Australians spend more time on social media than any other country, so it’s vital that businesses maintain a presence on social media platforms.
Many people think they can hire a cheap assistant to deal with their social media, along with all their other admin. But if you’re doing social media, you should do it right. After 18 years in marketing, I can tell you that outsourcing important tasks to the right people is essential. Here’s what you should look for when hiring someone to manage your social media for you.
Experience
Although a uni student may be a cheap option, how much experience have they had managing social media for other people? Yes, they’ll be active on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, but are they just really good at posting selfies? It’s best to find someone who is very familiar with the platform you want to use, and already has a system of working and a workflow set up. If they’re familiar with your industry already, it’s a bonus!
Testimonials from clients
This is important so that you start a working relationship with someone you can trust. If others say they do good work, chances are they will do good work for you too. Think of it this way – you wouldn’t hire someone without checking their references, right? Take a look at their Google reviews, Facebook reviews and LinkedIn testimonials.
Personality fit
This is actually more important than you might think. Everyone has a different style of working, and if you hire a social media manager who never communicates with you or asks your advice on posts, this could hinder the working relationship. Conversely, that may be the way you prefer to work. You don’t have to be best mates with your social media manager, but it helps if you can both communicate well.
Reliability
This is a big one. You’re hiring someone to represent your business on your behalf, and they have to do what they say they will. They should do what they’ve agreed to do, and you should never have to chase them up. If, in the initial process of talking to social media managers and agencies and getting quotes from them, they are anything but reliable, ditch them. If they can’t be reliable with sending proposals and arranging meetings to begin with, chances are they will be even worse once you hire them.
Costs
This is often the decider when it comes to outsourcing a task. If you are a small business, my advice is don’t go with a huge agency as their costs will be higher and you will be a small fish in a big pond. Better to go with someone who is smaller and more dedicated to you. If you’re a large company then the world is your oyster, but you should look to find an agency that can give you everything you want for your budget.
I’ve been using social media to grow businesses since 2006 and I absolutely love the huge opportunities that these platforms offer in terms of brand awareness and word-of-mouth. If you’re looking to focus on social media to broaden your business reach and increase brand awareness, you’re doing the right thing.
I’d love to chat about your business, and what you want to achieve on social media. Get in touch and we can explore the possibilities.