Should You Hire A Social Media Manager?

So your business is growing and you're getting busy. Amazing. You also know that Social Media is important to the growth of your business and you need a digital bodyguard for your online reputation. It's time to hire someone to handle your social. But who do you go with? A full service agency? A consultant? Or an employee? We're going to answer that for you today, let’s get into it.If you’d prefer to watch us talk about it rather than read about it, we understand - and we got you. So let's start with an agency, and when you should choose to work with one.

Agency

An agency is a very unique offering. Typically, they're a hive for a bunch of experienced, talented minds who come together to excel for their clients. You'll have access to numerous skill sets that a typical employee is very unlikely to possess due to the fact they're a cohesive team. Generally the price of an agency is significantly less than that of an employee with similar experience or skills because they're able to get the work done in a fraction of the time it would take a less experienced employee. They're also generally a one-stop shop with all the talent you need in one convenient place, so you won't need to hire a Social Media professional along with a separate designer, photographer or editor.Agencies can vary significantly in price, but as with anything in life, you tend to get what you pay for. A nice middle ground is usually safe - you wouldn't really want to work with an agency charging $500 per month for full service social, but you also don't have to work with the agency who charges $20k a month. There's always a happy medium available that can suit any reasonable budget, who will deliver the value you need and expect for your money without being charged through the nose or overshooting their skill sets.

When you should consider an agency: When you know you need social, you believe in social, and you want the best results from an experienced team with no hand holding on your part.

What to look for in an agency: Review their online presence - website, social, client list, testimonials. Google them, find out anything you can about them. Are people speaking highly of them? When you speak with them (in person or on a call), how is your chemistry and energy? Do they specialize in your industry?

What to avoid in an agency: If you're hiring a Social Media agency, the first thing to check is their Social Media presence. If it's no good, it's like hiring an out of shape personal trainer. Nobody wants that. Ensure they're listening to their own advice, and that their own social is killer. If their website is difficult to navigate and things seem vague, that's rarely a good sign. Or if they have little to no social or web presence at all, run in the other direction. If you end up speaking to them and the energy is off, don't do it. Your gut will tell you immediately if there's an alignment.

Consultant

If either your budget or needs don't align with a full service Social Media agency, consider a consultant. A lot of agencies offer consulting services, which is handy as if you require any additional services, you typically would be able to access their in-house staff rather than searching on your own. There are a lot of great freelance consultants, too, who have a breadth of experience and who just don't simply want to get involved with full service social or manage a team of employees.

When you should consider a consultant: If you have an employee in-house who is capable of running the social but just needs help with strategy, a consultant could be the best bang for your buck. They would act as someone to hold their hand and guide them through the process, including dealing with any roadblocks or confusions, and they can be a cost effective way to tap into the mind of an agency without paying full rates, all the while training up an employee.

What to look for in a consultant: As with an agency, the experience, client list, web or social presence, and of course chemistry or energy are the most important aspects. Recommendations from clients or key industry players are very valuable in determining whether a particular consultant is the right fit for you.

What to avoid in a consultant: If you either would prefer to bring in external help to run things top to bottom, or you’d rather hire someone internally to take care of it all with no help, we’d suggest avoiding a consultant. Typically, however, anybody can benefit from the wisdom of a consultant.

Employee

Finally, the third option is to hire an employee in-house. This can either be cheaper if you go with a junior with less knowledge and experience but they have a willingness to learn on the job (~$40k), or more expensive if you try to hire someone with agency-level experience (~$150k+).

When you should consider an employee: If your budget is tighter, a junior employee could be a good option, though the results are guaranteed not to be as strong and the learning curve a lot steeper. If you hire an experienced employee, you’d be a much larger company with a serious budget. Typically, a Social Media position in a small to medium company may not require a full 40 hour weekly commitment, so often companies may like to get their social employee doing other tasks on top of their social work.

What to look for in an employee: Either go for someone who is new, personable, comfortable with social and willing to learn, or someone who is impeccably experienced that can bring a high level of professionalism to your company. It mostly depends on the size of your company and what you want to achieve.

What to avoid in an employee: As with any hired hand, you’d want to ensure they’re capable, confident, knowledgeable and willing to learn. One common tactic from employers nowadays is to research potential candidates via their social presence to check for skill sets and any problematic behaviour.

Still feel like you need more info? Give us a shout, we'll help you out.