This is a permission-based re-post of latest blog from colleague Tom Treanor, Founder and President of Right Mix Marketing Inc., whom I have long respected for his sound and pragmatic social media and marketing advice and expertise. Definitely worthwhile subscribing to Right Mix Marketing blog, and following him on Facebook and Twitter! Thank You, Tom.
Outsourcing Social Media Management: The Flawed Logic of the Badged Employee
I sometimes see posts on social media or articles talking about the evils of outsourcing social media management to an outside consultant or company. The assumption is that your company’s social media activities are an extension of your company and that it needs to be “authentic” (i.e. coming from you).
This sounds great in principle, but if we look at how companies actually work, we can see why this logic is flawed for many cases. Here are five ways this logic falls apart:
1. “Only employees can ‘get’ our message”
Any social media manager needs to internalize the company message and find the right way to apply that to social media. The communications in social media often represent the owner, the company leadership, the company culture, or the official communications line. Consultants are often more aware of the nuances of different company messages and how to tie this to specific social media goals. A good consultant’s ability to “get” the message and translate it into social media action often matches or wins over a (non social media specialist) employee’s perspective gained from working “in the trenches” every day.
2. An untrained employee can be a serious liability
An intern, store manager, a bartender, a PR professional (learning social media) or others who understand social media from a personal perspective but who don’t have training can be a liability for your firm. Learning social media for business “on the job” is a very visible and potentially dangerous way to handle this valuable marketing opportunity.
3. Social media consultants can be 20x more effective
Even a good “generalist” employee will likely not be aware of all of the tools, nuances and resources available. You can’t package years of hard-earned experience into a few months of training or time behind the wheel of your company’s social media program.
I’ve experienced situations where the social media designee spent several hours researching a topic (and were still not taking any action) where I can come in and complete the same task (e.g. setting up a certain Facebook ad) within 15 minutes. Just to make this clear – 5 hours (and still not done) vs. 15 minutes is 20x more effective. This is just an example, but an external expert can be infinitely more valuable. For example, a successful blogger outreach program is infinitely more impactful for your brand over one that never gets off the ground!
4. Joe the consultant. Bad. Joe the employee. Good.
So you meet Joe, who’s a social media consultant, and you use his services. Is that bad? If you suddenly decided to hire Joe and he takes over your program tomorrow as a badged employee, is that good? The badge doesn’t change the dynamic. If Joe’s good, you actually have more flexibility to use his services as a consultant. You have more flexibility to ratchet his services (and costs) up and down. No need to let Joe go if you’re not happy. No need for the long interview process, the employee training, the insurance and many more items that come along with employment.
5. Social media may not be a full time role for smaller companies
Many smaller companies are not in a position to hire someone to work on social media (or even marketing) full time. They feel forced to designate an employee to take it over, taking time away from their “day job”. In this situation, you may be sub-optimizing your social media marketing while also impacting the employees regular performance. In this case, I recommend using a consultant while having someone designated to work with them, to learn the ropes, and to help align the social media messages with the company line.
Don’t get me wrong. I think companies need to be investing in social media skills and in hiring employees to take on key social media marketing roles (if they can afford it). But don’t think an untrained internal resource will have the impact that your company needs to succeed in today’s online environment.
Don’t hire carelessly or set them up for failure
Make sure you choose the consultant well, involve them in your company’s day-to-day activities (so they “get” your company), and keep the lines of communication open. No consultant can “guess” what your company message is and what messaging style you prefer.
I’d love your thoughts: What’s your take on this? Do you have a strong opinion either way? Have you seen problems with internal social media managers or social media consultants?
Outsourcing social media marketing isn’t going to be a problem as long as there’s sufficient information provided by the client. Those who take on this job are smart individuals because they won’t be in this industry if they’re not.
Outsourcing your social media marketing is not going to be a problem as long as you provide sufficient amount of information. Lads who are receiving the tasks are smart, they won’t be in the business if they’re not.
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Anyways, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
Thank you! You can also subscribe on my Home Page http://www.ymarketingmatters.com to get my blogs delivered to your inbox. Best Yasmin
I respectfully disagree. As a former agency employee, I’ve come to realize that social media really should be an internal venture. Your point about finances makes a lot of sense. But if it’s at all feasible, I believe businesses get the most value out of hiring a qualified professional to manage things in-house. Your point about effectiveness doesn’t really apply so long as the company doesn’t attempt to fill the position with the lowest common denominator i.e. an inexperienced intern.
When I worked for an agency, I ran into all kinds of roadblocks with respect to the types of content to share, creative direction, miscommunication, etc. For this reason, I feel I’m more valuable when I’m playing for the actual company team as opposed to an outsider. Besides, response time is critical on social sites. The customer service aspect of social media really puts consultants at a disadvantage. When someone messages a fan page about placing an order, the business needs to respond asap. It’s a lot easier to reply promptly when you know the business in & out or can quickly get the answer from a colleague. This is especially important when you’re building your brand’s presence because people like to respond to a real person. Our customers can easily see where I work and recognize me as a featured admin on the Facebook page. In short, they know where to turn with their online questions. Consultants don’t have that kind of brand recognition and trust. Just my 50 cents 🙂
Hi Katherine,
Thanks so much for your comments! I always appreciate comments, insights and opinions. I absolutely respect what you say, and obviously this comes from your firsthand experience, which is all the more valuable. All your points are valid. I think outsourcing vs. in-house social media also very much depends on the type of business as well as finding right “person” to take this on, be it internally or agency. Both have know that they are the voice of the company, in every sense of the word, and must create almost personal relationships, timely responses, and completely understand the messaging and branding of the company. Sometimes an internal person can do this well, but is often overwhelmed with other work responsibilities. An agency, on the other hand, has its interests based on delivering and making this a success, and has the experience to know how to do this well and efficiently. But there are a lot of different elements at play, and its a fine balance. But companies should choose what suites them best to get the best results.
Yasmin
Thanks Yasmin for republishing. I’m really glad that the message resonated with you!