Contrary to people’s earlier doubts about its future, social media has proven it
is here to stay. Businesses are no longer wondering if a social media presence
is worth it, instead, they are seeking out every opportunity to not miss out on
all that social media has to offer.
But with all the digital jargon and an unclear understanding of how to correctly use it, people often feel intimidated by social media. As social media specialists, one of the most basic questions we’ve been asked is: what the difference between social media management and social media marketing is.
In this article, we help you get a better understanding of social media
management vs social media marketing so that you can use it to its full capacity
to help build your social media presence.
The easiest way to distinguish the two is by understanding the difference between paid and organic.
Social media management is essentially an organic approach to building your social presence. It involves creating and curating your day-to-day posts, community management and engaging with your followers (replying to messages or comments).
It is a long-term strategy that helps build your following and brand loyalty over a longer period.
In the beginning, you may notice that your content won’t get as much traction and your number of followers will grow at a slow rate, but you need to remain consistent in your efforts. Sharing insightful and valuable content with your followers regularly will have an impact on your growth in the long run.
However, there are only so many ways in which you can try to build your following organically.
Social media marketing is a more targeted approach that focuses on paid advertising. It allows you to use your content as an “ad product” to those outside of your circle of followers.
You can pick your audience based on demographics, location, interests, and your ad budget. The goal of social media marketing is getting an audience to take action–whether that is getting them to follow you, signing up for something, or directing them to your website.
It’s a much quicker and easier way to help you reach people you would normally not have access to. In comparison to social media management though, the results you can gain from social media advertising come at a higher price.
Now that you know the key differences between the two, you may be wondering–which is better? Both are equally important. Each respectively helps promote your brand in slightly different ways.
A social media marketing campaign won’t drive many results if potential customers notice that you’re not posting regularly or engaging with your existing audience. Likewise, no one will notice your content or know that your brand exists if you’re not investing in paid advertising.
In summary, both social media management and social media marketing can help you generate sales, drive traffic to your website or get more people to follow you. When people see you’re investing in both, they’re more likely to trust you.
Read an in-depth insight into social media marketing.
Here are some key pointers to get you going in the right direction:
- Build a social media strategy that understands your target audience, their buying patterns, and what they are interested in or like engaging with.
- Invest in social media marketing.
- Make sure you keep your social media pages up to date with the right information.
- Keep it looking professional and on-trend.
- Incorporate a monthly content plan into your strategy that seeks to inspire, motivate, educate, and entertain your followers.
- Respond to comments and messages on time.
