You might be struggling to understand the value and potential of social media for your business. With 2.62 billion social media accounts set up across the globe, the business potential of using social media to reach new customers is significant. Leading brands are seeing measurable results in sales, leads, not to mention positive PR and a boost to their brand image.

Outsourcing your social media will allow you to focus on what you do best, whether that’s generating new retail clients, developing new fruit cordials or researching sustainable packaging options. If you’re new to the world of social media management, you might be wondering what you should look out for when scouting the market for a social media management agency. We can help - take a look at the pointers below:

They provide expertise – A good social media management provider will know which social media channels work for you and more importantly know how to take advantage of new technology, tools and emerging platforms, whether that includes new features such as changes in character counts or personalisation features. They’ll also be making recommendations on messaging, tone and the best time to post

They know your sector - Do they have experience of managing social media accounts for other brands within your sector? An understanding of your industry, services, products, challenges and what will drum up some well-deserved attention will save you and them time in the long-run

They engage - What type of engagement are their current clients getting? If their last post was three weeks ago and there’s no sign of any online dialogue that should ring warning bells to steer clear

They have ideas – It can be hard to think outside the box when it comes to your own brand; your social media agency should offer a fresh pair of eyes with new, innovative ideas for content across channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube They understand performance and ROI - Tracking the performance and ROI from social media is vital; your agency should have a data-driven mindset and start by analysing your current online presence and engagement levels, then using detailed analytics to identify trends to develop a strategy to achieve your goals. They should have a close eye on engagement levels, followers, impressions and other metrics to prove their content is resonating with your audience and meeting your business objectives, whether that’s generating sales, building your brand presence or attracting new influencers They understand customer support is a priority – Social channels aren’t simply for posting content; service-led businesses use social media as key channels to interact with their customers; if that’s the same for you, your social media management provider should demonstrate the tact and diplomacy in their own online engagement that is vital for great customer service They know a fake when they see it – your agency will be able to spot a fake or copycat account; these can be detrimental to your brand image, so your agency will take action and arrange for these to be taken down to reduce the risk of any negative brand perception

Digital marketing moves fast. This undoubtedly impacts the rate at which social media features change, but for a business owner, particularly of an SME or startup, keeping up with these changes can be a challenge and time that you just can’t dedicate to. And that’s where working with a social media management company comes into play.

Soc-Med promise to provide all of the services mentioned above; next week we’ll be sharing more must-have’s when choosing your social media management agency.

If you want to find out more about how our team can help you boost your online presence across social media and reach new customers, give us a call on 0161 410 4455 or email our Director Kaz.