your client.
State How Often You Will Report
As a social manager, of course one of your responsibilities is to report your work and the results that are a clear indication of your efforts. Let your clients know whether you will be providing weekly, biweekly or monthly reports that outlines all the analytics and metrics for them to measure their results. On top of reports, scheduling a regular meeting is important to discuss strategies going forward.
Now that you have a clear understanding of what is required both by you and your client you can move forward with the relationship in a professional and comfortable manner.
Now all you have to do as. a social media manager is rock it!
Read More – Should Social Media Managers Work On Evenings and Weekends?
