Making the decision to outsource your social media can be daunting. You have probably managed your own platforms since starting your business, so it is understandable you might feel nervous handing them over to someone else.
Luckily nowadays there are many places you can go to outsource your social media, each with a different offering and approach to how they can support.
So what should you expect from this process and from the agency managing your social media?
Finding the right social media agency
There are many social media agencies in the market so choosing the right one might feel overwhelming.
The main difference you will notice when you explore different social media agencies, is the varying services they offer. Some will specialise purely in social media, others might be more creative and focus on brand, whereas some will specialise in all things digital. You might see phrases like ‘full-service agency’, which means they will cover all things marketing and media.
Another key difference with social media agencies is their pricing structure. Some agencies will publish their prices on their website, others will want to create a bespoke quote based on your needs when you enquire. For those that do show their prices, some will base these on the number of platforms you want them to manager, the number of posts to each platform each week, and the amount of creative design required.
Choose an agency that is going to be able to support your long-term plans. If you think you might look to outsource more of your marketing in the future, then an agency that offers additional services is a good move for consistency in the long term.
In terms of pricing, If you are a smaller business and want something more cost-effective, choosing an agency that offers more of a ‘packaged’ approach to its pricing could suit you better.
What to expect in the first instance
The first stage you should expect when working with a social media management agency is for them to get a really good understanding of your business and your business goals. This is fundamental in their ability to put together a social media strategy that is going to achieve what you need it to.
It could be that you are looking to sell more products or services, grow your audience reach, raise brand awareness, get donations to your charity, or generate leads. Whatever your goal, your social media agency should produce a strategy that is focused on achieving it.
Planning your campaigns
Once your social media agency has gained a good understanding of your goals, they will be able to produce a plan of action and a social media strategy tailored to you.
You can be as involved in the planning process as you want. You might like to leave it all to the experts and let them produce a plan that you can then sign off and have delivered. Alternatively, you might have a good idea of how you want the strategy to be delivered and be involved in providing images and videos and how you want the posts to look at feel.
Dependent on the agency, any ‘assets’ will be designed and produced for you (this is basically the artwork you need to go with your posts) and you will have a clear understanding of what is going to be posted, where, and when.
Reporting
Seeing the return on your investment is critical when you outsource your social media. You want to see what the money you have spent has generated in terms of clicks, likes, followers, etc.
Your social media agency should produce a report for you at least once a month to show you the activity that has been completed on your account and what that has generated. A good report will also include recommendations based on findings and a plan of action for the next month ahead.
So now you know some of the basics of what to expect when you outsource your social media.
You want to feel comfortable and confident with the agency you are working with. It is a team effort, and you should think of the agency as an extension of your own in-house team.
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