Outsourcing social media is one of those topics that people get weird about (Google “outsource social media” if you don’t know what I mean.) If a large company can outsource their web design to an agency, and their PR to a different agency, and their customer service to a call center, why is it so taboo for a small business to outsource their social media presence to someone with the time and talent to manage it effectively?
So is social media this magical purist place where things work differently from the real world? IS IT NARNIA?! Of course not. It’s a communication channel. And outsourcing your social media presence to a qualified community manager is a great idea. Here are some things that will ensure a successful outsourced social media program:
1) Your Community Manager needs to be on call 24/7
Ok, maybe not 24/7. You can probably give them 1am-7am local time to sleep. But seriously, they need to be getting real-time updates everytime someone mentions your brand on Twitter, or in a blog post, or writes a Yelp review, or comments on your Facebook fan page. By setting up these profiles, you’re sending the message “Here’s a new way to get in touch with us!” Imagine if someone called your business and left a message, and you didn’t get back to them for 3 days. Do you really think they’re going to give you money?
THERE IS NO POINT IN PAYING SOMEONE TO MANAGE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IF ALL THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS SCHEDULE OUT 3-5 POSTS A DAY AND NOT BE THERE TO INTERACT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. Capslock, so you know I meant it.
2) Your Community Manager needs to be empowered to act
Since you found someone who is getting real-time updates from customers about your business, they need to enable to do something about situations when they arise. If someone Tweets that they got the wrong order (but took their grief to the Interwebz instead of taking it up with the server/manager, as people often do these days), the CM needs to be able to call the on-duty manager and inform them of the situation so they can make it right. If someone writes in a Yelp review that your contractor was drinking in their house instead of installing their new carpet, then you need to listen to your CM when they tell you about it and fire your contractor and apologize to the customer. Your business (especially if you’re in hospitality) has situations offline where a manager can comp things, or issue a refund, or take other corrective action. The CM needs to be able to do these things online.
3) Your Community Manager needs to be kept up to speed with the business
They need to know what’s new, and what’s changing, as quickly as you do. Raising your prices? They better know that the lampshades that were $10 yesterday are $20 now before they talk about them. They better know that there was a popular band added to the benefit show lineup so they can talk about it. They better know that you’re closing early tomorrow. Otherwise, how are they going to tell your customers?
Ideally, your community manager physically visits your location (or if it’s an online company, physically visits YOU) at least twice a week. Why? Because as a business owner, you might not think to send your CM updates about things that could be used to promote your business – (Woodlands got a pinball machine and didn’t tell me! Fortunately I was there the next day losing all my quarters in it, so I was able to let our fans online know.)
There’s a lot more that makes a good Community Manager – PR/marketing background, technical savy (HTML, video editing, Photoshop) but if you have someone who is available, empowered and in-the-know, you’ll be in a better situation than most.
What are your thoughts on outsourcing social media?
(Also, if you want to outsource it to ME, let’s talk)
Nate Riggs says:
Coverage hours and empowerment is key. Lots of agencies today think that they can do the whole scheduling content thing, and in most cases it fail miserably. Agencies are not staffing firms. Each piece of content your schedule is meant to spark a conversation. If no one is there to intercept those replies on the content, you, your brand and your business loose – plain and simple.
What’s interesting is that most business (small to large) don’t have the time and man (or women) power to engage in the conversations they create. I think we are going to see outsourcing grow more attractive as more and more business mature in their understanding of how the social web works.
From a financial angle, it makes sense too. Outsourcing means that the company is saving about 30% on benefits as well as other overhead costs associated with hiring someone full or part time…
Good post Cheryl.
May 05, 2011, 6:36 pmRick Coplin says:
Solid thoughts, Cheryl. The Community Manager (outsourced or not) also must be completely in line with the company’s mission and strategy in order to develop an aligned, cohesive communication and interaction plan that includes contingency responses as you allude to above. The CM should have a direct connection to all things marketing, including a seat at the table when key decisions are made and plans are being formulated. That alignment will enable the CM to proactively represent the company, effectively complimenting the existing marketing and advertising and engaging customers on a personal level. I agree with your assessment that a company with someone who is available, empowered and in-the-know, has a leg up on the competition.
