7 Resolutions For Social Media Marketers in 2021

2020 was a challenging year for social media marketers. We could have never predicted all that would transpire in 2020, so from one week to the other, we were left throwing our planned calendars out the window. Each week required time to re-group, re-think, and re-strategize.

I think it's safe to say that we could all appreciate a calmer 2021 to focus on improving our social media strategies and getting better results. Ring in the New Year with these resolutions thought specifically for social media marketers.

Let's start with a simple one.

1. Replace your phone with an alarm clock

Do you ever feel like your phone is an extension of your hand? You're constantly interacting on social media, and even in those moments when you're away from your desktop, you're still looking at your brand's social account on your phone. Sometimes you even dream about rejected ads, targeting, and comments.

Your phone tempts you to "check up on a few things" the moment you get in bed and the moment you wake up. If you're falling asleep after scrolling and you're waking up to your phone, it feels as though your job started before your breakfast. 

Go old school this year and choose to unplug for a better night’s sleep.

2. Stop A/B testing your life

Once you become a social media manager, you start understanding how one variable affects an outcome. This makes it easy to get sucked in, constantly overanalyzing every decision you make, both professionally and personally.

Allow yourself to take risks and to try new things with your job and your life. Don’t be shy- go ahead and post that cat meme on your brand’s Instagram account! You are the expert and you know your audience best. 

3. Implement a “No discrimination policy”

After weeks of planning, working on the creative and the copy, you just published that remarkable campaign. But suddenly, you begin receiving spam, racist comments, and trolls. As a social media manager, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll take these comments personally.

However, it shouldn't be the norm. Take action by creating your own community policy as a reminder of acceptable behavior for comments made on your posts and ads. As a social media manager, you're the brand's voice, and you cannot let comments escalate to threats or hate speech. These comments may hurt you personally, but they could be hurting your community as well.

4. Start unplugging during the weekend

Social media runs 24/7, but you don’t have to! Unplugging is essential in order to maintain your productivity, inspiration, and creativity. Try refraining from checking social media during the weekend. If you need peace of mind, BrandBastion can help you manage your comments 24/7 in real-time.

5. Embrace the stalker you know is inside you

We all know how it goes. You're on top of everything that's happening; whether it's the news your friends send you or the trending memes. In fact, they are probably already shared on your Twitter account. You're in all the Facebook Groups, and you're lurking every post, trying to identify your customers' pain points. You often find yourself on Hotjar following every step your customers took on your website.

You're always checking comments across your ads, and sometimes, you're even clicking on the user's profile to decipher what happened in that person's life that made him/her so mean. 

And don't even get me started on retargeting. That's some technical stalking right there.

So embrace it! Keeping a grip on your customers' comments and trends is what it takes to be the best at your job and fully understand your customers' behavior.

6. Stop worrying about customer service (and start refocusing on social media marketing)

When you joined the ever-exciting world of social media, you probably never thought you would be handling so much customer service. Gone are the days when your clients called the customer service support number before posting it all over social media. It's time to shift your priorities back to the basics: strategy, goals, and content. Maybe 2021 is the time to outsource your community management, so you have the time back to refocus on social media marketing.

7. Ask yourself, “would I follow me?”

I don't refer to you personally! I mean, would you follow your brand's social media account if you weren't the creator, designer, or social media marketer? 

It's easy to get lost in your daily routine, leading you to disengage with your customers. Before checking out of your long day at work, step back, and put yourself in the shoes of your buyer persona. Imagine scrolling through your feed and having touchpoints with accounts that cater to your needs, pain points, wishes, and dreams. What would that look like?

Triple check that your brand's content serves your audience. Do I articulate my brand's personality online? By putting yourself in their shoes, you are humanizing your brand and your target audience. Use social media to show your brand's DNA because that's something worth following!

There's always a value of excitement regarding social media because it's filled with the unexpected. This makes your work extra rewarding. Social media marketers get to see actionable insights and results, and they are part of a fast-paced and ever-changing industry that challenges you to better yourself every day.