Is It Time To Outsource Your Social Media Management? | Small Biz Marketing Specialist
outsource social media management

Is It Time To Outsource Your Social Media Management?

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, SnapChat . . . . and about a hundred more. Does social media make your head spin? Is it time to outsource your social media?

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The small business owners I talk to fall into one of two categories:

  1. They do it all themselves and then wonder where the time went and why they’re not seeing any results.
  2. They hide their head in the sand and don’t do it at all.

Neither is a good solution. Here’s some questions you can ask yourself to determine if it’s time to outsource your social media management:

  • Are you ACCOUNTABLE for the social media activities?

Social media takes time, something most small business owners don’t have. You need to be on it everyday, throughout the day, to post, engage and interact with your followers and potential new customers, clients and patients.

That means you also need remain current on the changes to each platform (ex: did you know Facebook just changed it’s layout that can greatly impact how people see your information?). It also means you need to post relevant content that’s appropriate for each platform and encourages engagement. For example a dentist may want to post big smiling faces on Instagram and post “how to brush” videos on YouTube.

Social media is just that – SOCIAL. It’s not (or shouldn’t be) a one-way conversation. Knowing how to post content that excites, delights and engages your audience can be tricky. And if someone does engage, respond and/or share your content, it’s vitally important to know how to thank them and encourage them to become your brand ambassadors.

By being accountable, it also means that you’re measuring results. You’re looking at your analytics regularly. What’s the best time to post on each platform? What type(s) of content does the best on each platform?

When you outsource your social media activities to a social media management firm, you’ll have an expert – or team of experts – who KNOW social media. It’s all they do all day. They’ll be accountable to getting it done, and getting results.

  • Do you have the KNOWLEDGE to manage multiple social media platforms?

Many small business owners admit they don’t know much about social media. So they hand it off to an employee – usually younger in age – to manage it for them. The results usually speak for themselves. When you have a toilet that’s leaking all over the floor and need to get it fixed, do you want the guy who’s maybe done it once or twice before in his own home or do you want the guy who’s an expert in plumbing? Which do you think will give you better results?

Outsourcing your social media to someone who has the knowledge of each platform, knows what to post when, where and how will bring your small business optimal results.

  • Are you COMMUNICATING effectively?

You run your business. You know it inside and out. That can be a detriment when you do your own social media. You may use language and/or pictures that just don’t resonate with your audience.

There’s also etiquette. As I mentioned above, the whole point of social is to be social – and in doing so, you may get some feedback and/or interactions that aren’t so pleasant. On the one hand, there are small business owners who take it very personally and get defensive, and that can paint a negative social picture of your business. On the other hand there are small business owners that don’t even know what’s being said about them online and therefore never even respond, making customers even more angry. Knowing how to respond to comments on social media is a skill you need to know otherwise you could devastate your social media efforts and your brand.

Having an expert social media manager monitor your online reputation and responding to comments will ensure your brand shines – even when dirt gets slung at it, as it sometimes does. Plus skilled social media managers know how to invite feedback and engage your customers in positive conversations which will benefit your business.

  • What will it COST me to do it in-house?

A decent Social Media Manager will cost you in the region of $50k-$70k per year, they will be qualified with a degree or years of experience and have certain expectations of you and your time. For example, gathering content and copy for the campaign can take many hours.

There are of course benefits to having the right person doing that for you if you can afford their salary. However, there are so many aspects to hiring the right person that getting it wrong is very risky business. How do you know that they will be good at managing a social media campaign?

If you do decide to outsource social media management, not only are you guaranteed a professional who knows the ins and outs of social media but you get one for less money. Additionally this professional will be supported by a whole team, so for less money you get much more.

  • Can you create CONTENT that engages your audience?

Being an insider may deter you from communicating your ideas to your audience in a way that they understand and appreciate fully. Sure you “get” the jargon, but does your audience?

Having certain communication tendencies could dissuade people to talk and communicate with you due to the language you use. We call this social media etiquette.

How you behave online should be the same way you behave with your staff and your clients. Although old habits die hard, mistakes are made and the odd roughly edged comment term here or there could completely devastate your social media efforts and brand.

Agencies often implement a sign off system to avoid such errors whether they be grammatical errors or off-message posts that do more harm than good.

Should you outsource your social media or handle it internally?

There is no right or wrong answer for this.  I have seen many companies flourish when they have an internal person working the accounts. But most small business owners end up doing it themselves – and that’s not a good use of your time.  If you’re going to handle social media in-house, the key is to ensure that you have someone that is passionate about the industry, is good at research, and has the intuition to smell a story when one crops up.

If you do decide to outsource, please remember that it is a partnership.  You will be working alongside the agency to ensure that you are on track with your goals and objectives for the business.  It is certainly not a “set it and forget it” situation.  If you have the mindset of “I don’t need to worry as the agency is looking after my social media” – then you are doomed from the outset.

How are you handling social media now? What’s working, what’s not? Share in the comments below.

(NOTE: If you struggle with figuring out what marketing campaigns to do every month, check out the Silver Platter Marketing Membership – it’s like having marketing handed to you on a silver platter!)

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About Stacey Riska

Stacey Riska, aka “Small Business Stacey” is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small business and rebuilding Main Street. She helps small and local business owners become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients, MORE sales, and MORE money. Stacey is the founder of Small Biz Marketing Specialist, THE go-to place for marketing tips, techniques and strategies that get results. Stacey is also the creator of the Daily Deals for Massive Profits Training Program, an online video training program that teaches small and local business owners how to use daily deal sites like Groupon to skyrocket their business growth and get massive profits. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn’t!) and spending time with her amazing husband.

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About the Author smallbizmarketing

Stacey Riska, aka "Small Business Stacey" is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small - and not so small - businesses one marketing plan at a time. She helps business owners become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients/patients, MORE sales, and MORE profit. Stacey's in-demand "Small Biz Marketing Success Coaching and Mastermind Program" is transforming the businesses - and lives - of those who want wealth, freedom, and market domination. Her highly acclaimed book "Small Business Marketing Made EZ" lays out the 6-simple-step plan to get your marketing into ACTION - literally and figuratively. Stacey is also the creator of Cups To Gallons, the place where independent coffee, smoothie, juice bar, ice cream, dessert and snack shop owners go to learn how get into lucrative catering so they stop selling by the cup and start selling by the gallon. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn't!) and spending time with her amazing husband.

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