The role of empowerment in social media success
By Alexandra Reid
Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new which furthers my understanding of social media and the role of the community manager. I seek out new information and it finds its way to me. It’s a necessary and unavoidable part of the job description. But I’ve come to learn that success in my field depends on my ability to act on what I learn. Without the empowerment provided by a supportive, progressive and open-minded business environment, my ideas could never come to fruition.
Social media has become a new market point of entry for business, where individuals can reach the appropriate people, have their questions answered, concerns addressed and opinions heard with immediacy. As competition between companies for attention on social platforms becomes fiercer, social consumers have grown more sophisticated and discerning about the people and brands with which they interact, says an eMarketer study. They expect their needs to be met instantly and professionally. As intermediaries, community managers are the primary communicators of a businesses’ social media acumen. Employers must empower them with the opportunity to seek out better ways of engaging target audiences through social media and the support which develops the confidence to speak up and bring forward-thinking ideas to the table.
