Working in social media has a lot of bumps. One of them is the client approval process. Getting your posts approved and scheduled in time is a burden you have to bury as a social media manager. Or not?
A brand’s social presence is one of the most important ways to reach new customers and build trust with current ones. A well-maintained social media profile that posts relevant content and responds positively to comments can help a brand establish a personal connection with followers.
You know that. But does your client know it well enough?
Getting your social posts approved isn’t always easy, and several factors need to be considered before submitting a post for review.
If you’re looking for advice on how best to approach this part of the process then keep reading; we’ve got tips on how to get your posts approved faster and avoid common mistakes you might be making.
What you should know before you start
Just so you know, you’re not the only one struggling with social media client approval. All social media managers have been through tough client approval situations. It is just important now to avoid getting into such a frustrating situation again.
It is time to stop placing responsibility solely on the client. You too play a crucial role in the approval process. And in this, communication plays a prominent role.
Fortunately, there are also resources and tools to facilitate the approval process. Both for you, and for your client.
But first, let us dive into the 3 possible client approval processes you can encounter as a social media manager.
The 3 social media client approval processes
- You get carte blanche from your client
- Your posts need to be approved by a whole team of people
- You’re in direct contact with the one responsible for the approval
1. Carte blanche: no approval
Let us first say how lucky you are if you have such a client. It’s the type of client that says: “I don’t have time for this, but I know it’s important. I trust you on this, so just post what you think is best.”
If you recognize this type of client, you are so lucky!
We have nothing to add here. Just make sure to keep this one, by reporting regularly and keeping them in the loop now and then.
2. Team approval
If you’re managing social media for a bigger company, it happens you have to report to a marketing team. And maybe also the sales team. And maybe the executive team too.
In this case, it is crucial to communicate very clearly the way you work, and why you work that way. Consistency is so important in socials. Perhaps all those people know, but everyone has to give their go.
Set clear deadlines, and be firm about the consequences: posts not getting published, missed trends, lack of consistency, …
If you’ve been working for such a company for a while, you can try to insist on making the ‘chain of approval’ a bit shorter. Since you have already proven your quality and expertise.
3. One person’s approval
It also often happens that you are simply in direct contact with the final decision-maker or person in charge. In many cases, these are smaller companies, where the business manager himself gives the approval.
The business owner usually has little or no social media knowledge, but still wants to maintain control. Then it is important to keep the client approval process as simple and easy as possible.
No cluttered excel sheets, no long presentations. Just very visual and to the point. Ideally, your client will already see what the post will look like on Facebook or another channel, in a very visual way.
Getting your posts approved: a checklist for success
Take a moment to go over this checklist for yourself. Can you make improvements to your current approval process?
- Set a clear flow. In the first place for yourself, but also for your client.
- Decide through which channel you will ask for approval: e-mail, WhatsApp, your social media management tool with a user-friendly client approval process
- Explain this to your client. Set up a meeting or video call to make sure the client understands it
Conclusion
First of all, it is very important to clearly communicate your working method in advance. Work out some kind of policy for yourself when it comes to approving posts.
For example: if posts are not approved in time, they will simply be posted without approval. Or just the opposite, if the posts are not approved in time, they will not be posted, but you will get paid for them.
By clearly stating this beforehand, you demonstrate your professionalism in the first place, but you also set clear boundaries.
Good luck!
