By Stephanie Rasor, Marketing and Analytics Consultant

The number of social media platforms has grown rapidly while the staff supporting the effort often remains the same. The social media snowball was gaining momentum before the pandemic. Today there’s an increased need for digital communication coupled with reduced staff. It may not be healthy, or even possible to continue on this trajectory. A few of the challenges on the social front are:

• Pressure to be on numerous platforms. This can be self-imposed or come from above. There is a fear of missing out or appearing behind the times if you don’t have a presence on every new platform.
• Quantity of posts. The standard has grown considerably over the years, from 2-3 posts weekly to 5-6 weekly, and some companies are now posting several times a day. Multiply this across the growing number of platforms and you can see the challenge this presents. Additionally, the copy for each requires a different approach, adapting to each platform’s format. The same copy can’t be a simple cut-and-paste across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
• Measuring results is time consuming. There is the job of getting the right content but there’s another job equal to that to measure what’s working. Some platforms lack an analytics interface that makes pulling metrics easy. Partner services can lack accuracy in their statistics and it still takes a human element to diagnose what content is working and what is not.

Consider these questions to assess your social media involvement. Could you do more with less?

• What can your team take on? – What are the organizational goals for 2021 and how does social media support these goals? What other priorities does the social team need to support?
• Are your platforms aligned with your target market(s)? – Social platforms will only continue to grow. Make an annual assessment to consider joining new platforms or lessening/dropping engagement in others.
• Are you packing a punch with each post? – If you’re pushing for post counts over good content, your followers will start to tune you out. Quality should take precedence over quantity. If your average engagement rate is decreasing over time it may be due to post burn-out, which can lead to loss of brand equity.

Social media is a powerful marketing tool and will continue to be. But let’s remember it shouldn’t be used like an outdoor billboard: unchanging and ever-present. Your customers expect more from you. Have a purpose that serves them thoughtful messages, not just noise. Hone your approach to social by sharing mostly meaningful content on the platforms that best connect you with your customers.