Social media is here to stay, it’s merely the face of that media which changes. As it changes, and develops a more robust environment for marketers, everyone looks toward what it means to be successful at it.

Success depends on the person celebrating that success, and whether they see another person as ‘successful’ depends on whether they admire that person. Those people who are admired by someone are more likely to cause their follower to want to replicate their own efforts, to produce the same results. Success breeds success does it not?

That’s the thinking behind this, considering that social media is still relatively new in terms of how people relate to one another, including other businesses, is to follow the pioneers in the field.

There are some companies anyone in the industry would be hard pressed to say is not a resounding success. A quick search of Google will turn up the highest paid, or most successful social media CEOs and managers, and it’s a quick jump to their pearls of wisdom on blogs, or their own social media pages.

Today, the world is so different because with the rise in influencers, individuals are able to become their own brand. This person could become independently wealthy and gain a huge following, despite being as average or ordinary seeming as anyone else. This is not something that was seen before, because it took knowing the right people in the right places to make inroads, or – to get a hot tip at the right time.

These social media masters figured out things which worked, and those which did not, and it’s easy to say they’ve written the blueprints of how to handle social media as a manager, whether with a team or solo. It’s hard to go wrong if you’re steered by those who came prior.

What traits do successful social media managers share?

Absolute time management

So many managers get caught up with the reactions, likes, or any other measurable data after posts are made. But the best managers set aside blocks of time when they know traffic is at its highest, and measures the peak points for a frame of reference, rather than checking nearly constantly, with more varied results. The former method delivers a constant stream of data and information which can be logged. It seems like a gold mine but it’s not a great use of time, because much of the data can be represented by a smaller set. The latter method, provides a more stable and steady, reliable source of data which doesn’t fluctuate as much, and can provide a great foundation from which to form goals for the team.

Great relationship builders.

A great social media manager knows the value of the human connection. People aren’t looking to do business with a company which feels cold, robotic, hard to get information on, or which refers to FAQs instead of any form of contact method. Great social media managers don’t waste time on tools meant to ‘save time’ unless they actually are good for their audience. Something which wouldn’t make a company feel cold and unapproachable is a content posting system, or a lightweight chatbot meant to answer only the most immediate of questions. Being able to be genuine, real and with absolute transparency is the only way to attract a loyal following.

Consistency

This one speaks for itself. If a company wants people to count on them, they need to be available to them, and people must know what to expect. Being consistent tells an audience that they can trust you to deliver on a promise.