Social Media Staffing: Employee, Agency, or Consultant?

More than ever before, your customers today are online and spending more time on social media platforms. To reach them, you may need to establish, expand, or improve your social media team.

To hire and whom to hire? That is the question.

With social media marketing now decades into existence, various options in talent and resources are available to you.

But what solution is best for your company: an in-house social media manager, an agency partner, or a consultant or freelance partner?

Five Considerations

Before making any decision, consider these five key points:

1. Goals. Quite simply, what are your social media goals? Having a clear understanding of exactly where you’d like your social media to be, or what will define success, is the most important first step.
2. Needs. Now knowing what you’re hoping your social channels will achieve, what will it take to get there? Production of fresh creative assets, more robust tools, more manpower, a new perspective or experience, or something else?
3. Expertise. Who would have the appropriate level of experience to manage the workload? Would it be a junior, midlevel, or expert individual or team? Or a team with a combination of differing levels?
4. Internal resources for training and compliance. How hands-on do you want to be in managing this individual or team? More realistically, how much bandwidth do your department or your company have? Is your team equipped to take on employer responsibilities?
5. Budget. Finally, what is the available budget? Having a firm understanding of the budget available to achieve your social media goals and bring on the help you need will play a significant role in finding the appropriate fit.