In the world of social media management, when day-to-day delivery means you are forever fighting the clock, client management can be a part of the job that is often overlooked. Neglecting this relationship ultimately ends one way, the client losing their passion for social media and looking for alternative means, methods or companies to market their service or product instead of you….
The value of nurturing this dynamic is absolutely pivotal to ensure a client receives a rewarding experience. Here are 5 telling signs that your client relationship is on the rocks, and how to go about fixing these problems:
1. Avoids your emails
If you have something important to say to your client, nothing beats the personal touch of a phone call. Despite its prevalence today in communication, you want to be more than just an email address. The phone is great for delivering good news and is a proven method to build a better relationship with your client. If they are avoiding your calls, email first and arrange a scheduled time to talk.
2. There’s a leadership change
You could be getting on just fine with a client and then bam! Your point of contact changes for one reason or another and your new client wants a complete overhaul of direction and strategy. While this may be no fault of your own, it’s important to be as helpful as possible to facilitate this change, while demonstrating your expertise along the way ensuring the value of a social media marketing service.
3. The client doesn’t feel valued
We’ve all been there. You have a lot on your plate at a particular time and your communication to a particular client is – lets say – less than prompt. This can make that business feel undervalued and overlooked. Consequently, treating every client like it’s your most important is a must. Client management is even more important that your actual delivery, so this should be number 1 in your list of priorities.
4. They fail to see a ROI
Every client wants to see a return of investment on social media, as it’s proof that the service is working. So you need to demonstrate that the strategy you have implemented is hitting the desired marketplace and that a client is getting the most with their money. Setting realistic objectives, determining effective platforms, creating valuable campaigns and recording results is a sure fire way to convey what you’re doing has real merit and is contributing to the bigger picture of achieving the clients’ aims.
5. You fail to manage expectations
Many social media managers have learned this the hard way. It’s always exciting times when a new client comes on board, as a result, it’s easy to get carried away with what you promise and what in fact you can deliver. Expectation management is a big part of the job and quality social media management takes time. You need to make sure your client understands this from the go, not 2/3 months down the line when disappointment may have already set in.
While dealing with tricky clients can be tough and not without its fair share of challenges, building a rapport with clients that is based on mutual understanding and trust, goes a long way to establishing a long term working relationship. How do you make clients feel valued? We’d love to hear answers from fellow social media managers.