May 05, 2011, 6:59 pmCheryl says:
Nate – Thanks for the comment. Financially, at least for small businesses, it’s much more than a 30% savings – a community manager is not a 40 hour gig. Maybe 10. MAYBE. Larger companies with larger conversations obviously require more time, though.
May 05, 2011, 7:09 pmCheryl says:
Rick – Thanks! You’re absolutely right. Being aligned with the business mission, and voice, is critical to success. I really liked this post from Shankman the other day about your humor vs. the companies, I think it falls in the same line: http://shankman.com/thats-not-funny-four-rules-for-handling-humor-with-your-brand/
May 05, 2011, 7:11 pmChristian Adams says:
Was at Gary Vaynerchuk’s book signing and he revealed that anytime Vayner Media gets a new client they get a Community Manager that they work 50 hours a week. On top of that their is an chain of command to handle beyond that. Now of course he handles bigger accounts with bigger budgets, but it can be doable with smaller budgets and less staff it just takes more buy-in and that is when the real need for empowerment comes in especially for motivation to be the brand champion(s).
I find that having a community manager with the right mindset and hybrid approach of customer service and marketing (finding new opportunities / sales leads) are the ones that are the most successful. Then if their strategy is correct they quickly become recognized as the authority on subject matter by peers in their industry as well as potential leads through location based engagement.
Great post, Cheryl.
May 05, 2011, 11:25 amCheryl says:
Thanks for the comment, Christian! I can easily see this being a 50+ hour a week gig for a big brand, but local and regional businesses really only need 5-10
May 05, 2011, 1:00 pmkkreft says:
Is it really outsourcing if you’re hiring someone to become a vital part of your organization, keeping them in the know about your operations and having them interact with and for your company on a daily basis?
I think that’s where the disconnect is.
If you’re hiring someone to become part of your company’s force, they’re not really outsourced – even if they’re providing the same services to other companies and aren’t considered a “full-time, on the payroll” employee.
May 05, 2011, 1:04 pmCheryl says:
Fair point – however, I don’t think a lot of businesses (unfortunately) look at marketing or customer service as the “vital” part of their business
May 05, 2011, 1:19 pmJacob Stoops says:
I agree with Karin. When a company “outsources” their Social Media (if they are taking SMM seriously in the first place), that person/firm will/should truly become a vital part of their business.
As for coverage, I believe that it is absolutely key to have somebody ready and willing to interact with your customers at all times – but this part can be hard.
I think the big thing for any business is that they shouldn’t outsource EVERY part of their social media. A business’ persona on social media is something that represents who they are personally and professionally, and sometimes only the biz owner can truly convey that. So while I think it’s okay outsource many aspects of social media, I feel that most businesses should take a team approach and take part in their own efforts. It’s cool to get someone to drive strategy and help updates the pages, but in order to get the most bang for your buck you should also participate as opposed to the set it and forget it mentality… just my opinion though.
May 05, 2011, 1:31 pmCheryl says:
Jake – There are some businesses that don’t really have a persona, though, don’t you think? For ones that do, maybe a restaurant where the owner/head chef is well known, or a fashion boutique where the owner handpicks every item… yeah, it’d be great to have those people involved. Not mission critical, though. But really, MOST small businesses – an auto repair store, a neighborhood bar, a pizza place, a printing company, there’s usually not any buy-in from customers to the actual owner.
May 05, 2011, 1:38 pmkkreft says:
I think there are philosophical questions in this whole debate that have to be addressed. Like, do you think that customer service is one of the most important tasks in your business – one of the things that can effectively make or break your business? If so, then you’re probably going to want to view social media as an aspect of that service. Which will make you believe that it’s essential to your company.
May 05, 2011, 7:10 pmBut, if you think that customer service is just for dealing with complaints – an add-on that you don’t want to deal with, then… you might not want to do social media in the first place.
Additionally, how you view social media affects things. Do you view it as a tool that allows you to interact with customers? Or do you view it as another medium for blasting messages outward – just like all your traditional marketing efforts? If you view it as the latter, then the outsourcing question is moot – just do whatever’s cheapest. But, if you view it as the former, then you’re going to want to take great care in how you handle things.
Cheryl says:
Well said, Karin!
May 05, 2011, 8:28 pm