Business owners need to give the running of their company their full focus. Sometimes there isn’t time to do everything a business requires, especially to a high standard. Outsourcing your social media marketing is one of the best decisions you’ll make.
Outsourcing your social media marketing to an agency can cut costs and improve results. But then comes the next choice – picking what social media marketing agency is right for you. Outsourcing your social media can be a scary prospect, as you’ll be letting someone take the reigns on your marketing. However, there are a lot of factors to consider that will help you make the right choice. Knowing certain aspects of an agency and the way they work will make the transition to a third party feel more comfortable and reassuring.
What is a Social Media Marketing Agency?
A social media marketing agency is a business that you can outsource your social media too. We work with lots of different clients to achieve their social media goals. Day-to-day activities include coming up with campaigns to market a company’s products or services, creating and curating content to post online and finding new ways to reach target audiences. Every day is different, and it needs to be, in the ever-evolving world of social media.
Image credit: Leah Marie Photography
Know the Brand
Check out your proposed agency’s social media and see what their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds are like. They should be active, exciting and engaging – everything your posts should be too. Avoid any social media marketing agency that has a meek website and a boring or non-existent social media presence. If you’re after content marketing, remember to check out their blog too. The same person that writes that will most likely write the articles you’re paying for too. Look out for the way they engage with people online too, as community management is a key way to build relationships with your audience.
Successful partners need to gel together. From your initial contact with a social media marketing agency, you should gauge what working with them will be like. Ask questions about the team, see if anyone has any experience with your industry and check the website for more information.
Most social media marketing agencies will have case studies on their website. If they don’t, request a couple and ask specifically about businesses they’ve worked with that are like yours.
Social media agencies work with a lot of different brands and teams, so it is more than likely you’ll find someone on the team that’s interested or has worked in your industry. It’s almost certain that they’ve worked with a similar business.
Know Where They’re Located
Proximity isn’t always essential. A local social media agency has its benefits, but a more experienced one will always shine through. Location shouldn’t affect your relationship with a social media agency, as long as they establish weekly or monthly calls and are available to talk during nine-to-five business hours. You could always have a face-to-face meeting with them. A good agency will find the most appropriate way to communicate with you.
Know (Roughly) What You Want
Social media marketing agencies can be a lot more useful if you know briefly what you want. It doesn’t have to be a long strategy but having a brief on what you want your social media presence to look like can be helpful. It’s also handy to set yourself a goal and an objective you can convey to the agency you want to work with. This could be anything from increased website traffic, to more followers on your social media accounts. You may want to reach more people with your posts or create further brand awareness. It could simply be more sales.
An excellent social media marketing agency will take on board what your goal is and set realistic objectives to achieve it. If you find a social media marketing agency that agrees with everything you’ve said, without offering their advice, avoid them. A good agency will tell you what will and won’t work from the first call, and that’s how it should be. They will set expectations from the get-go, so you aren’t feeling deflated by unachievable results.
Determine what social media platforms you want and if there are any particular ads you want to try too. Ask agencies what kind of ads they do and which ones they consider the best for what you want to achieve. A good social media marketing agency will suggest what’s suitable for you, without you having to ask.
Know What They Do
Check that the social media marketing agency doesn’t have bought likes or followers. Also, ensure they aren’t buying users for their clients too. Although a huge number of followers may look aesthetically pleasing, in reality, they’re useless. You want real individuals, who are genuinely interested in your brand. This is far more likely to result in sales of your products or services, then bots who are just adding to a number.
Also, it’s best to avoid agencies that pay for engagement. This too will likely end in interactions from people who aren’t sincerely attracted to your products.
Know How it Will Work
Ask a potential social media agency what will happen once you’ve signed. Make sure you know the process and how everything will work. Handing your social media management over to an agency can be quite daunting and a good agency will know this. Pick an agency that reassures you and acknowledges how frightening letting a third party into your circle can be.
Go for Different
Find a brand that stands out among all the social media agencies online. Make sure they cover a range of different services, so that even though you may not want a particular type of digital marketing, you have it readily available in the future. Find an agency that offer social media management, social media advertising, content marketing and influencer marketing. Your business will evolve, and you need an agency that will grow with you.
Image credit: Leah Marie Photography
At Giraffe, we specialise in social media services and can help you achieve your goals and objectives. Get in contact today.
