Three Things to Look for When Hiring a Social Media Agency

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Why only THREE? Well, I’ll save more of those “things” for another post so we can just focus on a few here today. After sharing with you two extreme examples of companies you shouldn’t hire (click here for that article), I feel that I need to inject some really good information into your lives. So here goes…top of mind now.

Does the agency provide more than social media? The whole gamut of services is out there from folks who’ll do maintenance on your accounts to those that will design a comprehensive strategy for you.

Paying someone to post sounds like you could just walk away from social media, doesn’t it? Hiring this sort of agency is only going to work IF you already have your strategy in place. Better yet, if that strategy is documented, you may have to do little more than hand that document over to the poster. If not, you’ll spend just as much time teaching this person how to post on your behalf, thus not saving any time! And that poster may call you constantly with questions: “What do I do…?” Ah, but they’re inexpensive! Not so if your days are suddenly becoming longer.

Look for an agency that has a vast knowledge of marketing beyond social media and understands how all the aspects of marketing are tied together. Your brand needs to communicate one clear, concise message that flows seamlessly.

Does the agency understand your brand? You’ll discover the answer to this one during an initial discussion. Are they listening to what you are saying, or telling YOU what you should be doing?  The agency needs to understand the brand as you see it, not as they “envision” it. They need to feel the soul and passion of your brand and translate that energy to social media for you.

Is the proof in the pudding? In other words, are they credible? A good agency will know how to keep people engaged on their Facebook page, on Twitter, etc. Check and see if people appear to enjoy interacting with them: Look for complements and/or thoughtful responses to their posts/tweets.

It’s important to note HOW they demonstrate their knowledge; a good agency will not be blatantly throwing out sales pitches to people. They may be blogging; that’s a good sign that they are eager to share some of their knowledge while quietly demonstrating that they do indeed possess the expertise you are looking for.  And what does their website or Facebook page look like? If you see a landing page with a big arrow that says “click here”, move on! If they are using a personal account on Facebook for their business, you should be questioning their grasp of social media (see my post regarding THAT subject here).

Do they call themselves experts or gurus? Move on. Being “self-proclaimed” proves nothing. Instead, look for comments and/or recommendations that substantiate the knowledge level of the agency. Be careful with these as well; they may or may not be truthful. A bit of research via your favorite search engine will reveal whether or not this agency possess the chops you that you require. Check out the owner’s profile on LinkedIn; does it appear legit? WHO is recommending them?

We’ll bring you some more tips via a future post. In summary, use common sense, and don’t believe everything you read. Research, research, research!

Would YOU Hire These Companies?

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It gets to be a drag sometimes trying to compete for business, especially in the Social Media arena. So many “experts”! So many “gurus”! Granted, many are good at what they do and I salute them. But I’m amazed at how many seem to have set up shop overnight; wonder if they actually get any business. And, as in any industry, true talent ranges from faking’ it to well-seasoned and knowledgeable.

Recently, a rather interesting company started following me. Am I worried about competition from them? Heck no! They supplied some welcome comic relief that I really needed and provided a perfect example of who you shouldn’t hire. Note: The name of the Twitter account has been changed.

The bio reads: @NOCRED_PR_LLC “is a Social Media Brand Management company that makes managing & growth of your social media presence Affordable & Effective. (followed by a URL)

The bio is certainly promising. The URL was not. It led to a personal profile on Facebook, and in this gent’s profile picture, a playboy bunny was getting cozy with him. The bottom of the photo read “IRockParties.com”.

Are you reaching for the phone yet? No? Well perhaps a sampling of tweets will get you calling:
“Who else on the West Coast Right Now?”
“1000 Twitter Followers in 24 Hrs”
“Give me a Call 555-555-1212 for any #Twitter Inquiries”
“Today's Publicity Sale of the Week!!! 10,000 Twitter Followers @ $59 Per 1,000!!! Deal Lasts only for the next 36 hrs!!! Call 5555551212” (this one has been posted steadily for the last few weeks).

Does the bio match the tweets? Enough said.

And here’s another “expert” that had freely posted the following in a LinkedIn group (name has been changed):

“Hi everyone! My name is Paul Olssen and I am known as The Twitter and Social Media Guru! I have over 222,000 followers on Twitter. My Social Media company is absolutely the best there is at branding you and your company as the leader in your category in every facet of social media. We are the best at what we do. Contact me and we can discuss your needs and how we can help you!”

According to LinkedIn, this gent is presently works at five companies, several of which he is CEO of. For each job description there’s this:
“Online Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Social Media Networking, Social Media Trends, Social Media Content, Online Media Content, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter, Ping.Fm, Linked, Online Media Strategist, Social Media Trainer, Social Media Marketing Strategies, Social Media Blog, Social Media Philosophy, LinkedIn for Business, LinkedIn to success, Linkedin video, Social Media, ….”

That’s only the first five lines; there are 25 lines of this babble which seems to be a batch of misplaced keywords.

What’s wrong with BOTH of these ambitious people? The first things that come to mind are:
• Lack of credibility: No background, no foundation. What have they done? What was the outcome? How long have they been doing it? Mr. Olssen had five recommendations on LinkedIn, but do you believe they are true recommendations from clients?
• 222,000 followers on Twitter told me immediately how the bulk of Mr. Olssen’s time is spent. Sorry, but the number of followers that someone has does NOT make them a rock star!
• Lack of professionalism: Just not seeing any professional chops from either of these examples. And let’s face it; posing with a playboy bunny would kill the deal for most people…is that where my hard earned cash goes?
• Direct sales approach: Social Media is not a sales tool, yet these two “experts” use it as such.
• Spelling and Grammar. No comment necessary.

Now that you've seen when it’s obvious who NOT to hire, for my next blog post I’ll discuss a few things to look for when seeking out assistance with social media.