Do I Need to Outsource My
Social Media Marketing?
Too much on your CEO plate?
You’re a business owner — the CEO of your company, who often becomes the ✨Chief Everything Officer. ✨ Especially as a small to mid-size business owner, you might also be the head of operations, the hiring manager, the sales team, and likely the social media marketing team. Your goal is to keep your company competitive and profitable, and you are ALL IN.
As your biz grows (woohoo!), the time will come when you can’t do everything yourself. (Nor should you.) This is the ideal time to consider outsourcing your digital marketing.
Right now you’re probably scratching your head asking yourself, “Is that me? Have I grown to that point?” Or you would be…if you had time to ask yourself questions.
So I’m making it easy for you with this crash-course guide on when and how to outsource your marketing.
What does “outsourcing” my social media mean? And why would I consider it?
Let me begin with a little context and define some vocab.
Outsourcing is just a fancy word referring to hiring someone OUTSIDE of your own company, typically an individual freelancer or an agency, to handle certain tasks for you…in this case, your social media marketing. It’s ideal for small to mid-size companies that NEED amazing social media marketing, but aren’t in a position to bring on new full-time team members to make that happen. By outsourcing, you avoid expenses like salaries, benefits, and training (you know, all the fun things that would come with hiring a marketing manager, graphic designer, copywriter, and QA specialist).
When you outsource by hiring an experienced social media agency, you tap into a WEALTH of knowledge and expertise. While the specifics of this expertise depend on the agency, they’ll likely have social media managers, strategic specialists, graphic designers, copywriters, and web designers as well as other experts available to assist your company.
So now your overtired CEO mind is probably thinking, “Wow! This outsourcing thing sounds fantastic! How do I know if it’s for me?”
It’s time to outsource your marketing if…
You don’t have the time to keep up with your company’s social.
The first sign that you should outsource your social media marketing is that you don’t have the time to actually do it. Hey, I get it! Running a successful business requires a LOT of time, effort, and hat-wearing. But, if your social keeps getting pushed to the wayside (i.e. posting is almost always an afterthought, you don’t prepare content in advance, etc.), it may be time to hire help. (And congratulate yourself on how much your business has grown!)
You don’t have the marketing know-how.
You also need to consider outsourcing if digital marketing simply isn’t your jam. With all that goes into a healthy marketing strategy, including appeasing ALL of the algorithms, mastering organic content, paid content, funnels, lead magnets, your email list… (I could go on, but I think you get the idea.) If you, or a member of your team, aren’t an expert, you’re likely missing out on valuable opportunities!
You feel that you could get better results from your social.
Let’s set the scene:
You’re posting consistently on social, you’re sharing images and videos, and you’re attempting to stay on top of trends. In short, you’re doing everything you think will appease the algorithm and engage your audience. But what do you get in return?
Crickets. If your audience is not engaging with your content, or you’re receiving little to no traffic from your efforts, it’s a sign that the time has come to, say it with me now—OUTSOURCE YOUR MARKETING!
You need help with specific aspects of your marketing.
When you outsource, you don’t have to outsource everything. There are SO MANY components of social media and digital marketing (remember our list above?). You likely have at least a few of them in the bag, tied up with a bow! But you’d likely LOVE a little help with others.
Outsourcing is PERFECT for those elements that you need help with! As we mentioned earlier, a reputable online marketing agency will have experts in MANY different fields, simply reach out for help in the areas you need. This could include:
- Organic social media marketing
- Paid advertising
- Lead generation campaigns
- Email marketing
- Video marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Website building and management
- Funnel development
- Copywriting…
How to begin outsourcing your marketing:
Okay, so you’ve considered the above scenarios and think this outsourcing thing might be for you.
Sweet!
But…now what?
Here are your next steps:
1. Determine your social media goals.
Give some thought to what you want to achieve with your social media presence. Do you want to build brand awareness? Do you want to generate leads? Make sure these goals are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based).
Having specific, measurable goals ensures that your new social media marketing partner can help you attain those goals.
2. Craft a plan.
The next step is creating an actionable plan that will ensure you reach your goals. This plan may include the type of content you should post, your expected results, and how you will measure those results. Or it may show you that you’re in need of someone to help determine these things with you. It’s important to consider this BEFORE looking to outsource as it will allow you to define the tasks and duties you need to delegate.
Will you be looking for a full-service social media management package? Would you prefer to hire a consultant just to create your strategy? Or do you only need a graphic designer to create graphics for you?
The plan doesn’t have to be perfect, and it definitely isn’t set in stone, but it will be exceedingly helpful in deciding what you need from an agency.
3. Find a trustworthy social media partner.
Finally! It’s time to start searching for the right people to trust with your social media marketing. Be sure to do your research. The number of so-called “experts” in the social media field has grown exponentially in the past few years. Sadly, many of them are anything but experts.
Here are some things to consider:
- Can they show you tangible results they’ve gotten for other clients?
- Do they fall within your budget?
- Are they willing to work closely alongside you?
- Do they provide all of the services you’re looking for?
- How will they track your social media analytics, and what kind of reporting do they provide?
Then, take a quick peek at their business’s social media account. Does it seem like they’d be a good fit?
Now, schedule some time to meet with them either in person, over the phone, or via Zoom. Ask lots and LOTS of questions during this meeting. Doing so will set your mind at ease that you’ve chosen the right partner once you’ve made your decision.
4. Work closely alongside your new partner.
You’ve put in the work and found an AWESOME social media marketing partner. Now what?
Now you work alongside them to ensure they fully understand your brand and the voice you want to be represented on your platforms. No one is as “you” as you, so ESPECIALLY in the beginning, it’s important that you keep tabs on what your agency is doing. Ensure that there’s an open avenue of communication. Make sure to provide them with the branding information and content requested. Share your thoughts and ideas whenever you have them, and never be afraid to ask any questions that are on your mind.
As your relationship grows over time, the agency you partnered with will be able to speak clearly through your voice, and you will be able to step farther and farther away from your duties as social media marketer for your biz. It’s exciting just thinking about getting back all that extra time, isn’t it?!
Ready to do the dang thing?
GREAT! Deciding to outsource your social media marketing is an awesome way to save time and money while still achieving your online marketing goals. Use the above tips to find the right social media partner for your business today and enjoy the peace of mind knowing you’re on your way to scaling your biz through the awesome power of social media!
Want to see if that marketing partner is Amp Up My Biz? Just answer a few questions about your needs HERE, and we’ll be in touch!