How Businesses Can Manage Multiple Social Media Accounts

Most business owners maintain their own personal social media accounts and, in some cases, would prefer to keep their business and personal accounts separate. On the surface, it may seem unnecessary to have multiple social media accounts across multiple platforms. However, depending on the type of business , it may make perfect sense. Another popular reason for having multiple social media accounts is when a business owner runs several types of businesses that shouldn’t necessarily share a social media account. For example, you may be a personal trainer who also runs a web design business, and would like to keep these two lines of business separate.

While many companies have a love-hate relationship with social media platforms, few can deny how social media impacts their business. Some business owners steadfastly hold off on adopting any business social media pages, and this could prove to be a big mistake in the long run. Even for a tech-savvy CEO, managing multiple social media accounts can be overwhelming and detrimental to overall productivity. Here we explore some common reasons for having multiple social media pages and helpful tools for managing multiple social media platforms, and how you can make the most of what each one has to offer:

Buffer - Social Media Scheduler

Instead of manually posting information whenever you remember to do so or being unsure of the best time to post something for more visibility, Buffer takes the guesswork out of the process by scheduling social media communications for you. Whether it involves a brick-and-mortar business announcing a last-minute change in business hours or an online store sending out information about a big sales promotion, scheduling content is a strategic way to improve your business while simultaneously freeing up time for yourself.

Buffer takes care of all the behind-the-scenes work of logging in and analyzing target markets with sophisticated analytics that would take an immeasurable amount of time if undertaken by a human. Using Buffer increases productivity that can easily be lost in a sea of updates, posts, and feedback.

Buffer is available for the iPhone and Android, as well as a browser extension for Safari, Opera, Chrome, and Firefox. It’s free to sign up for an Individual Plan, which allows users to manage one account per social media platform (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc.). More feature-rich plans begin at $10 per month. The Large Business Plan, which is $250 per month, allows multiple users.

Sprout Social - An Integrated Social Media Inbox

Sprout Social is a powerful tool that helps users to easily comingle their social media channels through an easy-to-use application. All accounts can be viewed in one news feed or separated within the app for a high level of customization. As a result, social media managers or small business owners can avoid having to constantly check various social media platforms and log in and out of each one, thus eliminating the need to search for information across platforms.

Sprout Social is great because it not only provides users the ability to post and review content, but it can also be used as a way to respond to customer service queries initiated on social media sites. Customers have the opportunity to not only brag about their great experience, but also to post their dissatisfaction on social media sites. Sometimes these complaints go viral, providing potential customers with a negative impression of the company. Statistics show that only 15% of customer complaints are addressed on social media, but companies that are able to address customer concerns stand out. Sprout Social can reduce the likelihood that you will forget your login credentials or accidentally log into the wrong profile - both of which are unnecessary time wasters and could cause costly mistakes.

Hugely successful corporations like the cloud service Dropbox and the health food chain Whole Foods have endorsed Sprout Social as an important part of their social media communication efforts. Sprout Social offers a 14-day free trial, and per-user monthly subscriptions start at $59 per month for the Team Plan, which covers up to three users for $500 per month.

Both Sprout Social and Buffer can be used by business owners themselves, but they are especially helpful for social media managers tasked with keeping it all together. Social media marketing professionals work closely with business owners to determine the best way to draw in more leads, push content, and connect with customers. Social media managers handle the day-to-day social media grunt work, allowing business owners to do what they do best: manage their companies.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram help business owners to communicate with their clients like never before, and customers increasingly look to a company’s social media accounts to learn more about their products and services. Controlling social content is extremely important for protecting your business, and these management tools can streamline the process.