You’ve branded your social media sites and are generating great content, but your social media following is small and/or stagnant. This is when enlisting the help of a Social Media Manager is critical.

Whether on a temp or temp-to-perm basis, Social Media Managers make a huge difference in how your audience views your brand. Though many companies still feel social media account management can be added to another marketing employee’s job responsibilities, it’s a mistake to be one of those companies. Today’s social media audience is savvy. They know when your approach to social media lacks commitment. Once that perception takes hold in your target community, you’ll lose them along with the benefits social media brings to your brand.

As outlined in this article from Socialnomics, the best Social Media Managers on the market possess acute knowledge of both modern social media platforms and consumer behavior. They act as the “friend on the inside” of your business. Their job is to build thriving social media communities filled with vocal advocates of your product and service offerings.

The Social Media Managers Aquent sources are some of the most skilled on the market. They work temp on one-off promotional pushes or longer on community building initiatives. The ways in which these Social Media Managers engage your audience include:

• Identifying niche audiences through market research and building targeted communities around specific interests
• Initiating and nurturing interactive conversations that discuss topics related to your products or services
• Sharing valuable (not canned) content with your audience in an enthusiastic and genuine way
• Streamlining content approval so the information they post is released quickly and stays current
• Becoming trusted spokespersons for your brand by knowing your products, services, and audience inside and out

Social media platforms continue to evolve and more are launching regularly, which moves having a Social Media Manager from “nice to have” status to “must have.” This means it's time to ask: Will you make it a priority to get serious about your social community or continue to fall behind?