Outsourcing your social media marketing: is it time?

So, you’ve been tackling your business’ social media marketing on your own now for some time. Maybe a member of your in-house marketing team has been managing it as a small part of their role. Or you want to re-balance your marketing mix. Any of these scenarios can be stressful and confusing and therefore, get in the way of your business’ growth. So, how do you know when it’s time to seek outside help for your social media marketing? This post will detail some common challenges that we hear from potential clients. Along the way, we’ll give you some food for thought about your overall social media marketing strategy.

Here are a few questions to help clarify your thoughts if you’re considering outsourcing your social media marketing:

What role does social media play in your overall marketing strategy?

Maybe you have a Facebook Business Page, or a Twitter account, or maybe even an Instagram account for your business; however, you haven’t been very active on them. Maybe you’re not sure what to post. Perhaps you’ve wondered which platforms you should focus on. Or you’re not sure how your social media should complement your email marketing, web content, events, etc. If any of this sounds familiar, it may mean that your current social media management isn’t up to the task ahead.

Is your customer on social?

Is social a key part of your customer acquisition? Could it be? Is your ideal client active on social media? Do you have an active community on your current social media? Or you’re about to launch a big campaign and social media plays a key role in the rollout. If social media plays a big role in how you acquire or communicate with your customers, then it could also play a role in growing your business.

What’s your current marketing budget?

If you answered this question with “WHAT marketing budget?”, then this is an indicator that marketing is not yet a priority for your business. If this is a new priority for you (and you know who you are), consider the answers to the previous two questions in your budget planning.

If you answered this question with a dollar amount, then it generally means that you’re serious about marketing your business and are willing to invest in that part of your business’ growth.

Who is currently running your social media marketing?

If it’s you and you’re the owner, bookkeeper, salesperson, etc. as well, then you may benefit from handing this responsibility off. If you have a staff person whose multiple responsibilities include social media, consider that social media management is very time-consuming. (Ask them. They’ll tell you it’s true.) As a result, your social media may not be yielding the kind of results that you’re expecting. Reality check: social media never sleeps. Most times it’s best handled by a team.

Also true: the social media world is constantly changing. Therefore, it’s a challenge just to keep up with all the new platform changes, algorithm rules, new features, etc. Can you keep up and be confident that you’re staying current?

What kinds of authentic content do you have available to you?

Does your business have a very visual or photogenic product? Do you write blogs or produce podcast episodes regularly? Are you somewhat of an expert in your industry? Do your customers tag you or interact with you on social? Do you have a great story to tell about your business, product, or service? Are you out in the community regularly for events or other business-related activities? All of these can be valuable content sources that translate well to social media. Do you have a content marketing plan that includes social media? Might be time to get one.

Are you currently running ads on social?

A quick Google search on “organic reach on social” will tell you that organic (unpaid) reach is declining or dead. If you’re not running ads on social now, it’s highly likely that your intended audience isn’t seeing the content that you’ve worked so hard on. Therefore, your current social media strategy may need to be re-tooled.

If you were able to answer all of these questions with confidence and a reasonable amount of certainty, then you’re probably ready to reinforce your current social media team. Of course, there are variables up and down on any of these questions.

Also, your marketing budget will determine HOW you reinforce your social team. Consider options from a range of different price points — from hourly consulting or one-time/periodic training to a monthly retainer for full-service, done-for-you social media account management.

Most importantly, find an agency or consultant that will work with YOU. They’ll be like another member of your team, so make sure your work styles and flow are compatible with yours.

This post was intended to ask some tough questions and get your creative juices flowing — even if you don’t need to outsource your social!

The point is, there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to how you execute your business’s social media strategy. Social media marketing never happens in a vacuum; you have to synchronize it with all your other marketing tools to be effective. Hopefully, you’ll now have a better idea of how best to approach it for your business.

If this post was useful to you, but you’d still like some help, we are here for you! Click the buttons below to schedule a Discovery Call or Contact Us to begin the conversation and discuss your business needs: