Outsourcing Social Media: Does it really work?

In September 2013, Boxless Media was founded to offer outsourced social media services to clients. Each month we are growing and building a stronger company by providing clients with several different levels of service. So today, I thought I would talk a little bit about the concept of managed or outsourced social media.

How Does Managed Social Media Work?
The concept is simple. First, we analyze the client’s current strategy and then we create a strategic plan which allows us to describe a variety of ways to achieve those strategic goals. The questions we ask are kept simple. Which platforms are we going to concentrate our efforts on? What is the content going to look like? How often are we going to engage? After these tactics are all articulated and agreed upon, our staff will go ahead and execute the plan.

Is Outsourcing Expensive?
No, in fact it is just the opposite. In many cases, outsourcing is cheaper than bringing in a staff member to manage your social media. Boxless offers a couple different levels of outsourcing with the intention of being able to create a custom solution for any client. We have outsourced services where the content is created and posted from our datacenter. We also have services where we will send a staff member to work at your location. And for businesses who require custom services, we offer the combination of both onsite and offsite management in order to provide the best solutions available.

Why Not Hire a College Student?
This is one of the biggest questions I get and one of the biggest problems I see with small businesses. Too often companies turn over the reigns of their social media to a staff member that has nothing else to do or an intern. While these individuals may know how to post on a platform, they are not trained on strategy and often do not know how to get the most of your social media. Often times our trained, professional staff can accomplish in one hour what one of these staff members would take many more hours to accomplish. Another problem with hiring an inexperienced college student to handle social media is that the client risks the possibility of social media efforts backfiring. When this happens, the client’s business will actually be hurt by social media as opposed to benefiting from it and generating revenue. So when you’re looking for quality social media services, consider the risks carefully!

Where Do We Get Content?
Our job is split between content management and community building. Content management is about sharing valuable content about your company. Most of that content we get comes from existing materials which are already available to you. We will put together an editorial calendar that will be reviewed and approved by someone from your organization. Additionally, we comb through emerging trends and follow the latest updates in your industry in order to maintain a competitive edge for your organization. Finally, any other material comes from regular meetings that we hold with a representative from your organization. It is a way that we keep informed of your changing priorities, updates and more.

What Can We Expect after Hiring Someone to Manage our Social?
Our staff is trained on how to build communities around specific products and services. We also know how to create engaging content and bring it to life. When we accept a client, we become an extension of your team, working to achieve your strategic goals. If those goals revolve around brand awareness, we will put your name out there. If they are about driving sales, we will work to get your product in front of all the right buyers. Our #1 goal is to make sure you are achieving your goals, so if that isn’t happening it means that we will lose you as a client. Luckily at Boxless, failure is not an option.

What if We Have Social Media Staff Already?
There are so many platforms out there. The secret to effective social media is to conquer one or more. When an organization has a social media staff already, we can still be a help. An organization can bring on a company like ours to manage platforms that your team can’t get to. If your team is completely dedicated to your Facebook account and blog, you can outsource your Twitter, Google+ or other accounts to our social media specialists. Our cross functional teams are able to take on the most difficult challenges involved with current and new social media trends. We stay on top of daily changes such as Facebook’s new Edgerank which entails a new algorithm designed to restructure the way their news feed works.

There is great value in social media. No matter what the size of your organization is, outsourcing social media can help. If you would like to learn how we can help your company, contact us and we will be happy to put together a custom proposal free of charge.