In-house or outsourced social?

It is the question as old as... well social media. Should I execute a social media marketing strategy from within my team or should we outsource it to an agency?  This is a question that plagues marketing directors all over the world. The answer is never simple, it's never black and white. 

Content posted on social media networks should be by nature related to the company, brand, product, or something that by nature would be understood by someone internally better than someone externally managing multiple companies. That said, the benefit of managing social media across industries, channels or brands could also be a benefit in terms of cross over promotions, collaboration and sheer experience and knowledge of the platforms. 

Pros of In-sourcing your social media management

In-sourcing your social media execution comes with the benefits of insider product and brand knowledge and experience.  No one knows the brand better than the people that eat it, sleep it, and dream it.  The latest news about the company, or brand, the language and voice of the company will all be better understood by someone in house than someone from the outside earning a fee. Depending on market conditions and available skill sets on the market, in-sourcing your social media marketing can also possibly save money and time depending on your strategy and the skills of the individual and how they fit to your team. 

Pros of outsourcing your social media management

Outsourcing comes with benefits too.  In most cases when you outsource your social media marketing you will get more than a single person that performs all tasks, but an account manager, copywriter, graphics specialist, and possibly an analyst depending on your needs. Having people that specialize in specific aspects of your social content is a huge plus as you get content at a higher standard. They also should come with up-to-date knowledge of the platforms they manage and best practices across various industries that could add value to your strategy. 

My two 'sense'

As our motto suggests, social with sense, I have my own opinion on this.  Years of client side experience has led me to believe the best solution is a combination of the two.  This though can be hard to find as it means expectations will be high. Strategy and content calendars should be lead from the client side while execution from the agency side, usually with a nice social media management platform as the middleman. 

For more information on how to combine the two effectively, give us a call, let's sit down for a coffee and discuss your goals and your strategy and see how we can find the balance that is right for you!