So I felt compelled to write this blog after another meeting with another potential client who said they thought their teenager could just manage their social media as they are so good at Facebook and Instagram.
CUE – HUGE eye roll from me (and if you know me – I am very guilty of these!)
So here is the thing, unless your teenager is a budding marketing professional, think, studying Marketing/ Communications / Digital Media / something else relevant to the online world, they are unlikely to do a good job of managing your social media. Let me be very clear on this – knowing how to use a social media platform and knowing how to market a business on it are two very different things.
They can still help!
So no need to send your teenager off in to a sulk by declining their help. Trust me, our youngsters have so much to teach us when it comes to the online world. Listening to my boys talk to their friends about their favourite youtuber is liking tuning in to a conversation in a foreign language. The reality is, they can help you but not with the management. Here are some areas I would recommend you get some advice or training from your teenager:
- How to set up your account – they will probably skip through this with you but don’t worry once it is done, you can go back and amend it.
- How to post – they are all over this – they know how to post, (whatever the platform) and they know how to attach links and all sorts of other little techy tips that will be useful to you.
- What does it all mean – whether you are struggling to come to grips with a newsfeed and posting in public or private messaging or posting in groups, they will up to speed and able to show you.
- Guidance on navigating your way on the platform – things like etiquette on posting, liking or commenting, they will definitely have something to say on this and it is probably worth listening to.
A few other tips you can get from your teenager:
Ask them how they use the platform, how often they are on it and why they love it – it will help you understand the audience a little better. More than likely the reason they love Instagram is because they love photos and this is generally true of many users. There is nothing better than getting a handle on a platform by asking some existing (and more than likely heavy) social media users.
Where to draw the line.
So your teenager is unlikely to understand the differences when it comes to posting as a business or for personal reasons. You really need to upskill yourself to understand how your business needs to use social media and this includes running a page or profile, creating ad campaigns and working in groups. All of these are business skills that you need to acquire to effectively manage your social media presence.