Examples of a UVP
No matter what the size of the business they all have a UVP, some you will be familiar with like:
Uber – The smartest way to get around
Slack – Be more productive at work with less effort
LessAccounting – Bookkeeping without the hassle
Communicating your UVP with a social media management service
Once you have identified your UVP you will need to communicate it, the value that your company offers and the service it provides. One of the biggest ways that small businesses connect with their audience is via social media.
But keeping up with the demands of content creation can be tricky when you have a list of other things to do. But even with the time constraints of running a business, keeping in touch with your audience is essential if you hope to achieve any level of success.
This is where problems can arise, companies are faced with the challenge of using their limited time to perform marketing and outreach, or forego it altogether at the risk of losing business.
It’s a tricky problem, but fortunately one that has a solution.
While this may not seem the obvious fix to the problem, it does offer an elegant way to save time and maximize the impact of your social account activity. Managed social media services are designed to keep your accounts fresh and updated with new content, while taking the burden of resposnibiliy out of your hands.
From a time-saving stand point it’s one of the ways companies can get the most bang for their buck, and in the case of startups, can help to keep the focus on critical parts of the business.
What are the advantages of using a social media management company?
If you have decided that using an external social media service provider is the best way to go, then there are some advantages to be gained from having your work professional done by an outside company. Here are some of the benefits you can expect to gain.
Saves Time
Time is money, as the old saying goes and one of the biggest advantages of using a social media service provider is the hours that you will get back. Coming up with on-brand content to engage and attract audiences requires multiple disciplines like writing, social media management, and copywriting. It is no easy task and anyone who has attempted to keep up with their own social media content calendar will understand what a time drain it can be.
Saves Money
Even with the cost associated with outsourcing work, hiring a social media management company can help you to save money overall. There will be no need to hire your own content creators, and with all work done off site there is no need to invest in extra workstations, or pay for expensive software subscriptions. In fact, with the need for only a limited staff and space, the savings can add up substantially.
Helps with brand awareness
For new companies and startups, it is important to establish a presence and create a recognisable brand. The consistent and professional design capabilities of a social media management provider can keep your accounts filled with eye-catching on-brand content. Scheduling post consistently can widen your reach and help you to attract new or different audiences, and repeated posts can drive recognition among your account followers.
Flexibility
Using a social media management company provides businesses with a good amount of flexibility. As plans typically run from months to month, companies have the ability to increase to decrease their posting volume as needed. Need to double the amount of content you are posting to accounts? No problem. Want to add and additional social channel? Easy. Using an outsourced service allows you to retain full control of your social media accounts while determining how much and how often content is posted.
What are the disadvantages of using a social media management company?
The benefits of outsourcing your social media management to an external company are many, but there may be a few disadvantages too. These could include problems like:
Sourcing the right service
Having your social media accounts managed by an external company will only work well if you find the right company. Search online and you will be presented with a lot of options for social account managers, companies, and freelancers. You will need to put a bit of work into finding the company who can best deliver the type of content you need. Word of mouth referrals, checking reviews and asking the right questions will help. For instance, you will want to know things like what kind or schedule the service delivers work on, or what type of communication channels will be open for you to use.
Work quality
If the purpose of using a social media management service is to present your UVP to the world then you will need to find a company that can communicate it appropriately. The quality of work and graphics that are posted to your social media accounts will be representative of your business. That means that content needs to be sharp, tasteful, and professional. For this reason it is a good idea to ask for work samples from your social media company before committing to a monthly plan or subscription.
What traits should a good social media management service possess?
Once you have decided that you will engage the services of a social media management company, there are certain traits and qualities that will be necessary if they are to do a good job of presenting your UVP. Being able to weave your own business ethos into posts and captions to create a consistent branding effort will be essential, as will the ability to translate your business into meaningful graphical content.
Design capabilities
Along with having suitably qualified designers on hand to perform the work, any social media management company that you employ should have all the tools needed at their disposal. This means things like professional graphics packages, the ability to provide royalty free images, and caption writers capable of producing excellent copywriting for your posts. Alway make sure that you request examples of graphics and social posts before using their services, and check that they can handle the quantity of work that you are planning to producer using their service.
Multiple communications channels
Most reputable companies will have a mechanism for exchanging messages and communications. The system used will depend on individual companies but they could manage all their communications in a messaging program like Slack, or communicate via email. Someone should be able to respond to your messages in a reasonable amount of time and you should be able to reach someone via email, messaging services, or by leaving comments or requests on work orders.
Order tracking
Making sure that your UVP is communicated adequately through your social channels is an important task. Therefore, you will want to know what stage work is at during each stage of the process. You should be able to review and check work, as well as suggest changes through each stage of the process. Visibility of your social content before it goes live can be helpful to provide feedback and make tweaks before your posts go live on your accounts. Individual orders, requests, and details of payments and monthly subscriptions should be available to view.
Standardized process
The beauty of using an outsourced social media management service is that there should be no surprises. Work flows and processes should remain the same whether you are managing a high or low volume of work with a standardized procedure. This can help you to level out volume and build consistency into your social media efforts, and with a posting routine, you can convey your UVP to your audience at every available opportunity.
Good business reputation
If you were hiring a plumber or a builder you would seek out referrals testimonials and reviews that offered proof of work quality. Using a social media management service is no different. You will want to check ever available source for proof of work, reliability, and quality. With so many social media management companies available, this will be an important part of your hiring process. You will want to ensure that the company you have chosen to handle your UVP communications is professional, capable, and reliable.
Guarantee or refund policy
Beware of companies charging large amounts of money upfront for their services, especially without a money back guarantee or a refund policy. If you have done your research properly then any social media management company you select should be capable of going a good job. However, if something goes off track, or work is not performed to your satisfaction then you will want to ne able to get your money back. Check for a returns process or ask what the policy is if work is not delivered as agreed.
Final words
Using a social media management company to handle work is a fantastic way for companies to delivery their UVP message with professionalism and consistency. As well as bringing gains in terms of time saving and value, a social media service can help you to acquire new followers or clients through quality and targeted posting. Keeping social channels up to date can help your business to maintain an online presence and keep your company in front of potential clients.