The Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing Social Media in 2024
Did you know there are nearly 5 billion social media users worldwide, spending an average of 2 hours and 28 minutes per day scrolling; liking; sharing?
This makes social media one of the best places to market your business. But here's the kicker: to win the social media game, you need dedicated experts.
To access the best SMM talent at the best prices, many businesses are outsourcing their social media management. But before you even jump on the outsourcing bandwagon, what do you need to know?
As an offshore staffing company, we have answers. Settle in as we tell you everything there is to know about outsourcing social media. We’ll cover key considerations, best practices, and whether social media is right for you at all.
What is Social Media Outsourcing?
Social media outsourcing is hiring a third-party service provider to manage your social media accounts. This includes:
- Creating content
- Posting content
- Engaging with your audience
- Monitoring and analyzing your performance
- Implementing a social media strategy
Social media outsourcing has many benefits to it. Besides saving you time and money, you get to access specialized skills and tools, improving your results.
What To Consider When Outsourcing Your Social Media?
While outsourcing social media can be great for your business, it also comes with challenges and risks. Ponder and answer these questions before you outsource:
How much are you willing to spend?
Let’s talk about your budget. One of the most crucial factors to consider is how much you're willing to spend. This is the amount of money you’re ready to invest in outsourcing your social media efforts. Your budget will also determine the level of services you can access and the quality of work you can expect.
Moreover, are you in a comfortable financial position to allocate funds for outsourcing? Make sure that you can outsource without straining your overall operations. If you think it’s a no-go, you can try checking out other options and potentially save up to 70%.
How often do you want to post?
Posting frequency can vary depending on four things:
- Industry
- Audience
- Goals
- Budget
- Platform
For instance, the average Facebook page publishes posts 1.68 times per day. But, depending on the platform, you may have to increase that. Just keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is to post at least once a day to maintain your presence and reach. You must also check the optimal times to post for each platform and timezone.
What type of content will you publish?
Content is the key to attracting and engaging your audience, so it should be relevant, valuable, and appealing. But more importantly, the content should be aligned with your branding.
So when you decide to outsource, you’ll have to provide guidelines and examples of the type of content you want your outsourcing partner to create and share. Note that different platforms may have different preferences and best practices for content formats.
What are your social media goals?
Clear and specific goals can help you measure the effectiveness of your social media outsourcing and align it with your overall business objectives.
Remember to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for each platform. You should also agree on tracking and reporting your progress and results.
How will you monitor and respond to comments and messages?
Social media is a two-way communication channel. It requires active listening and interaction.
39% of social media users expect a response to their messages within 60 minutes. Responding to comments and messages can help you build trust, loyalty, and relationships with your customers. It can also help you manage your online reputation and handle any negative feedback or complaints.
Decide who will be responsible for monitoring and responding to comments and messages: you or your outsourcing partner. If you choose to outsource this task, have strict guidelines on how to handle different types of comments and messages.
How will you measure your ROI?
Return on investment (ROI) is the ratio of the benefits (revenue or profit) to the costs (time or money) of an activity.
Measuring ROI can help you evaluate the performance of your social media outsourcing and justify its value. But, measuring ROI from social media can be challenging because not all benefits are quantifiable or directly attributable. Define what metrics matter most for your business and how you will collect and analyze them.
Keep in mind the intangible benefits of social media outsourcing, such as brand awareness, customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. It is important to communicate your expectations and methods with your outsourcing partner and make sure they can provide you with regular and detailed reports.
What Not To Do in Social Media Marketing?
Outsourcing your social media can help you avoid some of the mistakes in social media management, such as:
Irregular posting
One of the biggest mistakes you can make on social media is to post irregularly. Posting infrequently or inconsistently can make you lose your audience’s attention and interest. It can also affect your algorithm ranking and visibility.
But posting too much or spamming can annoy your audience and make them unfollow you. The best way to go at it is to maintain a balanced and consistent posting frequency that suits your audience and goals.
Assigning it to an inexperienced employee
Many businesses think that anyone who uses social media personally can manage it professionally. This is not true.
