By Melanie Wilt

If I had a dollar for every time a client or colleague told me they were planning to hire an intern to manage their Facebook page, I’d be a very rich woman. Because social media is something that has come to business in the last decade, leaders have erroneously associated social media with youth and disassociated it with business strategy.

This is short sighted when you take a moment to realize that social media has become the fastest, most direct, most measurable, two-way communication tool you have to connect your brand and reputation with your customers and audiences. In light of that, please slow down and ask a few questions of yourself before you hand the digital “keys to the castle” to that  intern or young employee:

1. Do they fully understand your business goals and mission?

2. Do they know WHY they’re posting?

3. Is their language and tone consistent with company values? (For example, will they be posting about Vanilla Ice while your customer base is made up primarily of Neil Diamond groupies?)

4. Do they understand your audience? (Not everyone reading their posts will be Millennials or Gen-Z. Lots of old ladies like me spend time on Facebook and Instagram, too.)

5. Do they know how to manage difficult people and situations with tact and diplomacy? 

If the answer to all of these questions is yes, congratulations – you’ve got a great young employee on your hands with mad skills. They may very well be able to develop a social media strategy and plan and set it into motion.

If the answer is no, you need a more seasoned professional to guide the social media strategy. Sure, allow the intern to schedule the posts and contribute to creating content, but be sure it is with solid direction and review from above.

If you’re unsure how to start using social media effectively, contact Emily Bennett. She can meet with your team to get you – and your intern – started on the path to success!