What Skills To Look Out For In Your Social Media Agency

Making the decision to hire an outside agency to work on building your brand on social media is an important move. Social media is such an important part of your brand that you would be doing yourself a disservice if you did not go the whole length to decide on your social media partner agency. Many of the larger agencies offer social media as an upsell, rather than a core competency. You want to understand if it is a key offering, or a footnote to tack on additional revenue. Check out the below points below before you decide on your agency:

Its About Passion Backed By Knowledge

Seek out agencies that are glued to every changing moment in the field and devoted to their clients. The agency must be buzzing with employees who are passionate not just about social media, but also the larger online context it sits within. They should be keen on discovering new ways of connecting with the online audience on the different social media platforms.

Always On – 24×7

For all we know, social media is the fastest evolving medium of advertising. Look out for an agency which is dedicated enough to handle any scenario from positive developments like promotional videos going viral to negative consequences in crisis situations. There is no greater peace of mind for a brand manager than to be able to employ an agency to which they can just pick up the phone in a time of need and know that the matter will be swiftly dealt with, no matter the time of day.

Social media is about making connections and building relationships

At the core of social media is not about selling things. Sure, that can be a result; but only if you value and master the art of building relationships. Look for an agency which is focused on connecting to customers online and in ways that bring them closer and make them brand champions. A good social media agency understands the importance of building relationships with fans and followers and that it is not just about making posts.

Social media has a gestation period

Yes, it does. Look for a social media agency that doesn’t over-promise. Social media traction takes time. There is no quick fix. Always seek an agency that believes in building genuine connections and doesn’t use short cuts to get there. The truth is, if an agency tells you they can get you thousands of organic fans/followers in a short amount of time, you might want to end the conversation right there.

Social media isn’t one size fits all

You just can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach for social media strategy. If an agency comes into an initial meeting with a plan all laid out for you, they don’t know what they are doing. A good agency will ask questions about the company, customers and social resources in addition to what goals and social success the brand is looking out to achieve. If your potential agency isn’t asking questions like these, they can’t possibly create a strong social media strategy for you.

Overall, making the decision to hire an outside agency to handle a social media campaign can be a lengthy process. Ideally, the relationship should be beneficial in the long run, which means it may help to keep the elements outlined above in consideration.