There’s no escaping social media. Even your grandma is posting memes and sharing videos. For brands, it’s an incredible opportunity to generate awareness, foster engagement, nurture advocates and influencers, improve customer service, and, ultimately, drive sales. Social media has become a critical aspect of any digital marketing strategy - but do you have the time and resources to devote to it, or does it make more sense to outsource social media management?
5 Reasons to Outsource Social Media Management
Almost 97% of businesses use at least one social media channel, and professionals spend anywhere from 1-5 hours per week to more than 40. According to Forbes, managing one social media platform per month may drain away 32 hours.
No matter where you are on the spectrum, this is time, energy, and focus that is diverted from other mission-critical marketing tasks. When you partner with a social media management business or agency, you can reap a number of benefits including:
- You go from random to strategic. Many brands use a “catch as catch can” approach to social media. They post when they have time or when an idea strikes. Eh, it’s better than nothing, they say! Is it? Most social activity takes place outside business hours, and to engage effectively, you need a running stream of fresh posts. Your social media management business team has the time: this is what they live and breathe.
- You engage - not sell. Social is not about selling. People don’t turn to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to hear a pitch. They want to communicate and connect. You need to draw people in and encourage them to interact directly with your brand. Again, without a strategy, any success is accidental and not sustainable.
- You leverage expertise. Social media management professionals have the training, experience, and skills to handle communications, foster engagement, analyze data, and more. They also have platform-specific experience that is invaluable: what works for Facebook may not work for Instagram, for example, and it is essential that you approach each platform with a distinct strategy. Why not take advantage of this expertise so you can get back to work building your business?
- You can access helpful tools. From Hubspot to Hootsuite, there are a variety of tools and programs that your social media partner can put to work for you. If you handle social in-house, you often have to take the time to learn, or to train your people, to use these systems to their full potential.
- Cost-Savings. Many smaller businesses are worried about the cost when they outsource social media management. Understandable. But consider the cost of missing out on the myriad opportunities that social media offers and the cost of hiring your own in-house manager. Engaging with a professional service frees up time, and ultimately, money.
Are you ready to outsource social media management? We can help! Contact THAT Agency today.
