As Social Media continues to become a larger part of digital marketing, companies are discovering its power to engage with customers. But it can be difficult to manage your own social media pages, and even harder to choose an agency or person to handle your pages for you. A qualified social media manager should have the background of a professional marketing strategist coupled with the savvy to understand the value and constantly changing nature of social media.
Need help choosing a social media agency? Here are 7 essential questions to ask (and the type of answer you will want to hear!)
1. How long have you been working in social media?
Social media is not new but it changes constantly. A qualified marketer should have been involved in social networking for more than a hot minute, possibly even before it became popular. This shows experience, adaptability, as well as an awareness of upcoming trends in the industry.
2. Do you have a blog?
Although a blog doesn’t necessarily make someone an expert, it does show that they are participating in the conversation and may be thought leaders in the industry. Take time to review the topics and quality of writing, which will reflect their experience and knowledge.
3. What’s the objective of a social media campaign?
An effective social media campaign should not be a numbers game. They should be able to see the bigger picture and develop a clear strategy of branding and engagement. They should understand that the key to using the platform should be for communicating rather than selling.
4. How will you grow our fans?
Your social media team should not have a cookie cutter answer, but instead should depend on each individual client. After determining the goals and target audience, they should develop a content strategy including tools to grow and convert fans. They should understand social media ads and how to use them effectively to increase reach and engagement.
5. Do you work with SEO as well?
An experienced social media team will understand the link between social media and SEO and be able to explain how social media will contribute.
6. What social media platforms are you on?
An experienced social media agency does not have to be on every site, but they should be aware of what’s out there. In addition, you can review samples of their work and check out their own pages to see how they present themselves, how knowledgeable they are and how active and responsive they are.
7. What do you see as the next big one?
We all know that social media is changing every day. A good agency will be able to talk to you about how they can run a social media campaign for you today. A great agency will not only be aware of what today’s capabilities are, but also how to leverage that for the future and stay ahead of the game.
Remember, that whoever runs your social media pages will be representing your brand. Anyone can have a social media page, but building an effective and engaging social media campaign will go a long way in building your brand and reaching customers, where they most often are.
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