We love our social media management tools.

They’re fun to talk about. Their use is easy to grasp. But tools alone aren’t even worth the price tag. They’re only the tip of the iceberg in social media management. If you’re a true growth-hacking social media expert, then you know…

Day-by-day social media management will get you nowhere. It’s a drain on your time, and it lacks scope and vision.

What is day-by-day social media management?

In its worst form, it’s creating and sharing content on the fly. (Note: there are many circumstances in which you will want – and need – to come up with content on the go. I’m not opposed to this practice in the least. However, it should not account for your entire social media “strategy.”)

Even content creators who plan out their posts several days or a week in advance can also be guilty of “day-by-day social media management.” At the heart of this mindset is the belief that social media is something you just have to do: a Facebook post for the afternoon, three Tweets for the day, and two Instagram posts this weekend. Sound anything like a recipe in your company? If so, then you need to know about social media management for long-term growth.

Growth Hacking, Scope, & Long-Term Vision

First, you have to identify your goals with social media. Why are you using the platforms you’ve chosen for your business? “Exposure,” “lead-generation,” and “brand awareness” aren’t valid answers. Think specifics:

  • Are you trying to sell a product? How many?
  • Are you trying to get traffic to your website? What’s the minimum CTR you’ll accept?

Once you have specific, measurable goals, you can start building a strategy that has benchmarks and long-term goals.

As a firm focused on growth hacking, we try to get our clients to think about these specific, quantitative goals. Social media management needs to be done with a focus on growth; and to hone in on growth, you have to create measurable goals that see long-term follow-through.

So, my question for you today is this: Are you taking the day-by-day approach to your social media? Or are you using a growth hacking approach to focus on long-term goals?