Account Supervisor & Media Strategist Desiree Santiago Fagan specializes in digital/social media strategy and traditional media relations for Beckerman’s real estate clients. Her background, expertise and love for all things social has made her the Social Media Guru and led to the expansion of Beckerman’s social media services. We spoke to Desiree further to learn more about the best practices of social media management.

When it comes to creating social media campaigns, which platform do you think is the most important for a company to have a presence on? 

Every company and client is different, so there isn’t any set formula. Much like our traditional media programs, our social media campaigns are designed to meet the needs and goals of each individual client. But no matter which platform you’re on, chances are that posts with eye-catching images will generate the most engagement. What I can’t stress enough is the importance of investing in quality visual assets on an ongoing basis.

How does a company grow its following across social networks? 

Consistency and authenticity are key! Users can tell when you’re being too gimmicky. Ad campaigns also help 😉

When developing content, what is your main goal for a post? 

It’s all about the K.P.I.’s (key performance indicators) including clicks, likes, shares and comments. But in general, there are a few questions I’ll ask myself when creating content: Is this post relevant and timely? Is this the best image I have? Does this post resonate with my branding? If the answer to those three questions is “yes,” then it’s probably on the right track.

How do you determine if a post was effective? 

It’s important to leverage your metrics to show any quantitative value, such as the number of “likes,” “reactions,” “shares,” “retweets.” Being able to home in on specific analytics, such as the number of page visits or the click-thru rate, can also be helpful. Qualitative content can work to your advantage, but as they say, the numbers don’t lie. Another thing to look for is user-generated content — which is kind of the equivalent of performing at a concert and having the audience sing your song with you.

Managing properties’ social media accounts, you sometimes have to address resident issues. What is the secret sauce when responding to a negative review/comment? 

Just as in a friendship, it’s important to address each comment individually. For negative comments in particular, it’s even more important to customize your responses and keep away from anything that seems generic. Think of how weirded out your friends would be if they found out you had been copy/pasting the same advice to each of them in a text. Lastly, it’s important to recognize which users warrant a response, and which aren’t looking to resolve the issue in the first place. That one comes with practice.

What’s the biggest mistake to avoid? 

Real-time posts will always be king in the social media realm. Auto-posting tools such as HootSuite are necessary, but they can’t account for all activity. As algorithms become smarter, they are going to continue pushing third-party posts lower in feeds, which means you’ll reach a much smaller audience. Also, I have to share some words to live by: Think before you post! If you wouldn’t want to read it on the front page of a newspaper, don’t post it.

What is your favorite thing about being a social media guru? 

The digital landscape is constantly changing so there’s always something new to learn, which means it’s virtually impossible to be bored. And I mean, who else gets to create fun hashtags and make ridiculous requests for unicorn Frappuccino photos?