Outsource your Social Media Marketing

In all of life's uncertainties a couple of things that we can take for granted

a) Social Media Marketing works
b) It takes bucket loads of time to get the campaign underway and for it to pay-off.

If you belong to the category of entrepreneurs/individuals who need social media marketing but do not have the above bucket load of time, then consider if it is worth investing in either a full-time employee or outsourcing it. I am not a big fan of the full-time social media expert idea and this is why:

• Too expensive: This is probably the most expensive option to take. The experts cost a lot and the novice could end up costing you much more in the long term. 
• Lack of expertise: Social media is an evolving phenomenon and there are not enough individuals who have really understood the nuances of their medium. There are also many aspects to social media, it is not possible for one person to fully understand and integrate relevant aspects of social media to your overall business plan. A Social media company on the other hands brings the expertise of the team to play for you.
• Dependence: With just one expert, you are up shit creek, if they decide to quit, fall ill whatever. What happens to your plan, what happens to continuity? 

Outsourcing, on the other hand, works out to be better value for money and you actually get experts who bring their learning from different companies to play for your campaign. However, I see two main issues with outsourcing; a) what do you outsource and b) who do you outsource it to

What do you outsource: Basically everything related to setting up your presence on the social media networks. Once you have decided on what you want to communicate, let the agency recommend the right platform (facebook, twitter, youtube, linkedin, blogs etc), the strategy and the campaign look and feel. There is a level of programming involved with facebook and this too can be part of the package.

The one thing that you should not outsource at any cost is the interaction or the dialog with your audience. The exchange is key to a successful social media campaign and is the one area which needs you to be personally involved.

Who do you outsource it to: Way more difficult to answer. For starters you can check out this list of digital agencies I have compiled. However, barring a couple, I have no personal experience of their ability, expertise or professionalism. Meeting with them and talking to their clients should give you a good idea of their capabilities.

However, if you are still not satisfied, I would recommend you try out a freelancing site like elance.com. These sites list a number of providers who bid for your work. Quality is assured, as their ability to garner more projects depends to an extent on how existing customers rate them. You can check out their ratings as also testimonials from past clients. Another advantage of going this route are the rates. Since it is a bidding, rates are extremely competitive. I have used elance on a couple of occasions and am pretty satisfied with the value proposition the site provides.

Finally, Social Media Marketing has become too big for you to ignore. It has to be an integral part of your marketing plan. But, do realize success here depends on keeping the communication going with your customers...so that is one aspect that you have to keep with you. No one can talk about your company/product better than you can.