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 a LinkedIn account.
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 this-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 is constant learning. As such, you might want to work for a social media marketing company that takes the time to level up its skills.
How would you know that they constantly upskill? They either attend or speak in events.
You might also want to check their company website and social media profiles. Often, an agency that values education also shares information that can help bring your marketing campaigns up a notch.
Why is this important?
For one, social media platforms update their algorithm from time to time. If they do not keep themselves abreast, how will they be effective at what they do?
That said, consider whether an SMM agency is something that finds time to learn and share their insights to their audience and clients.
Over To You
A reputable social media marketing company can help you with the following:
- Build a marketing strategy that can help maximize your marketing budget
- Expand your audience and market reach
- Achieve your business goals
That said, you should keep the eight factors in mind when looking for an SMM agency that you want to hire. Doing so ensures that you can focus on other aspects of your business. That’s because you know that there is someone trustworthy who’s helping you thrive on social media.
