What to Look for in a Social Media Agency

Choosing a digital and social media marketing agency isn’t all about the price, though it should fit your budget. Finding the best social media marketing agency for your business requires research and careful vetting during the interview process. Here are some things to look for when you’re searching for an agency to handle your social channels.

What to Look for in a Marketing Agency that Handles Social Media

Finding the right social media partner comes down to evaluating what they do well. Learn more about their philosophies and expertise on certain platforms and make sure they understand your brand priorities.

When choosing a social media agency to work with, look for a partner that:

1. Knows your industry and/or shows they’ve researched it intently
2. Offers services that fill all the gaps in your team, from design to content to daily management
3. Applies your personas and customer demographic data
4. Establishes clear KPIs with you and is able to demonstrate success

Why the Right Marketing Partner Matters

PwC research indicates that social media is the most common source of inspiration for consumer purchases. It takes a lot of research, testing and time to be that source of inspiration for your audience. It’s no wonder that 28 percent of businesses are supported by a social media marketing agency like Oneupweb. If you’re ready to join them, follow these tips for choosing the right team.

Know Your Business Goals & Budget

Before you start searching, you should have a general idea of what you hope a social media agency will accomplish and what your budget looks like for hiring. Ask yourself these questions as you get rolling:

• Are you hoping an agency will take over 100% of your social media marketing?
• Do you want the agency to provide design and content for your team to mix into its own calendar?
• Do you need a social media audit to evaluate which platforms need more work – or should be abandoned?
• Does your team need help creating monthly, quarterly or annual social media reports?
• What are your specific KPIs that indicate social media success?

The perfect social media agency fit will listen to your goals and tell you how they plan to achieve them.

Do Your Research

Once you know what you want from an agency, begin your research. Start by asking your business network for referrals, as someone may be inclined to give you a great recommendation. If you’re overwhelmed by figuring out how to choose a social media agency, this is a way to quickly narrow the field.

If you prefer to find the perfect agency on your own, you can Google your way there. Try varied searches rather than only “social media marketing agency.” For example, search for social media management services, YouTube services, social media advertising, etc.

Build a list of your favorite options, and then research each company individually.

Here’s what to look for in a social media agency’s website and other digital properties:

• Reviews and testimonials
• Specific industry experience
• Social media service descriptions
• Social media case studies
• Design service descriptions and/or portfolio
• Reporting capabilities
• Content that demonstrates expertise in social media marketing (e.g., great social presence, great blogs)

As you check items off this list and confirm any other must-have characteristics, you should be able to narrow your list down to two or three options. Schedule one- to two-hour discovery meetings with the final contestants.

Ask Good Questions Before Hiring

Choose a social media agency that will serve your business well. First, explain your goals and expectations to each potential partner. Then consider asking these questions:

1. Do they have initial ideas for achieving the goals you outlined?
2. What level of support are they able to provide?
3. What workflows can you expect for submitting feedback on their work?
4. Do they know your social media management platform? (if applicable)
5. Do they have experience with your industry? It often makes sense to choose a social media agency that knows your industry or a similar audience.
6. Do they have enough availability to dedicate a lot of hours in the beginning? Their answer will indicate whether they can accomplish critical tasks first before slowing to a more measured pace.
7. Do they provide reporting that shows ROI? If you don’t have specific metrics tied to your goals yet, now is also a good time to ask them about which KPIs may be best to track progress.
8. Do they recommend any additional technologies for managing social or tracking performance?
9. How do they stay on top of trends in social media marketing?

Throughout the interviews, one team is bound to stand out as the best social media marketing partner. They will answer your questions well and have a comfortable rapport with your team members. If you end up with a tie, however, you can always request proposals from both and decide after that.

See If You “Like” Oneupweb; Schedule a Meeting!

Whatever your social media marketing needs are, Oneupweb’s experts would be glad to support you. We have been providing digital marketing and social media marketing services since the pre-Facebook days. Because we’re a full-service agency, our clients can easily align their social strategies with other marketing channels, including SEO and paid advertising.

See what we have to offer. Reach out online or call (231) 922-9977 today to get started.