How much input should you have when you outsource your social media?
Social media is a funny old game, isn't it? Sometimes it can be hard to know which way to turn, with various platforms seemingly having different rules, different ways to post, different image sizing requirements and very different algorithms. Plus, there are SO MANY so-called social media 'experts' out there, who are all trying to shout the loudest to win your business. A lot of these people also claim to be able to net you a million customers in 30 days to give you a seven-figure income (okay, I made that last bit up, but you get my drift).
I'm just going to say this once; I do not consider myself to be one of those 'experts', and I will never make such outrageous claims. Yes, I do live and breathe all things social media, but first and foremost, I am a copywriter. However…
Do I know a lot more about this subject than most ordinary business people? I like to think so, but I don't know it all - nobody does, expert or not. With the constantly changing goalposts from various platforms, we are always learning, just like you. The difference is that I make it my business to keep abreast of the changes that are taking place across the industry and I adapt accordingly to offer a decent service to my clients.
“Your social media accounts are still YOUR assets and they are often the first introduction that a potential customer will have to your product or service”
You can decide to outsource your social media for many reasons and there's little point in rehashing that here. You either have the time and knowledge to do it, or you don't and the smart person who is time / knowledge poor will choose to delegate responsibility to someone else. But that comes with a caveat; anyone taking over your social media and / or marketing will need input from you. Before they even get near your accounts, they will be looking to find out about:
- Your 'tone of voice';
- Your likes and dislikes;
- Your marketing strategy (if you haven't got one, they should be able to help you with this, or if they're not comfortable with that, be able to guide you to someone who can);
- Who your typical customer is, if it isn't obvious to them - a good social media manager will want to know all about your customer 'avatar';
- They will want to see your brand kit - what colours and fonts you use, your logos and all of that important stuff (and if you don't already have a brand kit, if they're not also a graphic designer, they should be able to put you in touch with someone who can help with that).
- What your goals and vision for your company are.
- What do you hope to achieve, i.e., is it more sales? Increased brand awareness? Growing your email list?
- That's the first bit sorted, but don't think for a moment that your involvement ends when you hand over access to your assets - that's right, your social media accounts are still YOUR assets and they are often the first introduction that a potential customer will have to your product or service.
Now, you might know your social media person really well, you might feel that they 'get' you and your business completely. You might even trust them to post relevant, fresh and interesting content on a regular basis and to engage with followers on your behalf. Or you might require a full set of proposed posts, complete with artwork, expected outcomes and hashtags on a monthly / three monthly / six monthly basis. Whatever works for you is how it should run and you need to agree on expectations upfront.
BUT, regardless of which approach you take, to accurately represent your business, your social media person needs ongoing input from you. If you are completing jobs in spectacular locations, shout about it, especially if you have pictures - forward these on. If you're getting great testimonials, they're perfect content as they tell their own story about how amazing your business is. If you’ve won an award? Great, well done - SHOUT ABOUT IT!
If consistency is key, then variety is also the spice of life. Even your most ardent fans and followers will want to see a bit of variation in the type of content you are posting. Look at your stats, check the performance, if they're not great but regular posts are going out, then look at the content and look at posting times, target audience, etc. and together you can tweak that content. Regular, planned review meetings are a crucial part of the process – do not put these off, or your marketing will suffer.
The worst thing you can do is say to the person who manages your social media content, 'Just post what my competitors are posting', or 'Content doesn't matter, as long as we're maintaining a presence'.
Personally, I disagree!
Well-planned content is EVERYTHING and if you're just putting posts out for the sake of posting, which lack quality and engagement, your strategy is not going to work! You will turn people off because your lack of direction means you will not have a USP or stand out from the crowd. Your social media manager will tell you that too - please do listen to them and make sure that you work with them, rather than leaving them guessing.