How to Hire A Social Media Marketing Company
How to Hire A Social Media Marketing Company
As a small business owner hiring outside help just comes with the territory. Labor law, price negotiations and an understanding of job duties are usually fairly easy to ascertain simply from taking a quick look at the resume. Of course, hiring a social media consulting firm often sounds easier than it actually is, in part, due to the lack of true transparency as well as the dynamic and volatile nature of the field itself. As a social media consulting firm, we spend a lot of time educating consumers – not simply because we want to own your business (of course that is part of it) but because an informed business owner is able to make the best decisions for their business and avoid costly, time consuming mistakes.
Do Your Due Diligence!
Would you knowingly hire a security risk? How about someone capable of sinking your entire marketing department into a legal quagmire? If course not! Small business owners routinely perform background and reference checks, interview job applicants and verify prior performance before hiring an individual yet often scrimp when it comes to outsourcing vital segments of their business to a social media marketing firm. Big Mistake! Not only will you share important strategic aspects of your marketing and client population but less than professional firms can compromise communications and client relationships. It’s imperative to understand how to protect your firm prior to making the decision of hiring or outsourcing your social media marketing needs.
What Not to Do…
While it may seem counter-intuitive, asking friends and family for referrals is usually NOT a good idea when it comes to selecting a social media marketing firm. Unless they happen to be small business owners or professionals in the field, their opinion about the primary personality or “likeability” of the provider doesn’t carry sufficient weight. In fact, it might just make things worse. It’s hard to do business with a nice guy who just happens to sink your business. Let’s face it, you will come out looking bad and feelings will be hurt. Like the old adage – it’s often a good idea to keep friends and family out of business decisions.
What TO DO Instead…
While asking for personal suggestions from friends and family isn’t usually a good idea, that does not mean you should enter into a relationship blindly….far from it! Instead, take time to inquire into the experiences and outcomes experienced by other small business owners. Ask the social media consulting firm for a sample of their client list for business entities of roughly the same size. Remember, size does matter when it comes to marketing! For example, it might be possible to toss enough money at the marketing firm which handles big boys of business like Walmart.com but don’t expect to get top hat treatment when a problem presents itself; chances are, you are simply too small to compete. On the other hand, if you are a mid-sized concern, be sure the social media marketing agency has sufficient resources to handle all your needs.
Additional Sources of Unbiased Research
Once you have established that the size is a good fit, the next step is to perform the equivalent of a “background check” on the prospective social media consulting firm. Why? Well first of all, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate all the information…good and bad. Remember, small business owners that have worked with the agency are likely to be those with a good experience but negative experiences may be just as important. Perform a quick search on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to assess the presence of any negative feedback.
What Not to Do…
While performing outside research, it is important to keep a few considerations in mind. First of all, don’t automatically put a lot of weight on one or two negative testimonials…it could be a disgruntled ex employee, a client that didn’t pay or even a competitor. It’s also important not to fall for a common practice; positioning games. It goes something like this…the marketing agency directs you to perform a very specific search and viola’…they come up on top! It’s supposed to demonstrate tech savvy but in fact, often does the opposite. Keep reading to learn why and how to combat this common complaint.
What TO DO Instead…
Instead of relying solely upon one or two positive or negative testimonials, search for trends instead. Check out BBB references, D&B Ratings, prior clients, the reputation of upper management (and associated track record of prior success!) as well as overall reputation of significant providers. You can tell a lot about a company from the team, their business partners, prior endeavors and overall track record. On the other hand, don’t allow yourself to be swayed simply due to a top billing on one or two specific niche areas…remember, it’s not THEIR position that matters but rather that of their clients. It’s not unusual to find larger clients doing business with providers that would barely be recognized by the average consumer…but other corporations certainly take notice. For instance, ever hear of Bango? Most people haven’t but Facebook certainly took notice and has entered into aggressive positioning with their mobile marketing efforts. The same applies to social media providers; don’t be misled by the positioning of the company itself; instead, evaluate the growth record of their clients. After all, it’s of little consequence how big your social media marketing agency is if your business fails to thrive alongside.
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