Every business owner understands how important it is to maintain a consistent social media presence. However, it stipulates a lot of dedication and time to manage social media accounts manually and effectively. Don’t worry – social media automation is here now! Due to this, businesses can keep their profiles updated with new and fresh content without sitting for hours working on their social channels.
Research reveals that marketers who automate their social posts and ads can spare more than six hours weekly. But even if social media automation can save brands time and effort, overdoing it can make the task seem impersonal. Business owners risk alienating their customers with a “set it and forget it” approach. For instance, if a company tweets ten times every day but never answers customer inquiries, then this will alienate its target market.
Leads and customers perceive social media as a wise platform to interact with brands. And while social media can help, there needs to be a personal touch that doesn’t fade. In this post, we will find out the five proven ways to maximize social media automation for companies to gain more customers.
What is social media automation?
Before we jump to the five ways of rolling with social media automation, let’s first understand what it means. Social media automation utilizes software tools to perform social media tasks that don’t require a human touch. Social media automation may include scheduling posts ahead of time, resolving daily customer queries, curating content for repurposing, and producing analytics reports.
Although, it is essential to note that not all social media tasks should or can be automated. It would be best to avoid automation tactics that might make your brand seem lazy, fake, or spammy. The key is to use social media automation in reliable ways that contribute to rather than damage your credibility and online relationships. Here are five ways you might consider implementing in your strategy
1. Be responsive.
Despite using social media automation, businesses should not neglect to respond to comments and messages from their audience. They need to reply as soon as possible; otherwise, prospective customers will likely forget about them if they take too long to respond. We need to remember that there’s nothing that can replace human interaction; thus, automating this part is not ideal.
If a prospective customer messages after hours, you may send an automated message explaining that you will answer all questions, e.g., between 9 AM to 6 PM (MST), to let the people know when they can expect a response. Some companies use automated messages to answer common questions. Some chatbots allow customers to choose basic yet specific questions such as directions, store hours, etc. However, always allow options for them to speak with someone or get an answer to a more detailed question. While automation helps, some people might have specific questions that they need answers to.
2. Customize captions and responses
Writing engaging captions help brands interact with their audience in various ways. Also, custom captions give businesses a voice and help them set apart from their competitors by adding a special touch to their content. Brands can also customize their replies to avoid a “robotic” impression to those who message them. Instead of sending the generic “Thank you for your message” response to everyone, try adding your brand personality to your answers. Businesses should never underestimate the power of well-thought social media captions and replies.
3. Engage in conversations
It is easy to forget to engage in personal conversations with social media automation, yet monitoring discussions and participating in them is vital. In addition to duly answering questions, companies should also add their thoughts to discussions and incorporate their expertise. Doing this can help them build a stronger relationship with their audience and promote brand loyalty. Retweets, favorites, likes, etc., are all essential, but adding a bit of personalization can go a long way. Promptly engaging in social conversations is also one way to stay relevant.
4. Tailor each post to every channel
Social media automation should focus on the platforms where the target market is most active. It is critical to note that each social media platform has different rules, styles, and tones, so businesses need to adjust their approach to each post. For example, short and sweet posts fit Twitter, while detailed posts with videos and images would work best on Facebook. While businesses can automate and share the same content across their social networks, they need to vary it a little for each channel. Otherwise, they risk potential customers scrolling past their content.
5. Add timely posts
Companies often make the mistake of automating every post on social media. Every time this happens, it can appear obvious, and their audience can most likely tell that all their posts are automated. Instead, these companies should augment scheduled content with timely posts. Adding flexibility when automating social content is paramount because of adding in last-minute posts or updates if anything new arises. Live posts enable brands to incorporate their voice into relevant trends or news.
It’s equally crucial not to overdo posting automated content or schedule content too far in advance. Instead, brands may opt to schedule their posts for about a week before staying relevant and allow themselves to post timely, non-automated content.
We’ve got you covered!
Creating, posting, and analyzing content across various touchpoints may take overwhelming time. This is why social media automation was initiated; to help businesses better manage their social media presence. Different social media automation tools can benefit marketers and audiences alike. This would mean reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks, managing response time, and giving you more time and data to create more engaging content.
Are you needing help managing your social media channels and aiming to reach a wider audience through robust digital marketing strategies? Growth99 is at your service! Contact us today to join a dynamic partnership!
