As seen with most things, social media has gone mainstream. It is now integral in how we communicate, interact, and gather information.

It does not matter who you are or what profession you belong to; having an active account on at least one of the major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and/or Instagram is almost a necessity for anyone over the age of fifteen.

By having this presence, you will be representing your career and yourself as someone that knows how to use digital technology to promote your business or product. You can also use it to connect with other people and generate new leads and customers.

The trick is knowing how to best utilize these services so they do not take up too much time while still producing results.

Create a social media management resume

As mentioned before, being able to manage your favorite social media platforms is an excellent way to prove that you can take care of business. But what kind of business? This comes in the form of proving that you are capable of running a company with them!

Running their software effectively and ensuring they're active for all users and modes of engagement is one thing, but actually leading and directing people to do things online is another. Being able to lead others towards a goal or activity via social channels is very important.

That's why it makes sense to include this as part of your social media manager resumé.

Link your website to your social media profiles

Once you have mastered the art of managing all of your various accounts, it is time to put that knowledge into practice! Creating an online presence takes more than just having a Facebook account or choosing from between A and B for your profile picture.

In fact, some companies make you take down your profile photo before they will give you their job application. It is very important to advertise yourself as someone who can create a successful online community.

By linking your professional website to your other accounts, people will be able to find out more about you beyond just what you share on social media sites.

Update your social media profiles with new content

It’s very common for people to put “social media manager” as their job title, but that isn’t necessarily what they do. In fact, most people who use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube don’t actually manage them; someone else does!

As such, it makes sense to re-title this article to be more specific instead of using the term “social media management.” This is important to remember because employers may not know what exact responsibilities you have beyond creating accounts, posting updates, and responding to comments and messages.

The first step in revamping your online presence is to make sure all of your social media accounts are up to date. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and whatever other platforms you used before to spread your message.

Make no mistake– if you left your account behind or stopped maintaining it, then chances are high that someone else will find out about it and try to take over. Even if you're still actively using it, you should consider investing in some basic tools to help you get back into the swing of things.

Monitor your social media accounts constantly

It’s not enough to have an account and put up some posts now and then. You need to consistently monitor all of your accounts, reading and responding to messages and comments posted by others.

Running out of things to do can be a frustrating experience for anyone at times. For you as a social media manager, it can push you past your breaking point.

You may feel overwhelmed due to the amount of content that needs to be monitored and responded to, as well as the number of people who look to you as a source of information or guidance.

It is important to remember that no one but you can control how you respond to conversations in other people’s spaces. Use common sense when deciding if and/or what to comment on.

Your job as a social media manager isn’t only to keep an eye on what people are saying about your company, but also to help them say what they want to say. If someone has mentioned something that makes you unhappy, take time to consider whether their message was just mean or if there’s actually something worth listening to.

If you’re able to find the answer, try to work on changing their perspective or tone of conversation, instead of getting upset or taking it personally.

Respond to customers consistently

As mentioned before, your social media presence is not only about having a profile but also responding to comments and messages. If you want to increase your followers, make sure to respond to them!

Your responses should be thoughtful and relevant to the conversation or comment given. Your response can either be done directly from the app or via email or text message.

Running an Instagram account gives you the opportunity to do some engagement every day. You could take pictures of your lunch or what you are doing daily, challenge yourself to have a 30-minute session where you actively engage with others, or simply send encouraging words to someone that may need it.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to keep in touch and develop relationships. That will win you rewards!

You can refer back to chapter three for tips on how to manage your accounts more efficiently.

Organize a public Twitter or Facebook party

As we mentioned earlier, being active on social media is a great way to promote your business. But how do you know if you’re spending enough time posting to make a difference when you are just coming into this field?

The best solution is to organize a party for your followers where they can come and meet some of your employees, see what products or services you offer, and learn more about you as an individual and company.

You could invite their attention by saying something like “Happy Birthday! I wanted to let you guys know that my team and I have been working hard to develop our skills in online marketing. We would love to share what we have learned with you!”

Then, provide links to some pages or content related to your business so people can find out more about you. You can even tell them why you picked these sites, and maybe give away a few things for free to enhance your relationship with them.

This is also a good opportunity to gather some additional information such as talking about yourself, asking questions, etc. This helps create a deeper connection and encourages engagement which are both very important components in building community.

Encourage commenting and sharing on all of your social media pages

As we already mentioned, staying in touch with your audience is one of the most important things you can do as an influencer. But how about going one step further?

By encouraging comments and shares, you’ll actually create more engagement!

The more people interact with your content, the higher chances they have to connect with you or read your posts. This influence process will naturally draw attention to your account, which means more exposure!

And just like any other way to gain followers, diversity is key. If someone has never seen a post you made before, don’t hesitate to include a comment or share link for that. Your followers are not only getting information, but also supporting your style and personality.

That said, make sure to avoid annoying comments and shares. You want to encourage thoughtful conversations and interactions, not something perfunctory.

Respond to all of your comments and questions

Even if you are not responding directly to someone, take time to check out their comment or question. You can click “reply” or you can respond in another way such as by commenting under the article, mentioning something related, or writing an informal reply.

By engaging with other people online, it creates more opportunities for employment. Employers look at social media activity as proof that someone is able to interact with others and use technology effectively.

It also helps your career grow through meeting new people, sharing knowledge, and establishing connections. Since employers read applications for jobs very closely, showing active engagement on social media makes your candidacy stronger.