4 Reasons Why Social Media isn't FREE

You have been using social media for a while to promote your products and services. You are realizing that there is a lot more involved than you anticipated.  How can all of this frustration be FREE?Free social media marketing is a myth and here's 4 reasons why:

1. Content Creation

Beautiful Instagram posts don't just happen. Bloggers and big companies alike spend lots of hours thoroughly planning what content they will share.   Even if the content is not created in-house someone has to create it.  Unless you have the hours to spend learning the entire Adobe Creative Suite I suggest you hire someone who does.Even using Canva to create content is NOT free.  The good, juicy content with transparent backgrounds and uploaded fonts comes at a fee.Good curated content takes some time to find and thoroughly give credit for.  Trying to determine if an image is fair or limited use is something no busy business owner wants to deal with. Let's not even mention the royalty fees associated with images and video.

2. Scheduling Content

Once you have beautiful content you have to schedule it so it reaches your potential customers at the same time each week.Which platform will you choose?  Weighing the pros and cons of Hootesuite, Buffer, Kit, Planoly and any other platform is something that no busy entrepreneur wants to do.  The pricing of these platforms can be so confusing if you don't know all the features that your growing business needs.

3. Branding

On social media, your brand's look and feel are vital to your ideal client "getting you."A logo is one part of your branding, but on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest your brand is remembered by the colors, fonts and layouts you use.  Do these things combined make your audience feel how you would like them to feel?A great brand has a consistent message which took lots of time and in most cases an investment to develop.  A $5 logo, some overused templates that all your competitors are using and trendy colors are not going to cut it.

4. Audience Engagement

Your brand's content is being shared on a regular basis and now you actually have likes, comments and shares.  Who is going to respond to them in a timely manner?  Who is going to reply to DMs in a friendly, professional manner?Someone has to interact with your potential customers on social media.  Audience engagement is important, because other potential customers can see how you respond to comments and tweets.  Every interaction with a potential customer could influence other potential customer's perceptions of your product or service.

The Solution

Hire a social media manager.  They can create or find someone to create the most visually appealing content for your brand.  They can schedule the content in a seamless way in the platform with the best features for you. They can determine the best branding for your products or services.  Or at least introduce you to a designer friend of theirs who can.  They can respond to potential customers in a professional manner on your behalf.Are you tired of struggling with social media and ready to get some real results?  Contact me at epartnersmarketing@gmail.com.Hope you found this helpful.Best,Erica