8 Tips for Effective Leadership in Social Media Marketing

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way..”

                                                                         –  John. C Maxwell

The present social media revolution has influenced every sector of societal relationships. Even the traditional ownership and marketing process has been replaced by it. Almost all businesses and organizations are gradually realizing its potential and utility. The most important credential to successfully run a Social Media Marketing Strategy is to incorporate transparent, responsible and efficient leadership in the management. Leadership does not just refer to the immense power exercised by the supreme executive in the top management over his subordinates; it is a course in which the top management works in full cooperation with its lower levels. A leader is not the one who commands and thrushes his decisions on his employees. Such an individual is no different from a dictator or autocratic ruler. Instead, an ideal leader is the one who not only leads but also the one who guides his subordinates.  Effective leadership is an indispensable requirement for the smooth functioning and growing influence of a social media marketing organization. Here follows a total of 8 tips that are needed for the effective implementation of leadership in social media marketing

1. Development of creative strategy: It is a primitive and traditional myth that leaders only plan the strategy, and it is the lower management that actually runs the day to day operation. However, effective leadership demands that the leader not only plans the creative strategy but he significantly contributes to every stage of development of that strategy.

• Substantial role in content-making: A model leader does not try to get away from his responsibility instead he tries to share the responsibility. In social media marketing, the leadership must administer and contribute to each content that is posted on the organization’s official websites, blogs, and social network profiles. He should oversee that the content that is publicized on the web is in compliance with the guidelines and principles of the company.

• Managing communication and information flow: Another way to ensure effective leadership is by managing the communication channels and information flow between the marketing agency and its consumers. The leadership must supervise the interaction and sharing of content in social media. He must ensure that all the audience views and grievances are constantly responded to.

• Maintain a sociable relationship with subordinates: An ideal leader cannot be a haughty loner. He should be a people’s man. A leader who does not interact with his subordinates cannot admire them with his personality nor does his policies and commands get respected. To earn respect and goodwill, he must always main a chain-in-command relationship with his juniors and value their opinions.

• Act as a team man: A leader’s role may start with imposing command on his subordinates but it definitely does not end there. In every stage and aspect of social media marketing, he should work in cooperation and co-existence. It is only then can the business be sustainably developed. A better revision of the marketing campaign is also possible because of the presence of leadership. It becomes a source of encouragement for the entire team.

• Attending to both internal and external publics: Internal publics refer to the marketing organization’s employees, shareholders, and suppliers. While external publics are the consumers, society, community of functioning, government and media. A good leadership attends to both the categories of public. He knows how to handle both the consumer’s needs and media inquisitions.

• Combine tenacity and creativity:  A perfect social media marketing leadership is a rare and admirable blend of authenticity, confidence, stamina, tenacity, and creativity. It is the one that is able to give both physical and mental commitment to the marketing task. The leadership always needs to come up with innovative content marketing ideas and also oversee how the contents get their way on the social media platform. 

• Oversee evaluation and research mechanism- Research and evaluation is the final and most important stage in content and social media marketing. Research and audience surveys help estimate the magnitude of impact that the marketing campaign had on its target audience and how the measured results can be used in the process of image management of the company. An ideal leadership oversees the research data, its process, impact routes and individual and mass influence of the marketing mechanism. It is the duty of the leadership to call for an immediate and effective alternative in case of a crisis situation.