You all know just how much we love social media and other inbound marketing strategies. Of course you do, we talk about it pretty much every week. We thought it was about time we talked about hiring external social media firms and what kinds of questions you might want to ask before making a decision.
Sometimes, you just don’t have the time it takes to devote to social media efforts– and that’s totally fine! That’s where external agencies comes in handy! They have devoted ALL of their time to learning the best practices for social and delivering great results. They really know their stuff.
But before you can jump into bed with an agency, you have to first pick the best one for your needs. We came across a great article on jeffbullas.com that really encapsulated all the questions we think matter when it comes to making a choice on social media firms.
- “What distinguishes you from your competitors?” As with any business, there are many different companies in the same field out there. Yet, not all of them are created equal- as harsh as that is to hear. Some are meant for huge companies, while others are focused on a much smaller scale. You have to find the one that is right for YOU and your needs. Ask them what makes them unique or special… what makes them different from their competitors. You want a firm that has a proven track record, quality testimonials from past or current clients, a defined process, you get the picture. You’ll also want to look into what type of clients they have. They might have great experience with B2C but not so much with B2B. Again, you’ll want to find the one that fits in your parameters.
- “Do I need to be on every site?” This one is kind of trick question and a very quick gage of whether or not an agency is genuine. If they answer yes, they might just be after a higher paycheck or maybe they don’t understand the social game as well as they thought. Most of the time, you DO NOT need to be on every single social site. That gets expensive very quickly and it’s not as effective for every company. Each platform has unique features that cater to your unique goals and target audiences. You’ll want to strategically plan out what channels work best with your company’s goals.
- “What is your process for content development?” Social media is nothing without content to promote. You’ll want to find out how an agency handles research, content creation, and deadlines. That is, if you want them to create your content for you. You might want to create your own, send it over, and have them implement it into your social campaigns for you. Both are very reasonable expectations– it all depends on what you want. If you enjoy creating your creative, go with a company that focuses all its energy into the platforms; if you want them to do it for you, go with a company that does it all.
- “What is your process for reporting?” Reporting is SO VERY important. It helps you see what’s going well and what needs some work. An agency that don’t have high standards when it comes to reporting might not be the best choice. Social marketing takes time and is very dependent on measuring metrics and analyzing the results
- “How do you measure success?” This might be the most important question to consider. As we mentioned, social media success does not happen overnight. It’s a process and takes time to work on a grander scale. You should have clear goals when it comes to your social strategy. What is it you hope to gain out of this? Is it brand awareness, conversions, retargeting, sales, etc? You have to be very specific in order for your agency to measure success. And in return, they have to be very accommodating to your needs.
So, that’s it for today, friends. Just a few simple questions to consider before hiring an agency. They can be incredibly beneficial in reaching new levels of engagement and reach if you find the right one for you.
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