Social media management is more than just posting daily. To know more, we asked the owner of a branding and social media management agency for some key pointers.

Did you know that as of January 2023, the Philippines is home to 84.45 million social media users and counting? Given this staggering number, it is no surprise that countless brands and businesses have invested so much in social media, given that it isn’t just for communication—but also for advertising and promotions for brands everywhere.

In fact, businesses these days use it to showcase their products and services, engage with their target audience, and even make sales daily. But, there is a catch to all that. Social media management doesn’t just mean posting content daily. There’s a lot of thought and planning that goes into it.

To equip entrepreneurs with the proper knowledge of social media management, we asked Zia Lim, the owner of the branding and social media management agency Izi Social, what they should keep in mind. 

Were you always knowledgeable about branding and social media? How were you able to acquire the knowledge and skills related to social media management?

People get shocked when I tell them that my college major wasn’t Marketing. They get even more surprised when they find out that I was a Psychology graduate—given the career path I chose.

But, the thing is, I believe that you’ll figure out what you want to do in life when you get into the real world. I’ve worked in the eCommerce industry, retail, trade, and advertising within six years of being part of the real world and I’ve realized how fascinated I am at how business requires creative thinking. 

I was able to adapt to the marketing world very easily because I naturally have a creative eye. I’m a visual artist first and everything second. Painting has always been a part of my life and it will always be. But this part of my life is my passion, while business is my goal. I never thought that I could merge those worlds together but now, business has become my art. 

I try out different business strategies, just like how I try to find the right type of paint to discover what’s best for me. I stay up-to-date and keep up with the fast-paced world of marketing and design, just like how I familiarize myself with the proper mix of colors. I continue to learn everything there is to know about brand design and social media marketing, just like how I taught myself how to paint. 

I apply the knowledge and skills I built from the previous companies I have worked in my business, just like how I apply artistic principles to every canvas. It takes time and practice to create a masterpiece, but my eagerness to learn and grow is what makes it work the way I want it.

What are some misconceptions about social media management that you want entrepreneurs to unlearn?

There are four things that I want entrepreneurs to unlearn:

• ALL I HAVE TO DO IS POST: While being active on social media is a must to increase your brand awareness and presence, publishing your brand’s message and offers is not enough. The point of social media is to interact with your audience and engage with your followers. So, when we post, we have to make sure that our content speaks to our audience.

• A BIG FOLLOWER COUNT IS MY GOAL: Unless you’re an influencer or a celebrity, having thousands of followers doesn’t really matter. What matters is how your followers interact with your pages. Ask yourself these questions: Do they click your links? Do they want to know more about your services or products? Do they share your page with their own followers? Are they becoming an advocate of your brand? If all answers are yes, then your brand sees the whole point of social media.

• I NEED TO BE IN ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: While there are a lot of emerging social media channels, your brand shouldn’t be everywhere. It’s all about knowing who your target audience is, where they are most likely to engage, and what content type would be most likely to catch their attention. Choose wisely, then have fun!

• SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS FREE: You may create a social media account without running paid advertisements, but it still has a cost. Thinking of relevant and interesting content, creating the artwork, and writing captions that would entice your audience takes a lot of your time and resources from running your own business. Time is money—let’s keep that in mind.

Why do you think brands should invest in social media management?

The marketing world is continuously evolving. Since the pandemic started, businesses have turned to social media to sell, interact, and promote their products and services. Now, in the post-pandemic world, we are still here, and we are here to stay. 

Customers expect brands to be on social media, which makes it an essential part of every company’s marketing strategy. Having a social media agency can definitely help brands manage, maintain, and execute campaigns with better chances of getting returns on their spending and investment. 

I’ve met business owners who said that it is just about posting photos online regularly, so they can most likely do it themselves to lessen their expenses. But I always remind them social media is so much more than that. It’s about engaging with your audience with the right strategy in mind. 

This is why I started Izi Social with the goal of executing campaigns and designing brands that are strategy-focused, creatively crafted, and result-driven. This is exactly what our clients get. 

Is it better for business owners to run their own social media pages or ask someone else to do it for them? Why? 

As mentioned, social media is about engaging with your audience. It’s about connecting with your followers, where your posts and promotions should ultimately start conversations. It is not a post-it-and-leave-it kind of situation, and it should never be. Users online want to feel like their favorite brands care about them—their feedback, their demands, their thoughts, etc. 

If brands leave them hanging, then they can just easily forget about them and move on to the next. And we don’t want that to happen, right? This is where social media agencies come in to monitor your brand’s page and keep your followers interested. That way, we can eventually turn them into customers and advocates of your brand.

Indeed, social media takes up so much time and effort, if you utilize it the right way. This is why we, at Izi Social, are here to take the workload off our clients’ hands so that they can focus on what they do best—running their business. 

What concrete tips and advice can you give to anyone who wants to put up a business similar to Izi Social?

First, start a social media and design business with a grateful and humble heart. Understand that you are blessed with the knowledge that can help other businesses grow. Clients will work with you because they do not have these skills. Use that gift and focus on that.

Second, there are a lot of social media agencies in the country, and there are more businesses that need one of their own. However, there’s absolutely no room in this industry to be competitive.

I always tell potential clients to take their time to meet with other agencies—not just us. There are a lot of marketing agencies out there who are good, [and] most even have more experience and knowledge than us.

But I also strongly suggest that they choose the right one—a team who understands their goals and shares the same vision as they have. That’s when they’ll know they’ve chosen the right one to work with.

Next, having the knowledge and skills in design and social media marketing are not enough to start an agency. You need to be excellent with customer service as well. When you work in an agency, this means dealing with different industries, personalities, and challenges daily. Make sure you’re emotionally and mentally ready for that.

Last and not least, if you’re the type of person who prefers to work alone, then you have to learn to be the opposite. It’s all about working collaboratively with your teammates and clients. Brainstorming sessions, alignment meetings, and getting comments and insight are all part of the process to be better at what we do. 

Zia Lim is the owner of the branding and social media management agency Izi Social, which she started in May 2021. Prior to starting her business, she spent six years in eCommerce, retail, trade, and advertising.