It's a well known covenant that there are strategic tasks and then there are tactical tasks.
The four-star general develops the military strategy and issues commands. The lieutenant in the field leads his troops and fulfills his orders through a series of military tactics.
Social Media is no different. There are strategic tasks such as crafting brand messages, soliciting engagement, converting fans into customers. And there are tactical tasks such as making Facebook posts, tagging people in photos, scheduling tweets, etc. . .
I can't help but to think of a scene from Pulp Fiction, where two hapless gangsters accidentally shoot someone in their car and make a big mess.
They have to call in a notorious figured called The Wolf to literally tell them how to clean up the car and coordinate disposal of the body. It's a macabre, silly example, but nonetheless a clear example of the difference between strategy and tactics. The Wolf, with his uncanny skill of critical thinking concocted a strategy to solve the problem, while the hapless gangsters had the unpleasant tactical job of picking up tiny bits of brain from the back of a car.
Recently I stumbled upon a job posting on Craig's List for a social media position.
It was from a group of real estate agents who claimed they understood the importance of social media but had neither the time nor the inclination to participate. They were looking for someone for $10 per hour to manage their social media for them. I imagine the thought process whet something like this: kids are good at social media, let's hire a kid for cheap to do our social media. What they will realize in about 30 days is they hired a hapless gangster when they wanted The Wolf.
Failing to recognize the difference between the strategist and the tactician is the reason I think most social media campaigns fail.
Either the poorly paid tactician is expected to be a brilliant strategist, or the strategist is expected to spend 80% of their time scheduling Twitter and Facebook posts. Both scenarios are doomed for failure, unless you are the client who is prepared to do both themselves.
But chances are, your are like the real estate agent who has neither the time nor the inclination, so you are going to have to hire someone.
Here's my advice: set a monthly budget, say $1000. Pay and Social Media Strategist 50% for their counsel; that's about 5 hrs. Pay a Social Media Tactician the other half, that's about 50 hrs.
Here's another tip: make sure your Strategist can recommend tactics.