If you have any sort of presence on social media, you don’t need me to tell you that it can literally be a full-time endeavor. Keeping up with posting, storytelling on social media, engaging, replying to inquiries and comments, not to mention staying on top of constantly changing algorithms, hashtags, keywords, making reels, and everything else that’s part of an effective digital marketing strategy, can be quite challenging. It takes A LOT of time, especially for business owners who have so many other things to do – like running their business! So yes, if you outsource your socials to the pros, it can be a great solution!
But before you hand over the passwords to all your platforms and rejoice in never having to agonize over your social media again, make sure you consider a few things to set yourself up for social media success and outsourcing your socials
WHAT ARE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GOALS?
Are you trying to get a million followers? Break into a new demographic or just maintain your accounts? These are important questions to answer BEFORE you outsource a marketing team for your socials because this will help them develop the right strategy. Be honest about your goals – some companies really value “vanity metrics,” meaning lots of new followers and likes even if those clicks don’t convert to new business. And that’s ok if that’s what is important to you. Other people may want to maintain what they have without reinventing the wheel. That’s fine, too. And, of course, many want to sell products and services and really want to focus on their ROI. Excellent! Be honest about your goals and expectations!
CONTENT CREATION
Let’s talk about content- that can mean anything and everything from copywriting, images, creating videos and more. If you will be providing images to your marketing team, do you have high-quality images that are a good representation of your brand, or do you need to invest in updating your image/video library before you are ready to hand it over? What about copywriting? Learning to speak in the correct business “voice” is almost like learning a new language – it takes a little bit of time and direction to learn the lingo. It is important to clearly communicate your chosen language with your marketing team, as every industry, and especially business, is unique in how they choose to “speak.”
Also, how often would you like your content to be published? Some companies want content pushed every day on various platforms, while others may choose to post only twice a week on LinkedIn, for example. Keep in mind that publishing content more often requires you to create more content to stay fresh and interesting. An experienced digital marketing company can help guide you in picking the right platforms and content schedule, but it REALLY depends on you. Remember, quality is always better than quantity, and sometimes less is more, especially if you are still working on building up your portfolio.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
I’m super fortunate to work with an amazing and talented team of writers, designers, and strategy pros, but as fabulous as we are, we are not mind readers. Before you outsource a marketing company to handle your socials, clearly communicate your expectations and goals so the company can prepare to meet them. That’s why we take a lot of time initially getting to know our clients – as people and professionals – by understanding their business and industry before we do anything else. Our client relationships are something we take great pride in, and it’s really the reason we are here in the first place – to help companies succeed!
It is an amazing thing to outsource your socials with the right team, and it’s built on a foundation of shared vision and goals, honest communication, and what I like to call a great “vibe check”- that awesome synergy when the marketing stars align. Not every marketing agency is built the same, and it is important to find the correct fit to achieve marketing success.
