Social media automation is the process of reducing manual labour by using automation software. It allows you to respond to customers and prospects immediately, therefore increasing engagement and building stronger relationships with your followers.
At least 40% of people expect a response within an hour when reaching out on social media. Businesses are therefore expected to respond to all sorts of questions and in record time. Whether it be a direct message, a story reply or a comment on a post, businesses must be hyper-aware and constantly replying.
Social media automation can help marketers manage the sheer volume of messaging and aid in them prioritising more pressing issues.
The process also frees up marketers by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks, increases response time and allows marketers to work on higher-level tasks.
Another example of when you might need automated messaging is around the Christmas period when office hours might be reduced.
It is a quick and efficient way for customers to find out additional ways to contact the business in an emergency, or to inform those customers that the response time might be delayed.
On average, 80% of marketers using automation software, have claimed that they have seen improved lead growth, and businesses have seen a 32% increase in revenue growth.
There are now a wide range of automation tools, ranging from Meta’s in-app free automation to top of the range applications that schedule posts, auto-create reports, curate content trends, track engagement, create analysis reports and more. No matter the budget, there is something out there for everyone.