I recently received an email from Becky, a Chicago web designer that reached out to us for advise on a social media strategy for one of her clients. The topic of how to manage social media correctly has been a hot topic lately and I thought I would share this email. What are your thoughts on the “voice of social media?”
Chris,
I have one client in particular who needs a ton of hand holding, is technophobic, yet wants to make a living off info products etc. online. (sigh) I sent it to her and she’s convinced that she should be doing more, but wants to hire an Indian company to “manage” her social media. My gut says that having someone else do it for you destroys your voice and people will be able to tell, but maybe I’m wrong here. Thoughts?
Becky Davis
773-875-1792
www.beckydavisdesign.com
Becky,
The short answer is you are 100% right, the saying you get what you pay for comes to mind. It is hard work to build a brand online and build up a reputation online for your “niche” or position yourself as an “expert.” There are many things you can do to help/automate it- but we get negative feedback about automation and try to avoid it. If she wants to build her online presence I would suggest that she allocate some time everyday to work to build it. I spend about 2-3 hours a day on blogs and social media networks. You should not look at social media as a sales channel but an opportunity to develop relationships that will eventually lead to sales. Transparency and a person behind a brand connect on a much deeper level than an overseas employee ever can. Just my 2 cents.
All the Best,
Chris Campbell
Lakeshore Branding
(Client name is omited and email is republished with permission of Becky Davis)