“Oh, no worries. My secretary’s grandson is a whiz at social media. I’ll just have him handle it for the company.”

Unfortunately, many of us have heard this far too many times. A client who once relied on your marketing expertise to navigate the world of social media decides to take a different route. And while you certainly don’t have to be a marketing genius to successfully navigate the world of social media, there is something to be said for hiring a professional to do it.

Here are four things an agency can bring to the table for your company’s social media.

1. A plan — In today’s complicated digital space, it’s not enough to just post on social media periodically. Smart social media management can be a large driver for your business. For retail owners, it can drive sales. For others, it’s a relatively inexpensive brand builder. But no matter the industry, social media without a strategy is just a waste of time. In order for it to be effective and show ROI, you have to have a plan of what content you are going to provide your consumer, when you are going to provide it and how it fits in with your other marketing efforts.

2. Policy — Social media is exactly what its name says — social. That means sometimes, as in one-on-one conversation, things don’t always go right. A marketing agency can help you develop a smart social media policy that lays out policies and procedures for how to handle issues that may arise, such as negative comments, bad reviews, etc.

3. Ongoing management — Social media doesn’t take a break. If you’re posting regularly, your page needs ongoing page management to answer questions, field concerns and engage with consumers. An agency can help you with this, taking some of the pressure off of you.

4. Expertise — Navigating the world of social media advertising is not for the faint of heart. While it might be easy to hit the “boost post” on Facebook and go on about your day, that’s not always the most effective spend of your hard-earned marketing dollars. Social media platforms — particularly Facebook — have extremely detailed targeting options, which allow you to narrow down who you want to see your promoted content instead of spending money advertising to people who are not viable leads. An agency understands this targeting and will work to make sure your money is used as effectively as possible.

Looking for someone to keep your social in shape? Give us a call or shoot us an email at info@rustmedia.com.

‍