We all wish to maximize our brand's social media reach. And why not? In today's world, if you can't be found on Google, you probably do not exist. But since we can't do everything ourselves, it makes sense to hire an external resource to take care of our social media presence.
But should that external resource be a full-time employee or an agency you could outsource work to? Which one is better in the long and short term?
Before getting into the answers, let's actually explore what does Social Media Marketing consist of?
1. It is not just ABOUT POSTING or RUNNING ADS - Social media marketing comprises a whole lot of activities a brand performs online to spread awareness about itself. All those activities need to be planned in a formal content calendar which ideally should be prepared towards the beginning of the month. It generally comprises of static post designs with captions, stories, ad campaigns, newsletters, workshops, webinars, videos, reels, infographics, and podcasts.
2. It is HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE for ONE PERSON to master it all. And let me explain why. Social media marketing requires a combination of skills. A graphic designer, for example, can design a really attractive post but he may not be able to write good content. Similarly a content writer may not be a certified Google ad or Facebook ads expert to run those for you effectively. Only when 3-4 people sit together, the social media strategy of ONE BRAND is executed.
So social media management is not a one-man show. However, now the question arises, should a company hire 2-3 full-time resources or choose an agency? Let's consider the following aspects and answer the question.
3. Budget: Big or small, every brand has a budget. If you choose to hire 3-4 people full-time, that means you're setting a budget to pay for 120 - 160 hours aside. Does your social media marketing require so much time? Probably not. Agencies are however able to manage because they use the same resources for a number of brands. So their cost per hour reduces substantially. Hiring a couple of full time resources may then become burdensome, unless you're a big e-commerce giant with enough work to keep the whole staff busy.
4. Paid ad expertise: Like I mentioned above, a content creator or a graphic designer may not necessarily be well versed in scheduling campaigns for your brands. With agencies, however, you can always request for testimonials or referneces of people from the same industry who've been successful through paid ads.
5. Expert hand: Hiring full-time employees definitely gives you a lot more exclusivity in terms of content and creativity. You know they're only into your brand and eventually, they'll develop the expertise. But if you're dealing with. a good agency that has previous experience in your industry and has proven results, they could also serve a similar purpose.
6. Commitment: With a full-time team, there are chances you may hire someone inappropriate for your role and cry all year round. With agencies, this does not happen. Most agencies enter a 3-6 month contract with conditions of terminations in their contract. The moment you stop seeing results or feel the agency isn't doing well, you can stop the service.
In my opinion, hiring an in-house resource will be an expensive move until you ensure that the candidate is occupied productively throughout the day, working on their expertise. Whatever can't be managed in-house, its best to outsource.
If you feel differently, drop in your comments below.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comments