4 Signs It’s Time to Outsource Social Media

By Courtney Ramirez

Although social media enthusiasts would be quick to encourage you to outsource social media as soon as possible, that type of investment doesn’t always fit within your organization’s budget. Like most marketing activities, timing the outsourcing of your social efforts just right will improve your results. Any of the following opportunities are perfect times to explore this outsourcing for your company.

You’re just getting started with a social program.

If your company has barely established a social presence or is just beginning to consider participating with your clients on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, time with a social media consultant can be a valuable investment. Your consultant can help you set objectives for your social efforts. Oftentimes companies will jump into social without a clear plan, benchmarks or strategy. This is a waste of time, waste of money and can be detrimental to a brand.

By outsourcing social media strategy, your company can set goals for each channel with the advice of an expert. An appropriate consultant can also help your team members understand the best practices for each channel. They’ll have clear targets to shoot for, know how to reach them and understand how to measure success.

You’re disappointed with your social results.

Social already has a proven track record for most industries – so if you’re disappointed with your results, it’s time to call in the pros. Social media outsourcing can help you discover exactly why your efforts aren’t paying off. With an expert consultant on your side, you can zero in on the techniques that are wasting your time and your resources.

For example, you may have been putting all of your efforts into Twitter marketing because you’ve read a few white papers and are excited about the medium. However, if your results have been lackluster from Twitter, outsourcing to a social media expert can help you see why you’re getting those results. They will also help your company explore other alternatives that may be a better fit for your goals.

You have a new team member in charge of social implementation.

Outsourcing social media services at this point in time might seem counterintuitive. However, unless you’ve hired a specialist, your team member will benefit from professional assistance. A social media consultant can set your team member on the right path and ensure that your accounts are handled professionally moving forward. This can also help your company smoothly make a transition from one team member to another as the new team member takes over the accounts and the “voice” of your brand.

You’re shifting focus and appealing to a new market.

Different target markets speak languages all their own. If your company is expanding its services or product offerings it’s worth an investment to engage a social media provider who is well versed in that language. You can either find a expert who has experience with the new target market, or you can work with a consultant who can help you formulate a strategy to approach this new market. This can include targeting social media content and reaching out to key influencers.

Outsourcing social media and strategy isn’t likely to be a one time occurance in the life of your business. If you time your outsourcing right by looking for these four times, you’ll get the most out of the process and have more success with your social presence.

Courtney Ramirez (17 Posts)

This monthly Social Media Outsourcing column is contributed by Courtney Ramirez. Courtney is a content marketing consultant and SEO Copywriter. As owner and head copywriter at Six Degrees Content she creates optimized web pages, blog posts and other online content pieces for companies in both B2B and B2C industries.