Thinking about hiring a social media manager or agency? Congrats!! Outsourcing your social media to a professional is a big step in growing your business long-term.
There are SO many social media freelancers/agencies out there – so how do you choose the right one for your business? Here are some of my tips and questions to ask when considering working with a social media expert.
- Are they up-to-date with the ever-changing world of social media?
- How often will they post? I usually advise posting a minimum of 5 times per week on both Instagram and Facebook (more for Twitter + Pinterest if you choose that option. Anything less and you probably won’t be able to see much growth.
- Do they plan? Certain events in the news or trends can change a monthly content calendar — but it’s imperative that your SMM expert have a content calendar. Your SMM expert needs to be open to their clients wanting to promote something that day and shift the content calendar accordingly.
- Is your SMM manager a graphic designer as well? Or at least have access to a graphic designer… Unique, original graphics for your post is a must. If your SMM manager is using apps like Canva your posts will not look unique.
- How often to communicate do you expect to communicate with them? How do you want to communicate with them? Asking these questions prior to starting an agency or manager can prevent issues down the road. If you’re wanting to communicate every day via text, and they’re expecting 2x a week via email, you might want to look elsewhere.
- Will they handle community management (replying to comments & DMs & engaging with other accounts? Some clients prefer to handle this in house. Especially if you are a service-based business and need to chat directly with customers to schedule them or answer questions. If you’re comfortable with them handling it, be sure to provide them with an FAQ list so they can quickly address customer concerns.
- Have they worked with similar brands in your industry? Typically, some experience with your industry is preferred, but it is not necessary.
- Are they managing your social media for at least 1 month? Anything less WILL NOT WORK. If you hire someone to just do a week’s worth of social media managing and marketing — you’re wasting your money.
- How will you be charged? There are three main pricing models I’ve seen: hourly, flat fee, and a percentage of sales. There are pros and cons to each, so make sure you choose what’s best for your business. If you anticipate requesting a lot of edits and changes, hourly might not be the way to go. If you’re killing it in sales already without the social media agency, maybe don’t consider the sales choice. I charge a flat rate to avoid any of these issues.
- Do they have any testimonials from past clients? If they don’t, this is a huge red flag! Ask them about the similar brands they’ve managed – like what you see? That’s a good sign!
- Where are they based? The great part about social media is that they can essentially be located anywhere. However, it is typically beneficial for your time zone to be the same (or similar!) for communication purposes. Also, if they are doing any photography for you, it might be best to keep this done locally as shipping fees can get expensive.
Be sure to do your research when reaching out to social media agencies and freelancers and then ask them any of these questions if you couldn’t get them answered prior to reaching out.
And if you’re looking for a one-woman social media maven? I’d love to work with your brand. Let’s chat!