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02/06/2014 10:32 AM Inbound Marketing | Social Media | Technology 0 Comments

Technology is soaring and new things are happening every day. With that being said, something that worked for your business even 5 years ago may be outdated now. Less than a decade ago, Facebook was not even thought of. Now it is a keystone in marketing. So, what should your company do? Hire out or manage it yourself?

Social Media: How Important is it? 

It is easy to down play social media, especially if your newsfeed is crowded with internet memes and selfies. Despite previous notions of it, or the idea that it is free and easy, plenty of businesses are dedicating time and money to managing their social media sites. The easiest way to show why is to look at the statistics.

 

Infographic source: Media Bistro

This infographic says it best. There are a lot of active users and potential customers using social media.  Here are a few reasons to get on board:

  • Build a reputation and a brand
  • Have strong relationships with your customer base
  • Encourage viral marketing, the best way to get your brand known is to have your customers talk about it and share it.
 
It isn't all good though. Social media can be a powerful marketing tool, but it works both ways.  A great example is Justine Sacco, a PR professional who tweeted from her personal account before boarding a flight.
 
 
Image Source: PBS
This is a pretty horrible tweet, and racism should never be tolerated, but she only had 200 followers. However, this went viral while she was on a plane and unable to check her twitter. After her flight, she had lost her job and became an internet celebrity, but not the good kind of celebrity. 
 
Another example is Gloria Gadsden, a professor at  Pennsylvania?'s East Stroudsburg University, which is a bit easier to relate to . Ever have just a terrible day and want to vent? She wrote,  "Does anyone know where I can find a very discreet hit man? Yes, it's been that kind of day," and later posted,  "Had a good day today. DIDN'T want to kill even one student." She was later fired over her Facebook posts. 
 

Can I do it Myself?

Social media is typically free and easy to use. This opens doors for a company owner or other employees to manage the social media on their own. 
 
Reasons to do it yourself:
 
  • You may not have it in your budget for a new hire
  • Outsiders may not have a full scope of how your business operates. If you're a chef, you may want to present your art in a certain way that a marketing agency just cannot grasp.
  • Your target audience may not be into social media. This can allow for maybe a few updates to reach out, but if you are dealing with a market segment that does not like social media, it may be pointless to hire out. However, more and more people are using it, so this may be shrinking faster than you think.
Read more about the pros and cons of hiring out here. 
 
Some smaller businesses do fine by themselves, but with the industry rapidly growing, it may be wise to turn to the professionals. Especially considering how powerful it is.
 

When to go Pro

Staying on top of trending topics may have your work load growing into something overwhelming. Don't spread yourself too thin. Here are some signs you need  to reach out to the professionals.

  • You do not have enough employees or resources to dedicate to social media
  • Employees do not have the ability or interest to run a campaign
  • You are seeing social media mistakes being made that could jeopardize the company, or little to no interaction
  • You need fresh ideas that can come from outside of the company
Read more to see if you are ready here. 
 
So you may have determined that hiring out is in your best interest. You social reputation is at stake, and you are growing envious of your friends sharing a funny video from your competitor. This leads us to the next step. 
 

What to Look For

This part is pretty crucial. You need someone to take the reigns and build your company up. You need to trust that they are capable. Here are a few things to look for:

  • They understand your business goals and respect them
  • They value your input and respect your confidentiality
  • Write conversationally and have a sense of urgency
Here are some more factors to consider. 
 
You need to ask yourself how much you want to invest in a social media campaign. A great way to start would be figuring out the level of expertise your social media manager should have. 
 
 
Infographic source: MOZ

This infographic does a great job at describing experience levels. This is something to keep in mind when selecting an agency or an individual. How in dept do you want to be with your campaign? Do you need someone with basic or advanced knowledge? Ask the proper questions and set out on your mission to give your social media a make over.

Can we Help? 

Here at Blue Archer, we specialize in managing social media accounts and much more. If you are interested in hiring out, consult one of our professionals to find out what we can do for you.

Barbara Cline

Digital Content Writer

@BlueArcherPGH

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