When looking to tap into the incredible potential of social media for business, working with a social media marketing consultant is highly advised. Not least because more than half of the world’s population is active on social media whilst figures show that there has been incredible growth across multiple platforms. Here’s all you need to know about outsourced social media marketing and its role in boosting engagement for your brand.
What is a Social Media Marketing Consultant?
A social media marketing consultant is an expert who helps businesses achieve greater success across multiple platforms. They ultimately provide a variety of social media marketing services to reach and engage with customers in ways that allow companies to achieve their immediate and long-term goals.
To drive customer engagement, website traffic, and revenue, social media consultants work to enhance a business' brand management, customer engagement and organisational communications.
Let’s take a closer look at 10 features included in this role:
1. Strategising Social Media Campaigns
Successful social media campaigns don’t happen by chance. A social media marketing consultant will develop a clear strategy that will enable the business to make the most of its time, budget, and resources. This covers short-, mid-, and long-term goals whilst also considering how time should be split across channels. Likewise, a strategy will consider how organic and paid marketing efforts can create a symbiotic relationship.
2. Creating Content Plans
Content is king for social media, not least because it can encourage followers to introduce their friends to the brand or direct users to the company website. An SMM consultant can develop a plan that determines the frequency and timing of posts, as well as the types of content that should be posted. This covers various types of media (video, audio, text, infographics, live streams, etc.) as well as content that may have different intentions.
3. Managing The Social Media Presence of Businesses
Managing a social media presence can be a time-consuming process. From ensuring that the right image dimensions are used on each platform to protecting accounts from spam comments, there are many factors to consider. Ultimately though, maintaining a strong media presence, which also means getting it frequently seen thanks to understanding platform algorithms, will pay dividends. An outsourced social media marketing team is the answer.
4. Understanding The Social Media Environment
The social media landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade and continues to do so. From understanding which platforms are most suited to the brand’s target audience to considering advanced tools, such as Instagram shopping, social media marketing consultants stay on top of all developments across social media to keep businesses ahead of the competition. It ensures that brands continue to make lasting impressions.
5. Liaising with The Client to Develop a Social Media Strategy
Success on social media can be defined in many ways, not least because different businesses have contrasting goals. A social media marketing consultant works closely with the client throughout the early phases of development to discover the objectives. The insights make it far easier to develop a strategy that is aligned with the company’s goals and is best positioned to help deliver short-, mid-, and long-term success.
6. Developing Implementation Plans Based on Agreed Strategies
Building a strategy is one thing but implementing it is another. Even if the outsourced social media marketing team won’t be responsible for ongoing daily SMM management, they will implement the strategy and ensure that the business is ready to take over. This can include setting up automated scheduling and sharing, as well as setting up the pages in the first place. In essence, the consultant can help lay the foundation for future triumphs.
7. Monitoring Success
Thanks to an advanced understanding of social media, an SMM consultant can provide the guidance needed to help a company establish winning campaigns and strategies. In a data-driven world, though, it is equally important to monitor success. Aside from producing clear evidence of progress and helping the business forecast future growth, analytics can identify areas of improvement and influence the next decisions.
8. Calculating Return on Investment (ROI) For Campaigns
As stated, success can take many forms. When looking at ad campaigns on social media, though, ROIs are the most significant key performance indicator. Learning how to calculate the return on investment enables a social media marketing consultant to determine whether the steps implemented offer the best possible solution. If they don’t, the SMM specialist can find out the reasons and look for alternative solutions.
9. Reporting to The Client
A social media marketing consultant’s job is ultimately to keep your business prominent in the news feeds of your audience. Regular reporting is an essential part of the process, not least because it is a chance for your business to advise them of any changing situations. The SMM strategist will often introduce new ideas ranging from objectives like reaching new audiences to innovative technologies that are changing the landscape.
10. Looking for Continued Improvements
Many businesses make the mistake of thinking social media marketing is a task that can be ticked off as “done”. However, it is an ongoing process that requires updates and improvements to keep consumers engaged and ensure that campaigns deliver the desired outcomes. Outsourced social media marketing teams actively strive for better on behalf of their clients. Rather than simply getting to the top, brands can subsequently remain there.
Work with a social media marketing consultant today
Outsourced social media marketing teams can additionally complete the ongoing daily management of social media campaigns and strategies. Either way, contacting our social media marketing consultant will allow you to discover how we can help your business dominate the online arena. The road to bigger and more relevant social media followings starts now!
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