Did you know, it takes an average of 25 hours per month to manage one social media account properly? With so much content being produced online today, creating effective and engaging social media content takes time, consistency and knowledge! If your business is struggling to see results on social media – for example, if you aren’t meeting the objectives you have set for your social media (or you don’t know if you are), it may be time to reconsider how you are managing your social presence. Interested in outsourcing to a social media company?
Hiring a social media company is a wise investment for any business. To succeed in the digital space, you need a team of experts managing, monitoring and optimising your social content.
We know it can be hard to determine if your social media efforts are working or not, especially if you aren’t an active user of social media yourself! If you’re unsure about your current social media company or are looking to hire a new social media team, we’ve compiled 5 ways to audit your digital marketing agency to ensure you find the right fit for your business.
Check their social channels
The best way to assess a social media company is to look at their own social media accounts. At the end of the day, this is what they should do best! Practising what you preach, is imperative in any business if you genuinely believe in what you do and the value you provide to your customers.
Can you find them on social media easily? Do their social channels look polished and professional? Are they creating high quality, consistent and engaging content? Is their brand voice and message clear? Does the tone and style of their content appear cohesive?
A couple of red flags to look out for:
- Low engagement or no engagement with their posts – check a few recent posts and see how many likes, comments, video views and shares they have received
- How many followers do they have? If their following is ridiculously large (consider the size of the business and the size of the audience they might be targetting) this could indicate they have bought a fake following…. a big no-no on social! A very small audience (less than a few hundred) will indicate social media is not a priority or they don’t have the skills to build a following
- Not posting content consistently – When was the last time they created content for their account? Does it seem ad-hoc or implemented with strategic intent?
If their social channels don’t present them as experts in this field, it may be time to consider other options.
Ask for examples
Any reputable social media agency will have an extensive portfolio of past work. This is their chance to showcase the company’s successes, as well as the breadth and diversity of their work.
Request examples of their efforts to assess the quality and range of their experience. If their portfolio seems lacklustre or limited to only a few examples, this could be an indication of inexperience. Once again check the engagement on the social media accounts they work on. If people aren’t engaging with the content they are creating for their clients, how will they create engaging content for you?
If you work in a specific industry such as real estate or interior design, ask for examples of social media for real estate or interior design. It’s important that the company that represents you and speaks to your customers on your behalf, has a thorough understanding of your industry, customers and business objectives.
It’s also important to consider whether their business structure can adapt to the needs of individual clients. If their work looks to be following a set formula, chances are they will apply the same cookie-cutter service to your brand.
Be wary of rock-bottom pricing
Allocating budget is a must when it comes to social media marketing. Putting money behind social advertising and social posts ensures your content reaches the feeds of your target audience.
In the case of social media agencies, it’s important to look at their pricing structure in detail. If their prices seem too good to be true, the bad news is they probably are – as we mentioned earlier it takes around 25 hours to run a social media account properly.
Cheaper rates can mean companies may outsource their work overseas, could fail to deliver bespoke or branded content and won’t have the resources or expertise to produce creative strategies unique to your brand.
Some low-cost companies use automation tools (robots) to post generic content to your accounts, this approach receives little to no engagement and is generally ineffective in gaining cut through in the competitive social media space.
Cutting corners means your social media efforts are far less likely to succeed. Be sure to ask how your money is being spent and how their service is tailored to meet the specific needs of your business.
Results that seem too good to be true
If a company is claiming that social media will increase your revenue substantially in a mere couple of months or weeks or to get you thousands of engaged followers or tonnes of new leads in just a short period of time – be wary.
Do your research on some of the other item’s we have suggested in this blog and see if their credentials are stacking up. In particular, you may want to ask for case studies and even references if you are wary of their claims to success.
The reality is, it can take 6 to 12 months to really see results from creating and posting regular content on social media and most advertising campaigns will take around three months to deliver results and leads for your business.
How do they measure success?
Social media is driven by data. Every action your audience makes online is recorded, ready for your social media company to analyse and interpret if your social media agency has the right reporting software tools set up for you.
But, before you even consider looking at data you need to know why you are on social media and what you are trying to achieve. This should be defined in a strategy session with your social media company before they start producing any content on your behalf – remember a goal without a plan is just a dream.
Once you know what you are aiming for (it might be lead generation, client nurture or just brand awareness and community engagement), you then need to know which metrics matter to assess if your social media company is delivering valuable results. Ask about accountability and what analytics they are tracking, and why.
Look for a clearly defined reporting structure that keeps you informed and up to date with how your social media profiles are tracking. Regular review meetings are essential to monitoring what content is and isn’t working, and what action needs to be taken to address this – we recommend this be done monthly.
Need help with your digital marketing?
Chronicle Republic Communications is a boutique Sydney marketing consultancy for real estate, property and interiors professionals. We specialise in social media, content marketing, email marketing, blogging, search engine optimisation, social media advertising and much more!
If you are looking for social media for real estate, property or interior design our digital marketing experts can help you bring your brand’s story to life.
