You’re working on your 2014 marketing plan and have some budget available for social media. The problem: You have no one on staff who knows much about social media, aside from occasionally posting to their own Facebook page.
What you need is a social media marketing consultant. But with so many people and agencies promoting themselves as social media “gurus,” how do you know when someone truly knows what they’re talking about?
Here are five things to look for in a social media marketing consultant:
1. They include blogging when they outline a social media strategy
We said it long ago on this blog – the role of the blog in social media is critical. It’s the hub. In fact, just a few months ago, socialmediatoday discussed why blogging is more important today than ever.
2. They understand your audience
When you buy billboard space or air a TV commercial, you have a target audience in mind. The same goes for a social media campaign. If your services are intended for a B2B audience, Twitter or Facebook are likely to garner more traffic to your website than Pinterest or Instagram. A good social media consultant learns your business, its needs and most importantly the audience you want to speak to. Which brings us to No. 3…
3. They don’t recommend every channel
It seems that every few months, there is buzz about some new social media site. Just because there are dozens of social media options doesn’t mean you need to use them all. Each social media channel has specific user demographics. A good consultant will have clear recommendations about which channels are best able to reach the people you want to reach.
4. They read
Social media is dynamic – constantly moving, changing and evolving. A good consultant keeps up with trends and optimizes your campaign based on new opportunities.
5. They measure
Using social media is great for most businesses, but is it producing a ROI for yours? A consultant worth his or her salt knows that social media efforts need to be measured. Not only that, they are familiar with KPIs that actually mean something.
Who helps you with your social media marketing?
