Stephanie Reed on LinkedIn: #socialmedia #burnout #socialmediamanager #marketing #freelance… (2024)

"Arguably one of the most child-friendly luxury hotels in existence, Fowey (pronounced ‘foy’ to rhyme with ‘joy’ - and this hotel is exactly that) Hall makes for an unforgettable family escape overlooking the breathtaking Fowey Estuary in Cornwall. There’s so much to keep kids entertained here that it would be easy to never leave."Another hotel review that I've had the pleasure of writing this year: Fowey Hall, part of Luxury Family Hotels. They take kid-friendly hotels to the next level, but without forgetting the adults!#hotel #hotels #travel #hotelreview

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‘Do you actually have a Social Media qualification though?’I was asked this on a new business call last year, with an air of scepticism. It made me pause as I’d never been asked that question before and I wondered if that’s what businesses are now looking for from social media marketing candidates. I certainly didn’t graduate from university with a degree in Social Media Marketing. No such thing existed (Facebook became a ‘thing’ just as I was finishing my final year at university. A TikTok was only the sound of a clock). So, what makes me a qualified Social Media Manager? I explained my path to this role. That I graduated with a 1st in Journalism which taught me many practical skills that I use in my work today. And then went on to work at numerous PR agencies. That at these agencies, clients started asking if we’d manage their social media channels too and I jumped at the chance to do this because it meant I wouldn’t have to rely on journalists to publish my message. I never enjoyed having to charm and sell to journalists to get results. So, I suddenly found myself ‘Head of Social Media’ at Travel PR and then I went on to work at a dedicated Social Media agency in the States where I learnt so much (shout out to Gossip Genie in Chicago).All of that gave me the confidence and experience to manage social media channels for brands on a freelance basis for almost ten years now.There are countless Social Media Managers out there now; all with different paths. Don’t discount someone if they don’t have a direct qualification in the field. #SocialMedia #SocialMediaManager #Freelance #FreelanceLife #SocialMediaMarketing #Marketing #PR

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You may know me as a Social Media Manager, but I also write hotel reviews for The Hotel Guru. 🏩The most recent was the exceptional Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort*****. Immersed in a lush nature wonderland, the setting of this former Four Seasons resort certainly has the wow factor; offering a luxury escape in the Provence countryside…Thanks for organising Sekoya Communications. #hotel #hotels #hotelreview #luxuryhotel #hotelreviews #France #Provence

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If you’ve asked a freelancer to send a proposal for work, please remember that the worst thing you can do is then ghost them.👻I can assure you that responding with ‘thank you, but we don’t have the budget for that’ or ‘thank you, but we’ve gone with someone else’ will not offend.What IS infuriating, is the ignoring. I’m in the fortunate position of only occasionally putting together proposals as I already have enough on my plate. I don’t need the business thankfully. And yet this ghosting still angers me. Over the past year, I’ve created proposals to manage social media for two high profile resorts (resorts that I planned to visit one day). I took my time and went the extra mile as I was particularly excited about these brands. Both failed to respond when I followed up for feedback. I see more junior freelancers entering my industry these days (fuelled by Covid and the remote working trend), and I imagine it’s especially disheartening for them when that proposal and payment really matters. So, please. Have the decency to take a minute or two of your time to respond. #socialmedia #socialmediamanager #freelancelife #freelance #proposal #ghosting #marketing

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‘You’re a social media manager, you should have a public Instagram account.’This is something I’ve had said to me a few times now and I feel the need to share my truth on this. Social media managers do NOT need to have a presence on Instagram to be successful.LinkedIn (and recently TikTok) is where I promote my business. And the reason why I’ve focused on those tools? It takes only a small amount of my time. Do you know how time consuming it is to grow an organic Instagram account from scratch these days, especially for a service like social media marketing which isn’t as visual as, for example, a hotel brand?! I’d much rather put this time into my own paid client work and it’s rare that I don’t have enough work on my plate, whilst also juggling family life. New or aspiring Social Media Managers, please don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to have successful social media channels of your own to prove you’re good at what you do. You can demonstrate this by showing off the social media channels that you manage for your clients and by sharing client testimonials. Use your time wisely! #socialmedia #marketing #socialmediamanager #Instagram #LinkedIn #TikTok

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Just a reminder to brands across the world that International Women's Day (8th March) is not about celebrating yourfemaleemployees on social media on one day of the year. That's nice and all, but International Women's Day is to raise awareness of the inequality that women still face across the globe. Why not use International Women's Day to ask yourself:does your business TRULY support women? And if it does, please share a social media post about how you do this so you can inspire other business owners. One big way businesses (and the government!) could support mothers (and families) is by recognising that everything changes once you have children. I'd love to see fathers given longer paternity leave so they can be more involved and support their partners. The reality that most fathers in the UK only get two weeks of paid leave is absoluteinsanity. And don't get me started on the fact that mothers in the States are forced to return to work after a matter of weeks/a few months following birth. I was sleep-deprived and breastfeeding around the clock at this stage. How is it even possible to return to work at this stage?!We also need genuine flexible working hours, includingthe optionto work remotely whenever possible. I'd love to see women given paid sick leave when they suffer a miscarriage or struggle with menopause - both of which have been taboo subjects for far too long; something we're not supposed to talk about, something we must suffer through in silence. What else would you add?#WomensDay #InternationalWomensDay #Women #IWD2024 #IWD24

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I'm excited to build upon my social media marketing for Historic Sussex Hotels by managing Facebook for its fabulous new extensively-renovated pub: The Black Horse (opening 7th March 2024); set on Climping Street within walking distance of Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, West Sussex!♞🍻I had the pleasure of seeing it for the first time earlier this week and captured this reel of some of the interior details (I'm in love with the Fiona Howard wallpaper in the rooms and The Pink Room for private dining). Wellies and wine, a post beach-walk beer, second breakfast or a clymping night out – everyone is invited, including families and dogs, to come and enjoy the warmth and buzz of The Black Horse - and to see the transformation that they've made; carefully-restoring original features and creating a stunning oak frame addition overlooking The Ryebank fields.Settle into a cosy nook or join the bustling bar where you'll find an interesting choice of craft beers, fine ales, Sussex wine and locally-inspired co*cktails. And tuck into a menu bursting with flavour and inspired by the seasons; featuring traditional pub grub favourites and local ingredients.🍴 Follow the Facebook page here for regular updates: https://lnkd.in/e_euiUXv#Climping #Clymping #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #socialmediamanager #hotelmarketing #marketing #WestSussex #Sussex #Pub #hospitalitynews

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Does your social media content genuinely talk to your target audience?🎙️I do a lot of social media audits for companies struggling to get results from their activity and one common issue I'm noticing is that their content makes little effort to connect with the audience.A brand might focus their efforts on ensuring the aesthetic of the Instagram grid looks picture-perfect, but neglect to craft the post, including the caption, in a way that involves the audience.So for my hotel clients, I always aim to make the audience imagine (wish) that they are the one staying there. I speak to them in the first person and aim to ignite an emotion from them. It’s one of the reasons we’ve seen ‘POV (point of view)’ and ‘Come with me to (insert hotel/restaurant/attraction)’ and ‘Look at this…’ type posts prove so popular on TikTok and Instagram. Make this shift and you’ll start to see audience engagement rise. Social media is supposed to be social. It’s supposed to connect. It’s supposed to build a community of fans of your brand. And it’s then that you’ll see real results. How do you connect with your community?#socialmedia #marketing #socialmediamanager #hotelmarketing

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