As a CMO, building a robust social media function is crucial for driving brand engagement and business growth. The landscape of social media marketing is constantly evolving, and it requires a strategic approach to maximize its potential. Here are the top five focus areas I would prioritize to build a successful social media function.

Hiring a Team of Specialists

Diverse Skills and Viewpoints

One-person social media teams are no longer sufficient. The sheer volume and variety of content needed for effective social media marketing demand a team of specialists. I would focus on hiring diverse content creators with different skills and viewpoints, covering areas such as video production, graphic design, paid and organic strategies, trends and humor, overall strategy, and analytics. This diversity ensures that the team can create engaging and varied content that resonates with different segments of the audience.

Investing in Community Management

Building 1-to-1 Relationships

Many brands still overlook the importance of community management. Engaging with the audience in the comment section can yield significant benefits. By investing in community management, brands can build 1-to-1 relationships, foster loyalty, and create a sense of community around the brand. This engagement not only enhances the brand’s image but also provides valuable insights into customer preferences and feedback.

Prioritizing Video Views Over Followers

The Real Metric of Success

In the world of social media, followers are often considered a vanity metric, especially for recognizable brands that already have a substantial following. Instead, I would prioritize video views as a key metric of success. Video content is highly engaging and can drive significant business growth. Focusing on video views helps in reaching a broader audience and generating more meaningful engagement, which ultimately contributes to the brand's growth.

Maintaining Brand Consistency Over Native-Only Content

Embracing Native Content Without Losing Brand Equity

While it’s important to create content that feels native to each social media platform, maintaining brand consistency should not be compromised. My strategy would embrace native-feeling social content while ensuring that the brand’s identity and equity are preserved across all channels. This approach helps in promoting the brand effectively without sacrificing the unique elements that distinguish it from competitors.

Enforcing a Strict Off-Time Policy

Preventing Burnout in Social Media Teams

Social media management can be demanding, but it’s important to recognize that it is not a 24/7 job. To prevent burnout, I would enforce a strict off-time policy for the social media team. Encouraging team members to take breaks and disconnect from work ensures they remain creative, motivated, and productive. It's essential for the long-term well-being of the team and the success of the social media strategy.

Conclusion

Building an effective social media function requires a strategic approach that prioritizes specialist skills, community engagement, meaningful metrics, brand consistency, and team well-being. By focusing on these key areas, CMOs can drive significant growth and create a strong, engaged community around their brand. What would you add to this list?

FAQs

Why is it important to hire a team of specialists for social media?

A team of specialists brings diverse skills and viewpoints, ensuring the creation of engaging and varied content that resonates with different audience segments.

How does community management benefit a brand?

Community management helps build 1-to-1 relationships, fosters loyalty, and creates a sense of community around the brand, enhancing its image and providing valuable customer insights.

Why prioritize video views over followers?

Video views are a more meaningful metric of engagement and can drive significant business growth, reaching a broader audience and generating more impactful interactions.

How can brands maintain consistency while creating native content?

Brands should embrace native-feeling content that aligns with platform-specific trends while ensuring their unique identity and brand equity are preserved across all channels.

Why enforce a strict off-time policy for social media teams?

A strict off-time policy prevents burnout, ensuring team members remain creative, motivated, and productive, which is essential for the long-term success of the social media strategy.