The Pros & Cons of Outsourcing Social Media Marketing
Most companies nowadays incorporate social media in their marketing strategies, because it is of key importance for the success of their business. If you own a business, a good social media presence will help you reach more customers and promote your products and services without investing too much money. While many entrepreneurs want to market their businesses on social media, some have the dilemma of whether they should hire marketing agencies or other marketing professionals to take care of their social media marketing activities, instead of their in-house teams.
Let’s look at both sides of the argument and list some pros and cons of outsourcing social media marketing.
Pros:
#1 Competence
People who do this job have an expert knowledge and experience in the field, and they know exactly what and how needs to be done. They have the necessary writing, designing, and other job specific skills, so they are highly competent and little likely to disappoint.
#2 Time
Outsourcing your social media activities will help you save time. Coming up with good social media marketing strategies, content design and creation, and sharing on social media takes time. So, if for example, you hire a marketing agency to take care of those things, in the same time you and your in-house team can focus your attention on other important issues in your business.
#3 Speed
If you hire experienced professionals to run your social media activities, you can expect fast and timely delivery. Good professionals can agree on specific deadlines and finish tasks on time. Furthermore, they will always be up to date with your business, and deliver new relevant content with a great speed.
#4 Trends
Marketers are always up to date with the latest news and trends in the industry. They spend plenty of time reading and researching new information, and are knowledgeable about important facts concerning marketing and social media. This influences the way they work, helping them come up with the best marketing strategies for your business. That’s another great benefit of outsourcing your social media marketing activities to experts.
Cons:
#1 Cost
Hiring marketing professionals costs money. While prices vary, there are many available agencies and individuals on the market that you can choose from. However, most of them are pricey, and would probably cost more than paying your in-house team to do the same job.
#2 Mistakes
A potential problem that can arise if other people are running your social media accounts, is making mistakes. The reason is that outsiders will never have the same inside knowledge of your company as your in-house team. If for example, someone asks a question on social media, they might not be able to know the right answer, and will end up either replying wrong, or ignoring the person. This kind of mistake can contribute to creating a bad image for your business.
#3 Relationships
Hired marketing professionals can engage with your audience on social media, but they will always lack authenticity and sincerity, since the business is yours and not theirs. The people in your team know your company best and are more loyal to your business than anyone outside the company. That’s why they can create much better connections and relationships with your followers on social media.
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Outsourcing social media marketing can be costly and somewhat risky, but it can save you time and provide you a regular, great social media presence. Do you think outsourcing social media marketing is good for your business? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
