Have you been considering getting someone to help you manage your social media needs? Hiring the right person or agency to support you is an important first step in getting your brand and your message out there.
But you want to be sure you've got the right skill set in place to support your needs. What do you need to consider when outsourcing your social media? Here are 6 important attributes you'll want to think about:
Skill #1 Native speaker with flawless grammar
You can't afford to have your social media content filled with basic spelling or grammatical errors. You want your fans and followers to be consuming your content, not distracted by the errors you've made. Sure, we'll all human and we make plenty of mistakes every day, but try to minimize them by spending the extra money to get a native English (or whatever language you operate in) speaker it's worth it.
Skill #2 A master of multiple platforms
A social media outsourcers who only knows Facebook will not be of much use for most businesses. Unless you're absolutely certain you're only going to use one platform, hire a person who will have no issues working on all the other platforms/networks out there. You don't need to be on all 800+ major social networks, but be certain to cover some of the most populated and active platforms, like Twitter and LinkedIn, in addition to Facebook.
Skill #3 Knowledge of your industry
It might not always be possible, but having someone working on your behalf who actually understands your industry, the needs and concerns of your target audience, and the topics they'd respond to, will make the whole process a lot smoother. They'll be able to connect better with your followers, and they'll be able to answer basic questions themselves without constantly bothering you with them.
Skill #4 Social skills
It may go without saying, but social media is about, well, being “social.” And having someone in place who knows how to generate social engagement and interaction is key to your success. This is certainly not something everyone is capable of, but it's absolutely crucial in order to keep up the reputation of your brand.
Skill #5 Willingness to keep learning
Social media is always evolving, sometimes at a speed that's difficult to keep up with. That is, however, part of the job for a social media manager. If they're not willing to stay updated with the latest trends, they're not going to be very useful in the long term. Ideally they are passionate enough about social media to consider it an interest, meaning they'll spend time outside work hours updating themselves with the latest news.
Skill #6 Complementary skills
Social media content isn't just about text. It's visual, the ability to find an curate great content, and integrate other media into telling your story as well. Finding a person or agency with these capabilities will really help you stand out from the crowd.
Bonus Skill A structure in place
Having the skills is one thing, but finding a solution with the right structure in place to help you thrive is even more vital. Is your social media outsourcer tracking their success? Are they helping convert your followers into customers? Do they have a system in place for you to grow your reach?
Not all outsourcing solutions are the same. One option that comes with all the skills above (and more), is an agency called Likable. Check out what they do, and schedule a free demo here.