September 20, 2021

What started as an online tool to help people connect with their loved ones is now a must-have business tool. Through social media, you can establish two-way communication with your customers. You can also share valuable content that resonates with them, compelling them to support your business. But as a business owner, you may have a lot on your plate, and social media marketing is not one of them. Luckily, you can hire a social media advertising agency to help run a cost-effective and beneficial campaign. However, hiring a social media agency is more than just checking out Google. There are other factors you should consider when looking for a reputable service provider. As such, we have listed eight factors you should consider when hiring a social media marketing agency. 1. Pricing The price is always going to be an essential factor in picking the right social media agency. However, the cheapest option is not always the best. As the adage goes, when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. What we suggest you do is collect free quotes from different marketing agencies. And instead of comparing them based on prices, consider what services they can offer and whether it is worth it. But if you have a limited budget, we suggest that you ask your prospects what services they can offer for your budget. Doing so can help you choose which agency can help you maximize your budget. 2. Experience It is essential to work with an agency that already has relevant experience in social media marketing. But we are not talking about the number of years only. You might also want to check their specializations. Here’s the thing: What social media marketing tactic you will use will differ based on your goals and the industry you are in. As such, you would want a partner agency that understands your concerns. If you run an online store that sells beauty products, you can choose an agency specializing in e-commerce. You can also opt to hire a social media marketing agency that has served many beauty product manufacturers. That’s because they likely have a roster of beauty bloggers, bloggers, or influencers. Regardless, we suggest that you hire an agency that can help maximize your budget. 3. Services Sure, a social media marketing company provider SMM services. But there is more to posting on Facebook than that. Some companies can manage your social channels for you. Some provide consultation, and some can help you with competitive analysis. Using our previous example, you can choose to do product photoshoots yourself and then forward the images to your partner agency. And then, they will be one to post the content and manage with audience engagement. On the other hand, some agencies can do everything for you. They can help you plan a campaign and set up a marketing calendar. They will do the product photoshoot and implement your SMM strategy. There are also SMM companies that can help you run an effective influencer campaign. Thus, you should always check what SMM services a company can provide before hiring them. 4. Connection For your business and partner SMM agency to prosper, your values must be aligned. Otherwise, you are not working with the right people. And you would not want to spend months working with people you do not vibe with. This is where consultation, requesting a free quote, and kickoff call come in handy. Doing so helps you gauge whether they can understand and cater to your needs. From there, you can discern whether you should hire an agency or not. Another thing you can do is opt for a short contract and extend it as long as: The agency can provide you your desired results. They are reliable and trustworthy (i.e., no shady marketing tactics). That way, you can save yourself from the headache of paying a hefty sum to someone wishy-washy. 5. Reputation Aside from connection, you should also consider a digital marketing agency’s reputation. This is where reading testimonials and checking a social media marketing agency’s client portfolio is vital. Mind you, an agency’s list of “companies served” is one thing. Thus, you can choose to connect with these brands and ask how their experience with your prospect agency was. Otherwise, you can check your prospect’s LinkedIn page and see the recommendations from other people. You can also do the same for their employees who have LinkedIn accounts. Doing so ensures that you are hiring a legit, reliable, and trustworthy social media marketing agency. 6. Portfolio As mentioned earlier, there is more to an agency’s reputation than having a list of brands they have worked with. Sure, these logos of known brands compels you to think that they are the best at what they do. However, you should also consider whether these brands are somewhat similar to your business. Doing so gives you an insight into their service niche and whether they can cater to your need or not. It also enables you to determine whether their values aligned with yours. After all, you would want to work with someone you can jive with. 7. Consistency Consistency is another factor that you should consider when hiring a social media marketing company. This means being able to deliver desired results and reports on time. Moreover, a reputable marketing company should educate you on how a campaign works. For instance, why your ads should target a particular demographic. Another example is explaining what the jargon on your report meant. Why do you have to use these-and-that hashtags? How do hashtags work? And how can it help your business? That way, you would know how you can get the most bang for your buck. Lastly, consistency is providing the same amount of work day in and day out. If they say they will publish a certain number of social media posts per day or week, you should see it happen on your social channels. 8. Innovation Here’s the thing: The secret to success