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In recent years, social media marketing has become increasingly important to businesses. This is where a social media marketing agency comes in.
In fact, in 2021, 91.9 percent of U.S. marketers in companies largest than 100 employees were expected to use social media for marketing purposes. About 71% of SMEs use social media to market themselves. Of those who do, 52% post at least daily.
But how can a company ensure that its social media marketing efforts are effective?
In this post, we are going to look at what a social media agency does, and how to choose an agency. Also, we will look at how you can align your business to work well with them.
What is a Social Media Agency?
A social media agency is a business organization that provides social media marketing services to clients.
A social media marketing agency will help you develop and implement social media strategies. They create and maintain company content on various social networking sites.
They also provide branding, advertising, and public relations for digital media campaigns. The objective of a social media agency is to help businesses gain visibility, grow their audience base. Also, to attract more customers via social networking websites.
What Does a Social Media Agency Do?
Tasks performed by a social media agency range from providing set up, maintenance, and monitoring of social media profiles. This includes creating new content for social media pages and even designing the graphics for company pages.
The goal for any business that hires a social media marketing agency is usually to increase the number of followers on its pages. It can also be to generate leads or sales from the followers they already have.
Since businesses are hiring the agency because they can't do this on their own, they expect results rather quickly. As a result, social media agencies must be able to deliver.
An agency brings together social media experts as well as marketing, branding, and content specialists.
The main role of a Social media marketing agency is to advise clients on how to make the best use of social media platforms. They in turn develop a strategy that will deliver the best results for their business.
Tasks performed by the staff of a social media marketing company include:
- Understanding the brand, its target audience, and how best to reach them on social media.
- Planning, implementing, and managing various social media campaigns
- Creating engaging content across multiple platforms
- Identifying key influencers
- Measuring and optimizing results.
Today, most business owners will agree that new online information is created every second. There are approximately 7.5 million blogs published every day. Also, 47% of buyers view three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. This is from any social media platform.
This is massive amounts of data. It's no surprise businesses are struggling to keep up with all the latest trends.
They need to focus their efforts on creating content that is of interest to their customers. Not just that, it needs to align with their business objectives. That's why many businesses choose to hire social media marketing agencies for this.
How to Choose a Social Media Marketing Agency.
Tapping into a social media agency's network will bring your brand new leads, as well as followers. Your followers will have an interest in what you have to say.
However, not all social media agencies are equal. Some specialize in digital marketing. Others work to align businesses with their target markets using social networks.
Some have much more focus on specific platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. Here are five tips to keep in mind when choosing a social media marketing agency:
1. Identify your Goals.
If your business primary goal is to increase brand awareness, then you'll be looking for an agency that specializes in branding, rather than one that focuses on sales revenue.
The same goes for any other marketing objectives you may have—whether it's increased traffic or improved reputation. Know what you're looking for and find the agency that can deliver it.
Do you need help with better understanding how to use social networks effectively? Be clear about this upfront so you can ensure that your agency is helping you meet these goals.
2. Understand the Agency's Expertise.
A social media agency should know and understand your industry, target audience, and goals. Look for an agency with experience working with businesses like yours.
3. Look for a Collaborative Partner.
Social media marketing can be complex. You must work with someone who will take the time to listen to your ideas and help develop a strategy that works for your business.
You should feel like you're working together as a team rather than handing off responsibility to your agency.
4. Choose an Agency in it For the Long-Term.
You should look for an agency that will do more than just post updates on your business social accounts.
They should proactively engage in conversations with prospects and customers using those channels. It can be answering questions, engaging with new followers, or posting useful links.
5. Think beyond Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
If an agency specializes in digital marketing, it should be familiar with all major social networks.
For example, LinkedIn is an excellent place to find professional connections. Facebook on the other hand works well for engaging one-on-one or with large groups of people.
For SEO benefits and increasing your reach check for what they can deal with other platforms like Pinterest. Social media sites emerge and trends like Tik Tok can build great audiences for your business.
