Social media is now one of the most popular marketing tools in business and successfully engaging with customers across the various platforms requires plenty of time and effort.
Effective marketing helps companies retain customers and attract new ones, but many fail to invest sufficient resources into the practice.
Some businesses manage all their social media activities in-house, while others use an external agency, and there are numerous pros and cons for both methods. Read on as we assess which one to choose.
Business and personal social media are different
The way many people interact on social media in a personal capacity simply wouldn’t be appropriate in business.
Lots of companies underestimate what is required to manage social media and this results in them failing to market their goods or services effectively.
Using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram requires many specific skills and companies who fail to invest properly in this area will regret that decision further down the line.
Employing someone in-house with a mix of journalism and marketing skills is advisable, while working with an external agency who possess digital expertise in your particular area is also worth considering.
Don’t cut corners
Social media is the first port of call for many people when they are searching for information, so it is imperative that their first impression of your business is a positive one.
For instance, a gambling operator may wish to promote a review of Energy Casino, but if it is not done effectively the impact it has can be negligible.
If you choose to look after your social media in-house it is important to ensure the person or people handed the task understands every aspect of your business.
This can give them an advantage over external agencies who don’t have the luxury of the same level of insight into your activities.
External agency staff are trained specifically to handle social media marketing, but a lack of knowledge of your specific industry could hamper their efforts.
Which way should we go?
A business may not have the resources to employ someone on a full-time basis to manage its social media, which is where an external agency could be useful.
Whichever way you choose, ensure that the individuals tasked with managing social media are capable of creating an outward face for your company that customers want to engage with.
If you do turn to an external agency, find one that genuinely makes an effort to learn your business objectives and creates a strategy that is uniquely tailored to your industry.
Successful social media in business does require sufficient resources for it to be truly effective, so whether you decide to keep it in-house or use an external agency make sure to build an appropriate amount into your annual budget.