How to Find the Best Social Media Marketing Services for Your Small Businesses
The social media landscape is evolving — and it now requires more creativity and a larger workforce than ever before.
While Loomly makes managing your business’s social media accounts a breeze, we understand you might be better off outsourcing the task for several reasons.
Maybe you’re a solopreneur struggling to do it all yourself. Or you don’t have the time to develop the expertise necessary to produce the results you’d like to see.
Either way, you don’t want to waste months working with a company that doesn’t know what they’re doing.
That’s where this marketing services guide comes in. You’ll learn how to decide between hiring an agency and a freelancer, plus we’ll share seven key factors to consider when evaluating social media marketing services.
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Should you hire a social media marketing agency or build a team in-house?
When it comes to managing and scaling your social media marketing efforts, you have two main options. You can hire an in-house team or outsource it to a service that manages social media for small businesses.
Each option has its pros and cons, and each is suited to different use cases. So, how do you decide which route to go? Consider the following:
1. Cost
For small businesses, cost is a crucial factor to consider. Hiring an in-house social media specialist often means higher initial expenses due to salaries, benefits, and training costs.
In contrast, agencies provide a cost-effective solution by offering a team of experts at a lower overall cost, often with flexible pricing options.
Small businesses with tighter budgets may find agency services more affordable, while those willing to invest in a dedicated resource might opt for an in-house specialist.
2. Ease of collaboration
Effective collaboration is vital for successful social media campaigns. In-house specialists have the advantage of immediate accessibility, faster communication, and seamless integration within the company’s team culture.
On the other hand, agencies often appoint project managers to facilitate close collaboration, allowing business owners to concentrate on core tasks.
The choice between in-house and agency support can depend on a small business’ preferences for internal collaboration or external management.
3. Scope of work
The scope of work differs significantly between these two options.
Agencies typically offer a wide range of skill sets, with professionals specializing in various aspects of social media marketing. This diversity makes them well-suited for comprehensive and multifaceted campaigns.
In contrast, in-house specialists provide personalized attention to the brand but may have a more limited skill set.
Small businesses with complex and diverse needs may find agencies better suited to their requirements, while those seeking a highly tailored approach might lean towards hiring an in-house specialist.
4. Type of projects
The nature of your projects also plays a significant role in determining the right choice.
Agencies often excel in scalability and handling larger campaigns due to their available resources, making them particularly suitable for businesses with periodic, intensive campaigns.
In-house specialists may struggle with sudden increases in workload but may be better suited for ongoing, nuanced strategies that require consistent attention.
5. Expertise
Expertise is a critical factor for campaign success.
In-house specialists possess a deep understanding of your brand’s values and culture, ensuring accurate representation.
Agencies, with their broader industry experience, bring fresh ideas and access to advanced tools.
As such, small businesses looking to closely align campaigns with their unique brand identity may lean towards in-house specialists. Those seeking a broader industry perspective and access to advanced tools may opt to work with agencies.
Ultimately, the decision to hire an in-house social media specialist or work with an agency depends on your specific needs, available resources, goals, and preferences in these key areas.
7 factors to consider when evaluating social media marketing agencies
When you’re checking out social media marketing agencies, it’s important to make sure they’re in sync with your goals and can bring about the results you want. Here are seven key factors to keep in mind as you evaluate your options.
Factor #1: Alignment with business goals
First things first, the agency needs to understand your specific social media marketing goals. Be it boosting your brand’s recognition, drumming up leads, connecting with customers, or driving sales — their strategy should be custom-made for your aims. This alignment guarantees your investment yields concrete results.
Factor #2: Expertise in your industry
Knowing the ins and outs of your industry is a game-changer in social media marketing.
The agency should not only get your industry but also understand your audience and competition to whip up content that truly clicks. Their ability to understand your unique value proposition can make a big difference in how well the campaigns they create for you perform.
While it’s awesome to find an agency with industry expertise and experience, it’s not the only deal-breaker or even the top one to mull over. What matters is that the agency has a solid process for diving into your industry’s intricacies and translating that expertise into the content they create for you.
Factor #3: Content strategy and creativity
Social media is all about zesty, captivating content. The agency should have a rock-solid plan for whipping up a mix of engaging content that’s fit for sharing across different platforms. This plan should be in tune with your brand’s tone, style, and what your audience loves.
Factor #4: Platform proficiency
Every social media platform has its unique quirks. A top-notch agency needs to be a pro on every platform that matters to your business. Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other platforms, it’s important to choose an agency that specializes in the platforms that best reach your target audience.
Factor #5: Community engagement and management
Growing and nurturing an engaged social media community is a must for brand growth. The agency should have a game plan for quickly addressing comments, messages, and mentions. A robust social media presence is about real conversations with your followers, not just pushing out content.
Factor #6: Data-driven approach and analytics
The agency’s knack for monitoring, measuring, and dissecting campaign performance is vital. They should provide periodic reports on the important metrics, showing how their content plan and results stack up against your objectives. This data-driven approach keeps the optimization wheels turning and guides savvy decision-making.
Factor #7: Case studies and portfolio
A social media agency’s track record matters. Diving into detailed case studies that spotlight their victories with clients most similar to your business can reveal their strategies and results in action. These real-world case studies underscore their capacity to bring home the bacon and back up their promises.
Ultimately, these factors collectively ensure that the social media marketing agency you choose can effectively promote your brand, engage your target audience, and drive desired business outcomes through social media channels.
Conclusion
Now it’s time to put your newfound knowledge into action. With this guide, you can lead your team toward creating strategically-driven and creatively engaging content to foster growth and success.
Whether you decide to grow your marketing team internally or partner with an agency, Loomly makes collaboration the easiest part of your social media workflow.
As a complete social media management software, Loomly gives you all the tools you need to craft, optimize, schedule, and analyze content across all your social channels from a single collaborative platform.
