If you have ever worked in the digital media world, then you have probably received a question or two on how to make ‘the Facebook work.’ The truth is there is a lot of people out there who are still trying to grasp the ever-changing landscape of social media. So, whether its your boss or client, here are 7 things they likely want to know about social media.

“Do we really need social media?”

Do you live in the Middle Ages? Oh, you don’t? Ok then, social media absolutely necessary.

Social media is an industry on the rise and it’s everywhere! There is not one type of business that can’t benefit from some type of social media exposure. You can put an interesting spin on almost any type of business nowadays. It doesn’t matter if you sell basic shoes, paper products or business cards. Brands have done exceptional things using social media. Think: Toms, Post-Its and Moo.

How many do we need?

Well, here’s the thing. You don’t need all the social media outlets, but you also might benefit from a couple. If you’re going to pour money into any platform (right now) it would definitely be Facebook.

We cover figuring out how many social media platforms to have in “Social Media Platforms: What to Choose and How to Choose Them.”

So, we can post whenever we want, right?

Yes… But also, no? You don’t want to post on a whim. We’ve had so many clients insist on posting their content immediately. We’ve had clients surpass us and attempt posting on their own whenever they felt like it and we’ve had clients call us with urgent requests to post ASAP; and it’s never been right time to post. When it comes to social media, timing is everything.

There are the general rules you follow based on what platform you’re using and then there are the general rules based on your own personal statistics and insights. That’s why Buffer has the scheduling tool.

If you start posting randomly, you might not get the results you want.

Will we really get attention using social media?

Yes, yes, yes! Your customers are definitely on social media. No matter the type of business you’re in. Wheels? Instagram, Facebook. Cupcakes? Any platform, pick one. Personal brand? Maybe all of them!

It really doesn’t matter what you’re selling, it only matters how you’re selling it. And where. You need to choosy about what outlets to use with solid research but generally, it is always worth it to be on something. There is value in social media. Facebook is the most popular social network in the world, take advantage of it.

What about the trolls?

Does your boss worry about the negative reviews and comments on the interwebs? Well, don’t.

Negative reviews and comments come with the territory. And businesses like JetBlue and (more recently) Wendy’s take negativity like champs. Social media does not leave you susceptible to trolls, it actually gives you a platform to respond and aid the situation. Many negative situations have been mended with quick and timely responses. Offering a human voice to the situation when a customer is angered and fuming over the internet is one of the best ways to handle a bad situation. Never delete the negatives. It’s the internet, handle it and move on.

We want to be instafamous… Today

That’s cool. So, do we. But guess what? It takes time!

Oh, we can’t begin to count the times someone asked us to bump their followers up (insert extraordinarily impossible goal) as soon as possible. We’re not saying it’s impossible to reach 1k followers or even 100k followers – it’s completely possible. But it does not happen overnight.

You need consistency, engagement, time and patience. If you try to rush it by implementing bots and paid followers, you’ll regret it. Stay real, don’t be fake.

Who are these people trying to talk to us?

Social media is a place to be social and whenever you post consistent, solid content – you start to make connections and build relationships. Here’s the thing; these connections will help you, embrace them.

For restaurants, you might find that lots of food bloggers and enthusiasts might start following you and trying to connect with you. You could host specialty dinners and invite the popular bloggers and Instagrammers to dinner – these social media food gurus will utilize their own tools and time to generate content for you at the expense of a dinner. They will produce photos, content and post them to thousands of followers. They are basically the influencers of your industry.

This goes to every type of industry, you can and should connect with influencers. These relationships will help build and strengthen your brand.

We hope these points help you through your next awkward social media conversation.

Let us know what other things you think your boss or clients might want to or need to understand about social media by commenting below!

Check out our other posts about Social Media.