6 Reasons Why You Need to Outsource Your Social Media Marketing…NOW!

19Oct

If you are reading this article right now, the odds are that you are considering having someone else handle your social media marketing campaign. Maybe you are just too busy to dedicate any time to it. Perhaps you just don’t have the time to learn the “ins and outs” of social media. It could even be that you have been trying, but getting nowhere with your campaign. You need an expert opinion!

Sound familiar?

You are not alone. A recent poll done by Social Media Examiner found that 92% of marketers said that social media was important to their business. That is a huge number, especially considering the amount of people who just don’t have the time, resources, and know-how to really gain the benefits of a strategic social media marketing campaign.

If you have ample time, budget and are extremely experienced in how social media marketing works, then I say “Do it yourself!” There is no reason to outsource if you are successful and able to harness the power in-house.

But this scenario is unforunately the minority – especially when it comes to mid-sized and smaller companies who are either struggling to grow or are growing at a lightning fast pace. Both of these type of organizations need a helping hand, and outsourcing can do just that.

Previously I have written about the best practices to choosing the right social media marketing firm to handle your account – but this time I want to share some of the MOST common areas where companies need outsourcing the most and how my social media firm, The Go! Agency handles these concerns:

Design and Development: The benefit of outsourcing to a company like The Go! Agency is that we have a team of experienced graphic designers and programmers that are able to optimize your social media profile as well as create visuals throughout your campaign. And we do this for existing or brand new social media accounts.
Content Creation: Let’s be honest – who really has time to sift through the latest news and trends to come up with engaging content for their company’s campaign? We do! The Go! Agency’s team comes up with cutting edge content both written, and image and video for our clients every day!
Analytics: Is it a constant battle to try to figure out what is actually happening in your accounts? Our custom social media reports will give you a full detailed monthly look at your social media campaign as a whole, without you having to do anything.
Monitoring: Do you have time to log into each one of your social media accounts every day to check in? We do! Our team will go into your accounts on a daily basis to manage your reputation, reply to comments, and answer any incoming messages – all without you having to lift a finger.
Research: What is the best way to market on social media? Our trend analysis team stays on top of all of the advancements in social media so that we can protect your profiles and enhance them in real-time. We are proactive and NOT reactive. The result is a social media strategy that positions you as a leader, not a follower.
Strategy: How am I supposed to create a social media marketing strategy when I don’t even have time to work on a marketing strategy for my business? Don’t worry – we will do it all for you. We have been creating custom-designed social media marketing strategies for our clients for over 6 years. And, our clients must agree that they are working – we have a 90% client retention rate after the initial contract! In fact…I wrote the book! The Go! Method: 22 Simple Steps to Creating a Social Media Marketing Strategy That Works! Check it out on Amazon here.

If you need a solid social media strategy and are not sure where to start, outsourcing to a social media specialist firm like The Go! Agency will enable you to remove the confusion, get results, and be able to focus on what’s most important: running your business! Get in touch today to learn more!

What You Need to Ask Before Outsourcing Your Social Media Marketing Campaign

By Dale Griffen

15Jul

Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

(This blog has been reprinted courtesy of Doctor’s Life Magazine CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT ONLINE).

In my last two installments of “Your Social Media Prescription” we discussed “Social Media 101” – getting your online marketing efforts up and running, and “The Cost of Social Media” – showing you the pros and cons, as well as the true costs associated with social media’s ‘free’ usage.

In this issue, we’ll discuss what you need to know if you decide to refer your social media marketing campaign to an outside provider!

As in your practice, there are several reasons that you may refer to a trusted specialist. Sometimes you need a second opinion. Other times the needs of your patient may fall outside of your scope of practice. Maybe you may not be taking on new patients at the time, so you look to other professionals to help out, or take over those tasks.

The same may be true for your social media marketing. If you are finding that you, or the person that handles your social media in the office:

•   logs into your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account and just doesn’t know what to say several times a day, or…
•   scratches their head trying to figure out how to get your current and potential patients and referral sources engaged, knocking on your door or calling for appointments…
…then you may need to outsource! This is exactly what social media marketing firms do! Not only that, but a properly executed campaign:
•   puts you on the leading edge ahead of your competition;
•   highlights your expertise in the field; and,
•   places you in direct communication with other thought leaders – giving your practice a wonderful boost!

Think about it another way, if you wanted to create a TV commercial, billboard or print ad, you wouldn’t try to do the entire thing in your office, would you? You would hire the experts to listen to your ideas and goals, and then using their expertise – allow them to come up with a campaign that you will love! Social media is no different.

With that being said, use caution! Obviously, as in any business, not everyone out there that claims to be an expert in the field always is. To avoid wasting time, money and getting a bad taste for social media in general, there are several questions you must ask when choosing a firm to represent your social media marketing campaign. Don’t trust this public relations, brand awareness and relationship-building effort to just anyone. Make sure that they know what they’re doing, have a proven history of success, and that their own reputation, platforms and online following are in line with what you would like for your own.

You need to protect your reputation and to help you do so, we’ve provided 12 questions you may want to ask a potential social media marketing partner…

1.   First, look at their online profiles (the links should be available on their website). Do they have at least daily activity on each channel of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.? Do they have a decent number of followers? Is their brand aligned with the services that THEY provide? Once you get this data, bring it to their doorstep and ask them about the infrequency/frequency of their posts and the quality – will this be what you are going to do for us?
2.   Ask what sets their company a part from other social media marketing firms?
3.   Do they work with medical or healthcare related clients now (or in the recent past)?
4.   Do they know how to deal/work with the healthcare industry, including rules and regulations, patient privacy and HIPAA, to name a few?
5.   Will you be allowed to view and approve all final work before it’s sent out to your audience?
6.   Is all of their work done in-house, or do they work with partners during the delivery process?
7.   How much of the marketing work on the accounts is automated? Can they give you a percentage?
8.   How many people will be working on your account and have access to your passwords?
9.   Will they be monitoring your brand through the social media channels they are using?
10.   Will they share 3-5 past/current clients that you can speak with about their services?
11.   Will you have access to your account(s) during and after the campaign?
12.   What happens to your campaign if you stop working with them? Who owns it?

These questions should get you off to a great start. Obviously you want to also ask questions about the campaigns (and how they work), but the questions above should enable you to figure out how credible that potential partner is. Remember – go with your gut. Choose someone you trust or have a good feeling about. If you have distinct reservations, beware.

Remember, social media marketing campaigns can be extremely beneficial in getting the word out about you, your brand, your services and your ‘WOW’ factor!
Should you have any questions about why the above points are important to ask, or have any other questions – be sure to give us a call or send us an email!

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