How to Work With a Social Media Marketing Agency.
A social media marketing agency can help your company with its social presence in many ways. It can help build a foundation for your company's presence on various networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For you to succeed, however, you and your team need to also be prepared for this task. Here is how you can prepare for a social media marketing agency.
Have your Content Plans in Order.
Your social media marketing agency would ideally like to start by getting a full understanding of your business goals and objectives, as well as the broader marketing strategy. This way, they can best align your social media marketing to complement that strategy.
If you’re looking for an experienced social media marketing agency, they will likely request a variety of documents from your company. Some of these include a social media strategy, content marketing plan, and general marketing plan.
Even if your business is still new, it’s never too early to begin documenting your goals. The sooner you document your goals and strategy, the easier it will be for you to share that information with an agency when the time comes.
Numbers that demonstrate the business’s commitment to social media. For instance, if your business has an active Twitter account but no Facebook profile, you should explain why you have one but not the other. It could be due to limited resources or staffing.
If you have an existing social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, or another channel, provide links so the agency can see how things are getting done. Also, include links to content that is successful for your business. This can be blog posts or videos, as well as any analytics about traffic and engagement.
Social media marketing agencies need all the information listed above to create a complete picture of your business and its brand.
The social media audit gathers all the data needed to assess your brand. It also helps to standardize terminology across your organization so everyone is on the same page.
Hire an Agency That you Can Trust.
Hiring an agency that you can trust and works with you in good faith is a challenge. There are several steps you can take to find an agency that’s aligned with your values, customer base, and goals.
The first step is to research the agency and its social media strategy. Review their blog posts, case studies, and ask for references from other companies they have worked with.
While talking with these references, try and get a feel for how the agency worked with your contacts and what type of results they were able to achieve. By finding an agency that aligns with you, working together will be smoother and more productive.
Another way to ensure the best working relationship is through a contract. Make sure the company has a contract in place. Make sure it clearly states what is expected from both parties. The contract should include details on deliverables, payment terms, project management strategies, timelines, and expectations for both parties.
Finally, make sure you have a set of ground rules before hiring an agency. These ground rules should include topics like confidentiality, ownership of content created by the agency for your organization, etc. Having all these pieces in place before starting a project will ensure a smooth working relationship.
Have an Efficient Communications Plan.
You might have a plan for your marketing communications, but do you have a plan to communicate with your marketing agency?
One of the most important ways to get the most out of your agency is by communicating well. The first step to having an efficient communication plan is to make sure that your agency knows how to contact you.
A communications plan will help your agency understand the best way to communicate with you. Your agency should know whom to contact and how to best reach you.
If you have a complicated schedule, include that in your plan. If there are specific people who are the main contacts with your company, list them as well.
Your agency should also know what information is important for them to learn about your company. If they need to understand the ins and outs of how your business works daily, include it in the plan. If not, keep it general.
You don't have to answer every call or every email immediately, but it's in both of your best interests if you respond within 24 hours. Any longer than that can mean a delay in your social media plan.
If you're not available or not picking up calls, make sure that someone else on your team is available and ready to take messages.
It's a good practice for you and whoever handles communicating with the agency to schedule a time where you are both available. That way, you know if one of you is out of the office for a meeting or has another commitment.
Having an efficient communications plan between the client and the agency is one of the most important aspects of creating an effective social media campaign.
Grow your Social Media Reach and Engagement.
In all essence, to be successful in Social Media marketing, you need to hire the right kind of agency. You need one that has experience in how information is shared on social media.
The benefits of working with a social media marketing agency are numerous. Delegating this part of your business to professionals can bring you peace of mind, as it allows you to concentrate on the business.
It is not unusual for SMM agencies to work with several brands at once. This means they are more experienced in dealing with many clients who have their own specific needs.
A big part of your decision will depend on your budget. But, you will also want to look at other factors like the recommendations you receive from others. Also, the results that the agency has produced for past clients.
Grow your social media engagement.
