The Marketing Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media Management to an Agency
One comment Blue Atlas Marketing hears from growing businesses is, “We already have a position filled for managing our social media. I’m not sure what working with an outside agency could add.” Many brands may feel this way without fully understanding what a marketing agency does for social media, which is why we’re taking a little time to explain it.
Social media marketing has grown to become more and more demanding in recent years, especially for busy companies that already have a lot on their plates. Outsourcing social media work allows for several new advantages, right when businesses may need them most. Here are the key factors.
Agencies Know Where Your Business Needs to Be
Marketing experts know exactly where your business needs to be on social media. It can be difficult for a brand to understand exactly what platforms it should be active on, and with what information. Agencies have immense experience in analyzing target audiences, building buyer personas, and using this information to understand just where companies should be active on social media, from Facebook and LinkedIn to YouTube and Instagram.
As Social Media Activity Scales Up, Cost Efficiencies Increase
There’s only so much that a single person can do to manage social media for a business, especially when social media needs continue to grow. A company may already be able to save money by eliminating a social media position and working with an agency instead. But if a business’s social media needs are even more complex, it becomes even more efficient to outsource the work to experts rather than invest in an internal team that may not be necessary, or may not have the required skills for today’s social media management.
Businesses Can Focus More on Core Competencies
When outsourcing social media removes one or multiple positions from the company, this also opens up more bandwidth for company management and resources to focus on other things. This allows a brand to refocus on what it’s really good at, and spend more time and energy on providing real value to customers. This can be particularly important for businesses that want to avoid overreach, or spending too much energy in areas they don’t have a lot of experience with. An experienced marketing agency, on the other hand, specializes in exactly this kind of social media work, so it’s a good pairing.
No More Worries About Visual Content Quality
Another issue that marketing agencies often hear from small and growing businesses is worrying about the quality of their social media content. The business may not have anyone available who is skilled with taking photographs or images – or designing logos, or creating any other visual aspects that are used throughout social media.
By contrast, a marketing agency has expert photographers, designers, and other skilled people that can create high-quality, high-resolution content that can be used in social media and throughout the business without any fears that it will turn out poorly or reflect badly on the company.
Specific Analysis That’s Not Available In-House
Internal social media analysis can be difficult for businesses. It’s not always clear what data from social media should be analyzed, what it says in relation to other marketing efforts, and how marketing campaigns should be changed as a result. Even if a company has someone dedicated to working on social media, they may not have the necessary experience with analytical tools and data tracking to complete analysis successfully.
Marketing agencies like Blue Atlas Marketing specialize in helping businesses to create a social media plan that includes the right kind of analysis, studying what social signals matter most based on the specific goals of the brand. This allows the business brands to make improvements to campaigns, and more informed decisions as time passes, yielding better results.
Better Preparation for the Future of Social Media
An experienced agency can also offer useful advice on what types of social media brands should invest in with an eye on the future. Social media habits and generational use can shift over time, so it’s important that brands are always ready to go where there target audiences are migrating. Marketing experts can provide the information to make these decisions.
Social Media Becomes More Versatile and Useful
Marketing specialists can also help businesses move beyond basic scheduling of social posts and news to really take advantage of everything social media has to offer. That includes livestreaming events, as well as setting up your own store through social platforms like Facebook, or taking advantage of advanced chatbots that can answer questions even when no one is currently online. This provides much more value from using social media, and can help companies growing their online customer base more readily.
Brands Acquire a Consistent Tone Throughout Social Media
Another challenge that many companies new to social media face is the difficulty of finding the right tone to take, and making sure that the tone is consistent across all social media platforms. This can be especially tricky if the business has multiple people working on the same social media accounts, each with different ideas about how to post.
But working with an agency will help a business find the right tone, and develop clear guidelines to maintain this tone throughout every social platform and beyond, so the brand stays strong and cohesive.
Conclusion
Outsourcing to a marketing agency can be an efficient and enabling move for businesses in specific stages of growth. If your company is beginning to struggle with social media tasks or isn’t meeting current online goals, it’s time to talk to an experienced agency and find out if a new partnership is in order!