Social media management requires specific skills, knowledge, tools, and strategies that are different from personal use. Assigning it to someone without experience can result in poor-quality content, low engagement, missed opportunities, and wasted resources.
Either you invest in training your employees or outsource it to experts.
Only posting about your product
While showcasing your product features, benefits, and offers is important, it is not enough to attract and retain your audience.
Social media users are looking for more than just sales pitches. They want to see informative, entertaining, inspiring, or educational content.
So, create something that catches their interests, needs, and pain points. Diversify your social media with:
- User-generated content: Created by your customers or fans. Examples are reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, etc.
- Curated content: Made by other relevant sources to your industry or niche. These can be articles, blogs, podcasts, or videos.
- Educational content: Teaches your audience something new or valuable.
- Entertaining content: Content that makes your audience laugh or smile, such as memes, jokes, and games.
- Inspirational content: A quote, story, or something similar that motivates your audience to take action or achieve their goals.
- Interactive content: Encourages your audience to participate or engage with you. This can be in the form of contests, challenges, or polls.
You should also follow the 80/20 rule. This means that 80% of your content should be non-promotional, and 20% should be promotional. This way, you can balance your content and avoid being too salesy or boring.
What To Do in Social Media Marketing?
Outsourcing can also help you follow some of the best practices in social media marketing.
Develop a unique brand impression
Create a distinctive and memorable identity for your brand that sets you apart from your competitors. You should have a clear vision, mission, values, and personality for your brand. You should also have a consistent visual identity, such as logo, color scheme, fonts, and images. This can increase your brand recognition and loyalty.
Keep your brand current
Stay updated on the latest trends, news, events, and issues relevant to your brand. Adapt to the changing preferences and behaviors of your audience.
Use social media to showcase your innovation and creativity. You should also use it to get customer feedback and insights and improve your products or services. This way, you can keep your brand fresh and competitive.
Focus on a broader audience
Another thing you should do is focus on a broader audience. Don’t limit yourself to your existing customers or fans. You should also reach out to potential customers.
Use social media to expand your network and exposure. Collaborate with other brands, influencers, or organizations that share your values or goals. This way, you can increase your brand awareness and credibility.
Outsourcing vs. Remote Staffing
Outsourcing your social media to an agency can have many advantages over managing your own staff. But, it also has some disadvantages you must be aware of.
Outsourcing your social media
Pros:
- You can save time and money by delegating your social media tasks to professionals.
- You can access the specialized skills and tools of your outsourcing partner.
- You can benefit from the experience and knowledge of the agency in different industries or niches.
- You can scale or diversify your social media efforts more quickly.
Cons:
- You have less control over your social media strategy and execution.
- You have less direct communication and coordination with your service provider.
- You may face risks or challenges in finding, trusting, or managing your service provider.
- You may lose some of the uniqueness or authenticity of your brand voice or impression.
Hiring your own social media marketing team
Pros:
- You have control over your social media strategy and execution.
- You can communicate and coordinate with your social media team.
- You can instantly adjust to changes and grab opportunities.
- You have a clearer understanding of your brand and industry.
- Save up to 76% when you hire a remote social media manager from a remote staffing firm like MultiplyMii.
Cons:
- You must provide more resources and tools for your social media team.
- You may need more experience in some aspects of social media management.
- You may face challenges in scaling or diversifying your social media efforts.
Social media outsourcing can be a smart and effective way to manage your social media accounts and achieve your goals. But, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution that works for every business.
Consider various factors before deciding whether to outsource your social media or not. You must also find a reliable and reputable service provider to meet your expectations and needs. By doing so, you can enjoy the benefits of outsourcing your social media without compromising the quality or value of your brand.
Boost Your Success With a Remote Social Media Team
Are you ready to take your social media game to the next level?
MultiplyMii is your ticket to building the ultimate remote social media marketing team!
Imagine having a team of skilled professionals who live and breathe social media!
MultiplyMii can help you find the perfect experts to elevate your brand's online presence.
What’s more, you don’t need to stress about the hiring process! We've got the hiring part covered. All you need to do is choose from our pool of talented individuals.
With us, you'll not only see results but also have a team that celebrates every milestone with you!
Ready to multiply your social media success?
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