Why should small businesses consider a professional Instagram Accounts Manager

Introduction

The power of the internet in the 21st century is unheralded. We live in a time where there are virtually no places in the world that are inaccessible by the internet. The extent of this reach allows people to expand their horizons and many people have found that starting and managing a small business in this day and age is made easier by the internet. It is estimated that nearly half the global population has internet access. This potentially allows small businesses to reach hundreds, thousands, and millions of people across the globe they previously wouldn’t have access to.

The meteoric rise in internet usage has opened up a brand new method of marketing, one that is far more powerful than conventional forms. The rise in social media marketing has also resulted in the creation of entirely new jobs, ones that focus on using the power of the platform to draw the masses. The knowledge and expertise of the people in these roles is incredibly crucial for businesses to tap into when given the opportunity. In this article, we will take a look at the power of social media marketing and why it’s essential that small businesses take advantage of it.

The rise of social media

In 2020, there were an estimated 3.81 billion users across all social media sites. This figure represents roughly half the population of the world. Social media platforms are where a majority of our time online is spent. It is where people are directly exposed to the content they wish to see and what better way to market a product or service than through these platforms. These platforms have billions of users and tapping into this market is perhaps the best form of advertising money can buy. 

How is social media marketing effective?

The answer to this question is easy, through social media, you as a business can directly reach out to a potential customer and appeal to them. There was virtually no kind of marketing strategy prior to social media that could grant this much power or visibility. Through these channels, you will be able to sell your product or service.

Why do businesses need to have social media?

Branding is one of the most important pillars for any business. Having a recognized brand means that your business is trusted and people will vouch for it. By establishing your presence on social media platforms, your business can interact with users and grow their image. You can use the latest trends to form a connection with users, thus improving your image. Businesses can also actively gauge the response they get from their social media and work on building their brand. For small businesses with small budgets for marketing, using social media can be highly beneficial. One of the most popular applications for small businesses is Instagram, a social media platform where you can post pictures and videos and interact with people.  

Why should small businesses focus on using Instagram? 

While Instagram started as a platform for people to share pictures, it has quickly become the fastest-growing form of social media. With more than a billion users, businesses have flocked to the platform. Every big brand has an Instagram account. The application itself has many features that help businesses build their identity online. From shopping to promoted posts, the slew of options available on the application is designed to help businesses cultivate followers. 

While the tools for Instagram are easy to use, their effectiveness can only be seen via the number of followers, post interactions, messages, and impressions. For big businesses and reputable brands, it is easy to gain traction and develop fanfare. Small businesses on the other hand can have a hard time trying to gather a following and establish their brand. If you do not have prior experience running an Instagram account, you will need someone who does. This is the job of an Instagram accounts manager. 

Instagram accounts managers can do the job of four people. They can engage with potential customers, promote the business, track the progress of campaigns, and even create imagery for entire brands. In the section that follows, we shall take a look at how they can impact small businesses and help with their marketing campaign. 

How can a dedicated Instagram accounts manager help?

We now know the sheer power of social media marketing and why small business need to be on these platforms. However, there is one side that we need to focus on, which is, having a dedicated person to handle all social media duties or an Instagram accounts manager as it is colloquially referred to as. Having a person to handle all the aspects of social media marketing can be very useful.

Benefits

The number of benefits that come with having a professional to handle your business’ social media far outweigh any disadvantage. You might be thinking that your budget is better off in other aspects of marketing, however, spending your budget on a social media manager can be better. Here are some points that illustrate the utility of having an Instagram accounts manager.

1. They can handle every single piece of communication between your business and a potential customer.
   
   
2. They handle everything, from creating posts to tracking the trends. They are responsible for every lead generated.
   
   
3. They also have access to data that can help them increase your business’ reach. This same data set can also be used to monitor the progress made by the accounts manager.

Return on investment and time savings

While you can disperse your budget and focus on making posters, banners, radio or tv ads, and other known forms of marketing; it might be a better idea to invest it in a person. By employing a single person that will handle all the social media channels, you will be able to get tangible results.

Unlike other forms of marketing, you can get access to data sets that show you whether the person is making progress or not. This is a valuable return on investment. With traditional forms of marketing, you do not get the metrics that can help evaluate returns.

There is also the matter of time saved. Hiring a single person to do everything means you can focus your time on other aspects of businesses that matter. You do not have to coordinate with multiple parties or put in the physical effort to get a task done.

Keeping up with the competition

You might not be the first small business to adapt to social media marketing, however, it is better than being last. The sheer amount of benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. While being late to the party might be fashionable in real life, in business matters it can be a costly decision. You want to stay ahead of your competition.

By hiring a dedicated Instagram account manager, you will be able to catch the latest trends and reach out to your audience better. They are also good at interacting with people online and can effectively use the tools provided to maximize impressions for your business. You do not just want to enter social media but also keep up with the competition.

What should you look for?

Now that we are clear on the importance of an Instagram accounts manager, let us take a look at some points you should keep in mind while hiring:

1. Understanding the platform: You ideally want a person or brand that understands how Instagram functions. They should be well versed in every intricate detail of the application and use its tools. The idea is to have someone that can build value for your company through social media. They should have intricate knowledge of every feature on the platform. They should be able to design a strategy that can use all of these features to their maximum effectiveness.
   
   
2. Time management: Your hire should be able to manage time effectively. Social media platforms can be overwhelming. Instagram especially has dozens of facets and a manager who can handle these with due diligence will come out triumphant. Tasks such as finding the right kind of followers, interacting with them, growing your page, posting the right content are all extremely time-consuming. They should be able to deploy external tools to increase efficiency.
   
   
3. Visualizing and scheduling: The best Instagram accounts managers should be able to schedule their posting and maintain the brand. The idea is to build a brand image that can be seen at first glance. They should be able to use tools that can help visualize how the account will look. Doing this showcases their long-term vision and how they can create an aesthetic. The latter is very important, as Instagram is a platform that is all about visual cues, creating an aesthetic is essential.
   
   
4. Understands strategy and audience: The aforementioned points all factor in one thing, that the individual understands what strategy works and how to deploy it. However, this assumption can be misleading. Your Instagram accounts manager should be able to understand various points of strategy that revolve around posting, stories, and hashtags. It is also wise to find someone who understands the audience. The reason why the audience is important is that you will be able to implement different kinds of strategies by understanding your audience. The right manager should know the habits of the audience, how to engage users correctly, and respond to followers.

These are just some of the guidelines you can follow when looking for a dedicated Instagram accounts manager. Social media managers have to be versatile, they need to juggle multiple roles, and hence it is advisable to pick someone who has a vast skill set.

Final thoughts

The various points in this guide have thus far illustrated the relevance of being online and why a business has to be present on social media. The importance of having a dedicated manager has been highlighted well. You would be wise to spend your marketing budget on a social media manager over any conventional form of marketing. Remember, the sooner you capitalize on this the more benefits you will get out of it!