Social media management can be done from home, and that has many benefits. That is why many businesses now prefer remote social media teams over in-premise teams. It is more effective and offers more flexibility. However, some are still doubting if this approach is for them. That is because they are not sure how to manage a remote social media team successfully.
If you are one of these people, this article is for you. Here are some tips and pointers.
Embrace Flexible Schedules for your Team
The typical work hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. However, sometimes, the best times to post on social media are not within that period. While you can schedule posts, you can’t schedule replies. This is where remote social media teams shine. They are not bound by strict office hours. Their schedules can be more flexible. As such, they can work during the hours when your target audience is active.
That said, one of the first steps in managing remote social media teams is knowing the right timing for posts. Then, give the team members flexible work hours so they can work during these hours and rest when your audience is inactive.
Use Collaboration Tools
One of the challenges in remote work is how to get everyone on the same page. You can do that using collaboration tools. There are many options in the market that allow users to work on the same file simultaneously. For example, Canva allows multiple users to design together. Then, the team can use Google Sheets to create a social media calendar that details when to post the images and the captions that should go with them.
In addition to these basic tools, there are also specialized social media management tools that come with built-in social media calendars. These platforms allow teams to plan, schedule, and collaborate on social media content all in one place. With these tools, you can visualize your entire content plan, drag and drop posts into scheduled slots, and ensure consistency across your social media channels. They also provide analytics and reporting features, helping teams track performance and adjust strategies on the fly. This way, not only are you streamlining your content creation, but you’re also staying organized and proactive in managing your social media presence.
Integrate Optimal Tools
There are many social media platforms. There’s Facebook, Instagram, X – formerly Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and more. If a team member has to create posts for each platform manually, the task will take a long time to complete. Luckily, there are tools that allow you to schedule posts on different platforms.
Blog2Social is a WordPress plugin that allows you to share posts or blogs from your website to over 20 platforms. It offers automation, reducing the tasks that your remote team members need to do. It will allow them to focus on tasks like outreach or replying to your followers’ comments and messages.
Blog2Social also allows you to edit permissions for users, groups, and pages. This helps keep things organized.
Communicate
For a Remote Social Media Team, utilizing communication tools like Slack is essential for maintaining smooth operations. These platforms allow you to keep every team member informed in real-time, making it easy to assign tasks, receive progress updates, and share important information. With Slack, you can organize conversations into channels specific to projects or teams, which helps ensure that tasks are clearly defined and no one duplicates work that’s already been completed. This structure significantly enhances team efficiency and reduces confusion, which is crucial for remote teams that might be working across different time zones.
Moreover, communication tools facilitate quick problem resolution. If a team member encounters an obstacle, they can immediately reach out to the relevant channel. Fellow team members can provide solutions, suggestions, or workarounds, enabling the team to overcome roadblocks swiftly. Especially where time-sensitive tasks are common, these tools help keep everyone aligned, ensuring that progress continues without unnecessary delays.
Recruit Self-Motivated Marketers
Employers are afraid of remote workers stealing their time. What if the social media team members are doing unrelated tasks during their work hours? What if they aren’t working at all but report that they do? This will cause financial losses for the business and will stunt the growth of the social media channels.
Please know that not all remote workers are like that. Many are trustworthy professionals. So, you should check the background of every candidate when building the social media team. Choose self-motivated candidates. Also, choose ones that already have experience in remote work and have a good reputation.
If you want, you can also require them to use monitoring tools. Look for tools that take screenshots at random times or record keyboard presses and clicks. This will help you ensure that when they are clocked in, they are working on tasks that are beneficial to your social media channels.
Encourage the Use of a VPN
Remote workers are in different places. Many will be at home, while others may be in coffee shops and other workspaces. Home networks can be secure if the homeowners know about cybersecurity. On the other hand, public networks are never secure. This puts your data at risk.
You should protect your data by encouraging the use of a VPN. It encrypts the team member’s connection, preventing cybercriminals from intercepting their data.
Besides that, a VPN can allow a team member from abroad to access a platform that was banned in their country.
If you are looking for a VPN service to recommend, check out Proton VPN. The cybersecurity experts at VPNPro have written a Proton VPN review to inform you about its features, pros, cons, and reliability.
Also, consider cybersecurity training for your remote social media team. It will keep them on top of the new methods of cyberattacks and scams. This is essential in preventing data leaks and account hijacking.
Improve Teamwork
Teamwork makes the dream work. That saying would not be popular if it is not true. Achieving goals is easier if all the members are working together to reach a common goal.
Team members should feel together even if they are not physically in the same place. By improving teamwork and camaraderie, you can improve productivity, efficiency, and performance. You can dedicate time to virtual coffee breaks or play some games. By spending time on enjoyable, non-work tasks, you can improve the bonds between the remote social media team members.
Conclusion
How to manage a remote social media team successfully? First, you should embrace the characteristics of remote work. You should allow team members to work with flexible schedules so that they can work during hours when your target audience is active. On top of that, you need to use tools like collaboration tools and automation tools like Blog2Social. It helps improve efficiency and productivity.
Teamwork is also essential to the success of your campaigns. You should build it through extra activities like virtual coffee sessions or even get-togethers if it is possible.
About the author
