Why Outsourcing Your Social Media Management is a Good Idea

ByLindsey Miller

Business success gravitates toward the effective use of social media. The average person spends more than two hours a day browsing their feeds. That’s enough time for someone to see your business’s social media content and get excited about your products or services. In fact, 75% of people use social media to make purchase decisions.

The downside? Social media management is a time suck. You craft a post, engage with your audience, track its progress, then do it all over again. It’s a lot of work while juggling the rest of your business. 

You’ve heard about the benefits of outsourcing your social media management, but is it worth it? Better yet, how do you find a skilled, trustworthy assistant? This post explains.

What is Social Media Management? 

If you’re new to social media management, it’s the constant upkeep of your organization’s online presence on various social media platforms. This cost-effective marketing approach can do wonders for your business growth – including brand awareness, lead generation, and an uptick in sales. 

Social media management tasks include: 

  • Content Creation. The process of creating high-quality content, such as well-written copy, eye-catching images, or short- and long-form videos. 
  • Scheduling. The tools – like Sprout Social or Hootsuite – that help you organize and schedule content, interact with your audience, and monitor your online reputation with social listening features. 
  • Engagement. The online relationship you build with your audience by asking questions and interacting with their comments.
  • Analytics. The metrics used to track key performance indicators (KPIs), which give insight into your social media strategies’ success. 

Social media management is ongoing, and it’s often time you wish was spent on other aspects of your business. You also may get overwhelmed trying to keep up with the latest meme or trending sound. But, when you outsource to an expert who understands social media’s quirks, you regain valuable time and a consistent social media presence. It’s a win-win for you and your business.   

5 Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media Management 

Social media helpers assume tedious social media-related tasks so that you can aim your attention toward big-picture responsibilities. Highly-trained professionals, like those at My Marketing Assistant, know the ins and outs of social media marketing, allowing your business to reap the benefits. 

Not quite convinced you should hand over the social media reins yet? Keep in mind these five perks your business will have access to if you choose to delegate your social media management.

1. Social Media Expertise and Experience 

When you outsource your social media, you’re not sending off your precious content – the same content that can make or break your business’s online reputation – to a beginner. You’re receiving top-notch help from professionals with specialized social media knowledge. They have a track record of creating engaging, platform-specific content according to the industry’s best practices. These experts also know how to forecast emerging trends, giving your business a leg up on future growth opportunities. 

2. Time and Resource Efficiency 

Running a business’s social media is a 40-plus-hour-a-week job. Outsourcing will free up your time to focus on business operations without tanking your social media presence. Social media assistants can devote daily time to ensure fast response rates to comments, mentions, reposts, and direct messages.

You can also pay for desired services and avoid the hassles of overhead expenses instead of hiring a full-time marketing employee. If you only need social media but not email marketing help, great! You can choose from subscription tiers without purchasing an entire marketing plan. 

3. Consistent and Engaging Content 

It’s common for small business owners who manage social media alongside their other duties to experience burnout. After spending hours creating content – well received by your audience or not – it’s easy to let tasks slip, get complacent, and fall into the trap of inconsistency. Outsourced social media assistants help you avoid that pitfall so your business always has fresh, consistent content. 

Nearly 50% of marketers need help identifying social media trends, algorithm changes, and emerging platforms. Even as recently as this month, a new social networking platform, Threads, was released by the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Should your business be on it? Do you stick to what you’ve always done? The social media world is fast-paced – a challenging endeavor to stay up-to-date with for a marketing team of one. Outsourced assistants have time to learn about these constant changes and how to best implement them within your social media strategy. 

5. Crisis Management and Reputation Protection

Perhaps the least enjoyable aspect of business ownership is navigating potential social media crises. Your online reputation is everything – without proper management, it’s easy for your audience to click over to your competitor’s content. An experienced professional knows how to properly monitor content according to community guidelines so harmful content is identified and removed swiftly. 

How to Outsource Your Social Media Management 

You’re officially convinced that outsourcing should have been a part of your business plan about 10 minutes ago. As a business owner, it will change your life for the better. You’re now eagerly asking, “How do I get started?”

Assess Expertise and Industry Knowledge 

Like any new hire, you must determine whether the social media provider has the skills required to achieve your business goals. Here are some questions you should answer when gauging a helper’s level of expertise. 

What to research when seeking outsourced social media help: 

  • Do they specialize in your business’ industry niche?
  • What previous social media experience do they have? 
  • Can they provide work samples and metrics of previous campaigns?
  • What do their references say about their skills and work ethic?
  • What does a quick Google search reveal about their past work experience?
  • Has anyone in your network worked with them?

Establish Communication Expectations

You also need to identify the assistant’s communication style. Does it align with yours? They might have a wealth of social media knowledge but are terrible at communicating. It’s better to find out in the discovery phase rather than during an emergency. A clear set of expectations from the beginning of your partnership will result favorably for your social media goals. 

How to set expectations from Day 1: 

  • Discuss how often you want updates and detailed reports 
  • Establish availability expectations during social media crises 
  • Define project timelines, a reviewing process, and feedback opportunities 
  • Be clear about your business goals, concerns, branding style, and specific instructions

Define the Importance of Customization and Flexibility 

Can the provider set aside their preferences and tailor their services toward your brand’s unique needs? One of the many benefits of outsourced help is fresh perspectives. But, if their agenda clashes with your business’ values and overall messaging, it’s time to consider other outsourcing options.  

Confirm Analytics Reporting Competency 

You’re on the verge of hiring much-needed social media assistance. Contracts are ready to sign, yet there is one last question you need to make sure is properly answered, “Can you deliver detailed analytics reports and articulate social media performance?” 

Your business might rely on outside investors who are weary of social media. Funding is on the line if you don’t justify social media’s benefits or produce successful results. Even if this isn’t the case, you want to know that your investment in social is paying off.

Confirm that your provider is data-driven and understands how to decipher metrics. When you outsource reporting to social media experts like those at My Marketing Assistant, you gain more insightful analytics reports that showcase to your stakeholders the utmost value of social media.

Rely on My Marketing Assistant 

More than half of marketers say their team’s biggest hurdle is finding experienced talent. Avoid the struggles a job candidate search entails and delegate to My Marketing Assistant instead. We have skilled social media experts ready to take a task off your plate and get it back to you in 24-48 hours, so you can skip interviewing or creating content on your own. Let’s get started! Contact us today!