This guest post below, by Courtney Gordner, is a followup of a previous post by Jay Pfoutz entitled, "How to Know if Social Media is the Best Marketing Avenue".
Social media is an important part of any successful
marketing campaign currently. Gone are the days where you can just ignore such
avenues and go about your business. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time
invested to gain any kind of leeway with social networks.
Not only do you need
to post on a regular basis, you also have to spend time interacting with your
followers and generating an active online presence for your brand or business.
The most effective way to maintain a social media presence is
to assign employees specifically to the task. Sure, many folks probably know
the marketing game already and how to handle social media, but do they know how
to generate revenue from their efforts? Trust me when I say, you do not want to
assign your nephew to the task just because he is great with Facebook.
Instead,
you want a professional, efficient, and qualified individual. There is a lot
more to social media marketing than meets the eye.
Naturally, that means bringing in an outsider to take on the
duties. For a small business, this can be quite difficult, because social media
professionals do not exactly come cheap. So, what is the best alternative?
Interns, of course!
I am sure the first question that came to mind is, why hire
someone new to the business without much experience. What can they do for my
brand and business? Fortunately, there are many redeeming qualities that
interns bring to the table, and that is exactly what we are here to talk about!
Interns Offer More
Bang for Your Buck
Fresh into the field, interns are willing to accept more
reasonable pay terms because they have less experience. Obviously, that is because
they want to earn experience to add to their resume. Do not let that scare you,
especially since they are likely from a generation that lives and breathes
social media.
Because interns are looking to boost their resume, they are
also willing to work that much harder. That translates to greater productivity
levels during their work sessions.
There is a negative to this however, one that you need to do
your best to avoid. Because interns are willing to do more for less, that also
means it’s easy to take advantage. It is okay to demand a little more from your
employees, especially interns that have quite a bit to prove. That being said,
you do not want to abuse them because that will lead to a disgruntled employee.
Now, in the company backend that may not be such a blaring issue, but you
certainly do not want a disgruntled social media manager tending to your public
accounts. I hope that I do not have to explain any further, why that could be
detrimental for your business.
That does not mean you should avoid interns, on the
contrary. Just be wary when you are assigning them duties and responsibilities
that you do not overstep your boundaries and ask too much of them.
If You Cannot Pay,
Experience Alone Will Be Enough for Most
It is difficult to get a job right out of college, but I am
sure you already know that. The most obvious reason is that newcomers have
little to no experience, despite their qualifications.
That means college students and interns are willing to do
almost anything to earn experience. This includes working for a company that
only offers experience in return for their labor. If you cannot afford to pay
interns, it is more than acceptable to hire them so that they may earn
experience.
That being said, keep in mind that you cannot ask a non-paid
employee to take on as many responsibilities as one that is on the payroll.
Just as I mentioned above, that is especially crucial when dealing with
employees that will be in the public eye. Remember that they will have direct
access to your social media accounts, and that includes the ability to post
information visible to the public.
Don’t Just Stop at
One
If you decide to hire an intern, do whatever you can to make
room for more. Not only will this offer a more comfortable environment for your
younger employees, this will also offer more talent to work with.
You can even join a partnership with a University or College
to setup a Work-Study Co-op program. This enables students to take on both
academic and professional responsibilities without getting too overwhelmed. It
also means more exposure to a greater number of interns for your business. WebpageFX is an internet marketing company
that hires numerous interns every year. This type of program can be used to
screen for future employees, and even hire one of the interns full-time - once
they complete their schooling.
Interns May Start Out
Small, but They Often Rise to the Occasion
It can be a frightening idea to hire a potential employee
that does not have much experience, but that is the beauty of taking on an
intern. They can grow with your company or business, both in knowledge and
skill.
It is one thing to hire a bunch of employees and leave them
to their vices. It is another to hire a small group of individuals, and groom
them to their full potential. In many cases, an intern will work just as hard
and perform just as well as a regular employee. Combine all of that with the
fact that most interns are ambitious, and you have an unstoppable force behind
you.
They are Not Set in
Their Ways
This point may seem a bit silly, but in the moment, it will
mean everything. Interns have not been around the business for so many years
that they are set in their ways. This is vital not only to the future of your
business, but also to the future of their position. You see, social media and
the internet in general are always changing and always evolving. What works one
day, may not work very well the next. Social media professionals need to be
able to adapt, and they need to do so quickly and efficiently.
In addition, they also need to be willing to try out new
strategies and tactics without going over the top. Interns certainly have the
ambition to accomplish such things. Better yet, they are new to the experience
and that means they are more willing to change up their game and try out new
strategies.
Invest in Their
Confidence
Like I already pointed out, do not just hire interns or
employees and leave them to their vices. Do whatever you can to ensure they
will succeed. That includes offering them the necessary tools and resources to
accomplish their goals.
A great way to go about this is to ask them directly what
they need. Adopt an open door policy that is friendly to your interns and new
hires. Allow them to approach you with any needs and concerns they may have.
To meet with any kind of success, it requires an investment.
Think of your interns as an investment, one that also needs a bit of support
behind it. Do not set your interns up to fail, instead show them how confident
you are that they will get the job done.
If you take a chance with interns, and back them with your
faith and confidence, then you will be rewarded in no time.
Courtney Gordner is a blogger with a passion for all things internet, social media, and SEO! Read more on her own blog, www.talkviral.com
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