Social media is among a variety of tasks that business owners would do well to outsource. The role that social media has played in business has changed significantly in a relatively short period of time. Small businesses have struggled to effectively leverage social media and take advantage of it as an interactive and cost-effective communication tool. As a B2B Marketer (Business-to-Business), I help small businesses to leverage social media to build brand credibility, promote awareness, nurture professional relationships, provide value and promote consistency. Social media marketing requires a fair amount of time and skill, so how should business owners approach it?
As a business owner do you have the time and knowledge to manage your company’s social media accounts? Do you have a team member or intern to handle it? Or will you outsource the task? Let’s consider 4 reasons why social media should be outsourced.
Content:
The goal of social media marketing is to drive web traffic. Whether it be to build an email list, prompt visitors to contact you or drive sales, it can all be accomplished by driving traffic to your website. The most efficient (unpaid) way to drive web traffic is to create valuable content. By doing so, it will help you to build brand loyalty and gain social shares which can boost your SEO (search engine optimization) results. Content production is a huge need in the digital marketing industry. Creating content can become extremely time consuming and as a busy entrepreneur, it certainly isn’t atop your to-do list. Fortunately many social media marketing agencies produce content for their clients or have partners that can do so.
Cost Effective:
Hiring an employee can be very expensive. The hiring process, onboarding, training, healthcare, benefits and tax costs can add up. Even though a dedicated social media manager may be ideal for your business, it may not be cost-effective to attain one. If you are considering hiring an intern to manage your social media marketing, you must take into account that the intern will need proper social media training which you may or may not have the skill or time to provide. Even if you hire an intern with demonstrated social media skill, it may not translate well to your company brand and it likely would not mean that they would know how to leverage advanced social media tools or manage customer service challenges.
Experience and Accountability:
Social media marketing agencies hire and train social media specialists that have the data, tools and skills necessary to implement effective social media solutions for your business. Instead of randomly posting content without a plan or concept, you will likely find more results with the efforts of a trained professional. If you are concerned about outsourcing such an important aspect of your business, consider smaller social media agencies. Smaller agencies are able provide more of a ‘hands on’ approach to your company as they essentially join your team. You may find that smaller agencies are more effective for that reason.
Lack of time and money:
Business owners cannot afford to waste time and money. The life of your business is always on the line so try to prioritize your tasks and delegate the tasks that don’t match your skillset or fit into your busy schedule. If you are confused as to what to do with social media, it is probably already consuming your valuable time and likely isn’t reaping the desired results. If your social media efforts can be delegated to someone who you can count on whether it be internally or externally, it will probably be worthwhile. A social media professional is far more likely to attain success with social media in an efficient manner.
In conclusion, an efficient social media presence can help small businesses to build brand credibility, promote awareness, nurture professional relationships and provide value. During the planning process, consider employing a social media marketing agency to help ensure that you are able to draw tangible benefits from social media marketing.
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