Should I Pay Someone to Manage My Social Media? 

By now you know that you can’t approach social media in a disorganized, fly-by-night manner. You must be strategic, thoughtful and on the money. In other words, managing your social media accounts is a full-time job. If you are treating it as an afterthought, you are not seeing the full potential.
Social media is an affordable, effective way to generate traffic, connect with a wide audience, enhance customer relationships and establish yourself as a thought leader. If social media marketing is not your full-time job, it should be the full-time job of somebody in-house, or better yet, a social media consulting firm.
Let’s discuss why it’s in your best interest to hire someone to manage your social media channels and the benefits you can expect to see.
Why it Makes Sense to Hire a Professional
You have a role in your company, and it’s an important one. You wouldn’t want to take on an additional job of cleaning the office in the evenings or sorting through mail, so why would you take on social media management? This is a job that requires a lot of time and attention that will take away from your core responsibilities.
Not to mention, by handling social media marketing on your own, you’re only giving it a slice of your effort. Your success on these channels will be limited, and you will probably fall behind your competitors who are closely working with social media experts.
To capitalize on all social media has to offer, you need to study the trends, have a dedicated social media marketing strategy, be ready to create unique posts and have the time to engage with fans and followers. If you don’t have the time for this, then the job is best handled by a dedicated social media manager. This way, you can focus on your responsibilities while having the peace of mind that social media is working for you.
What Social Media Managers Do
So what are some of the things that you can expect social media consultants to handle for you? Well, just about everything that has to do with social media!

• Study the culture and industry of your business
• Be familiar with the latest trends in social media
• Build a message in line with your brand
• Identify core audiences
• Build community and strategic alliances
• Handle social engagement
• Manage brand reputation, particularly in times of crisis  
• Source images and check for copyright issues

Benefits of Hiring a Social Media Manager
There are many wonderful advantages to hiring a social media manager. We’ve outlined the key benefits below.

• Real results. A social media manager has the background and experience to develop a marketing strategy, curate great content and engage your audience. Before long, you will notice that your pages are getting more traffic and activity. This traffic boosts your online presence and helps you reach a wider audience. Best of all, the core competencies of your business won’t suffer as a result.

• Tracking ROI. When you post something on Facebook, how do you know it’s attracting the right audience? Social media firms know how to use Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Company Page Analytics, etc. They will track performance metrics and make sense of the data to improve your campaigns going forward.

• Brand recognition. Developing an online brand reputation is one thing, but maintaining it is another. A dedicated social media expert will know how to target and engage audiences who are most interested in your product. They are also effective at building communities and developing brand advocates.

• Cost savings. If you hire a social media firm to manage your social strategy, you’re getting an entire team of professionals working for you. You only pay one cost rather than paying for each individual person. Also, you save money from hiring someone in-house because you don’t have to train the individual, pay for benefits, etc.

• Competitive advantage. Social media is a great tool to grow your business, but not every brand is taking advantage of it. Even for those that are, they may not be using it to their full potential. Working with a social media agency gives you a competitive edge in your industry.

 
Where to Find a Social Media Manager
Social media marketing is so much more than posting updates and a few images. There are metrics to watch, hashtags to use, sponsored posts to include, messages to respond to and more. Decide what you want your social media consultant to do for you.
For example, do you want them to take over one account or four? Do you want them to manage everything for you, or do you plan on doing some of the posting as well? Who will respond to customer inquiries? How frequently do you want your accounts checked?
When you know what you want, it will make it easier to find a professional who can fulfill your needs. Some social media contractors have little experience but are willing to learn. They can be found on sites like Upwork.com for a low cost, making them great for startups and smaller businesses.
Full on digital marketing agencies are a great option for businesses that want the whole kit and caboodle. The cost is much higher, but you get a full team of marketing professionals that will help with online content, ebooks, video production, metric analytics and more. Generally, this appeals to larger brands with larger budgets.
Chances are, you are probably interested in something in between, such as a social media manager or consultant. Social media experts are strong choices for businesses of all sizes. They are knowledgeable on the trends and practices of social media and how to work within your budget.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a dedicated social media manager, you’ve come to the right place! WSI Net Advantage offers a wide range of services, including social media management. Let us teach you how to effectively use social media to grow your business on a budget that makes sense for you. We have the tools and resources to create posts, track comments and measure results. Call us at 510-687-9737 or fill out our contact form and let’s talk!