While traditional print, radio and TV ads still have their place in some marketing strategies, advertising, in general, is becoming more online/digital based. Businesses are looking to connect with their audiences in a more personal, meaningful way. Customers, too, have started to seek out these stronger connections. That’s why social media is a great solution. Nearly 97 percent of all Fortune 500 companies use at least one social media channel.
Regardless of your business’ size, you likely don’t have time to manage one channel, let alone two or three. So, should you try managing it yourself? Or should you outsource social media management?
Often the highest social media traffic hours do not match with business hours. So, having someone do it in-house doesn’t always make a lot of sense—especially when it is passed off to an intern or someone else who cannot devote as much time to creating meaningful and valuable social media content.
With a social media management partner, you will get:
1) Expertise
Many businesses market only what they want to sell. However, social media is not about sales. It is about building brand awareness, brand reputation, and trust. In today’s digital age, many customers go to social media first to connect with a business—before ever dialing a phone. Consumers want to have their questions and concerns addressed immediately. A whopping 42 percent of consumers expect a response within 60 minutes. You want to select a social media management provider who has marketing or public relations experience and customer service skills to address good and bad customer feedback in a social environment.
2) Platform-Specific Knowledge and Tools
As social media channels change, so do the rules and restrictions on businesses. You want to consult with a partner who is “in the know” and abreast of the latest writing, designing and publishing software and trends. This way, you are getting the best of the best while saving time and money because they have the resources to do the job well.
One of the most important qualities of an outsourced social media team is knowledge in each social media platform’s unique algorithm. For example, business Facebook posts need to be a mix of the business’ products or services and fun, brand-relevant, engaging posts to offset the more “salesy” posts.
3) Content That Matches Your Brand
Sometimes you are too close to your business to be able to promote it effectively on every platform or channel. An outside partner will conduct research to become more familiar with your company’s key benefits, brand messaging, products, services, target audience, and competition. The research will then be channeled into creatively-written and visual content that will capture the attention of the audience.
4) Connections Through Engagement
Social media is all about engagement and continuing to build reach. This is done successfully through thoughtfully-crafted content, such as open-ended questions focused on products or services. Savvy social media management partners will also follow your clients and prospects, join local groups and relevant communities and engage with your network and connections. Joining local and relevant groups is a great way to promote your brand and get introduced to prospective customers that you may not already know. They’re also a great place to find content to share with your audience.
5) Frequency and Visibility
It is important to stay in front of your customers, making sure your customers see you before they need you; so, when they do, your brand comes to mind. Frequent posts help your brand stay visible for customers already following and engaging with you as well as those new to the scene. Social media accounts don’t have to have updates every day, but consistency is key—not only in number of posts but also in the overall content. An expert will ensure the content is consistent in quality, tone of voice, and the overall brand image being projected.
Frequency + Visibility = Credibility
The more you’re seen and heard discussing a specific topic, the more likely you are to establish credibility on that topic.
6) A More Cost-Effective Strategy
Having a focused, in-house social media manager sounds great! But hourly or salary-based pay for an individual who may still need occasional training can really add up. Most marketing agencies offer monthly rates for social media management, making it much easier to budget the cost of the service. If you do decide to outsource social media management to the right marketing partner, you are guaranteed a professional team that knows the ins and outs of social media and can work hand-in-hand with you, tailoring a social media plan that works best for your business.
Click here to set up a free social media marketing assessment with Baer Performance Marketing today!
Sources:
https://www.continuum.net/blog/6-tips-to-make-your-msp-social-media-savvy
https://www.channele2e.com/influencers/social-media-msp/
https://themarketmogul.com/rise-managed-service-providers-social-media-marketing/
https://www.newnorth.com/5-benefits-social-media-marketing-managed-service-providers/
https://blog.hubstaff.com/7-reasons-outsource-social-media-management/
https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-research/42-percent-of-consumers-complaining-in-social-media-expect-60-minute-response-time/
