E-marketers know original content is their most important source of social content. But how will you find the time to write original content when you spend so much time just managing your social media presence? With all the social media platforms to post and respond to, it may be time to outsource your social media management—especially since new studies show Twitter users expect responses within an hour.
Bigger companies have the advantage of being able to hire employees to solely concentrate on social media. You may not have the resources to hire someone full time, but you can outsource. Take a look at freelance websites such as Elance and you’ll find a large number of social media and emarketing experts willing to take on your business’s social media activities. Here’s how to make it work:
- Get it in writing. What can you expect in terms of response time? What SEO tactics will be used? What kind of metrics can you expect to receive? It’s a good idea to have a trial period to make sure this is the direction you want to go.
- Train well. Do you have a certain “voice” or personality you want to present in your social media? Make sure the freelancer understands it. Also give the freelancer all the tools needed to answer customers’ questions quickly and accurately.
- Don’t be completely hands-off. It’s not realistic for you to completely hand over all the social media interaction for your business. You don’t want to lose touch with your customers, so check in regularly to get a sense of what’s going on.