When considering whether or not to hire an agency, there’s no straightforward answer. However, there are a few things you should consider.

Social Media is a full-time job

Believe us, tacking social media onto someone else’s other responsibilities will not work in the long run. Everyone from web developers to account managers claim social media as a “side” responsibility however you should keep in mind:

1. The time. Hunting down story ideas, replying to followers quickly, posting newsworthy updates and maintaining an “always on” presence requires constant maintenance. Sure, there are auto-programmers out there but you want to make sure to keep your accounts in real-time as much as possible. This is a full-time job.
2. The voice. Nailing down your company’s voice requires a plugged-in writer or digital marketer who understands the brand and industry. Social media coordinators and strategists have a skillset that is unique from anyone else.

Hiring an agency might give you more bang for your buck

You could hire a full-time strategist to manage your social accounts but in the long run, hiring an agency might make more sense. For one thing, you get an entire team of writers, designers and web gurus at your service. For another, many agencies have specific expertise in measuring analytics and improving SEO.

Integrated campaigns

If you have an agency that’s handling your print campaigns, it’s a good idea to make sure print and social is integrated. It’s much more effective and will help drive sales. Sometimes companies have their own social media coordinator who manages each account, but they still work with agencies to help with branding, writing and measuring.

While every company is different, put some thought into your objectives with social media. Online marketing is no longer an option, it’s mandatory and if you don’t get on board now you could be losing out on many opportunities.

So overall, remember — there’s a lot of work that goes into social media campaigns and you have to dedicate the proper resources to this evolving medium.

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