You should give your social media manager a big hug today, or at least a substantial pay raise! This social media marketing stuff is no walk in the park. In fact, it takes everything you have if you want to succeed. In the social media marketing game you have to earn your keep, and you can never afford to get too 'old school' in your thinking. I know some people reading this right now are thinking, "but what about social media marketing automation? That makes our lives easier." This is true to an extent. Using tools can make the life of a social media marketer easier, but you can't preclude just how much time goes into learning the software platform and configuring it to work just the way you need it. Plus, you need to face the facts that you can't automate everything. Each social network is different and all of them demand a great deal of your time and effort if you want your engagement to be of the highest caliber.

Social Media Marketing Is A Giant Ongoing Task

Social networks are where it's at for all companies and organizations these days. You can't afford to try and and skip the social media revolution. It will go on with or without your willing participation. Why not embrace these new times we live in and accept the fact you have to work hard to achieve your goals? There's no time for you to have a favorite social network these days. You have to speak Twitter as well as be fluent in Facebook. You can't afford to have one leg of your social media table be wobbly. If it is, your social media marketing efforts could quickly collapse under their own weight.

Even more taxing, you can't retire as the result of one good day of social media marketing. Sure, you might "go viral" and become so hugely important that you rarely have to work again. But it's not likely. Instead, what's much more likely is that you'll have to ride out the remainder of your days making status updates endlessly on every last major and even some minor social networks! Sorry I don't have better news for you, but I think you better understand just how much wear and tear will occur on your typing hands when you decide to 'go social' and promote your product. This game is not for the weak of heart, the soft of mind, or those lacking in the spirit of perseverance.

8 Simple rules to live by as a social media marketer:

• Never stop learning.
• Don't quit connecting.
• Always be consistent.
• Never quit out of frustration.
• Focus on quality over quantity.
• Be patient.
• Stay disciplined.
• Keep your focus.

For those social media marketers who are doing the heavy lifting for their clients and their own online profiles, I salute you. Your dedication to your craft serves as a shining example to those of us who are social media enthusiasts and are using social media to promote our own brands. Thanks for stopping by and thanks so much for reading.

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