Have you ever felt overwhelmed when staring at your business social media accounts?
Maybe you’ve considered hiring a Gen Z family member who’s always on their phone, or you’ve bookmarked some freelancer profiles while browsing Fiverr. And that’s not even before thinking about the expertise and resources that come with a digital marketing agency.
In the digital era, deciding who mans the ship of your online brand can be a real challenge. Dive in as we spill the tea on the pros, cons, and candid realities of each option for social media management!
What are your different social media management options?
Let’s decode your three main options: Doing it yourself, contracting a freelance content creator, or hiring an agency.
- DIY. The Do It Yourself approach is all about diving into the social media pool with your own hands. Whether you’re personally crafting posts as a small business owner or bringing someone on board just for marketing, DIY means keeping things in-house and direct.
- Freelancers. Freelancers, often described as ‘content creators’ manage your social media accounts all by themselves. They’re self-sufficient and avoid your payroll, all while bringing a personalised touch to your brand’s online presence.
- Agencies. The all-star teams of the social media world. A social media agency is often made up of a team of dedicated social media professionals, from account managers and marketing strategists to content designers and caption writers. They work collaboratively to amplify your brand’s voice, backed up by high-level expertise and resources.
Pros and Cons of each social media management option...
Every approach to social media management brings its own sets of strengths and challenges. Let’s break down the highs and lows of each to help you pinpoint the best fit for your brand.
DIY Social Media
Pros
- Cost-effective: There are no external hiring or management costs.
- Full control: Direct control over content, with no waiting time for approvals or revisions.
- Personal touch: If you’re personally doing the management yourself, your personal touch is easily conveyed.
Cons
- Time-intensive: Managing social media can be time-consuming, especially without prior experience.
- Learning curve: Requires time and effort to keep up with changing trends and platform algorithms.
- Potential inconsistency: Without a dedicated team or plan, posting can become irregular.
- Lack of strategy: Many people who try and DIY their social media management don’t have the skills or experience to build a functioning strategy for business marketing.
Freelancing Social Media Manager
Pros
- Specialised skills: Many freelancers are experts in specific areas of social media.
- Flexibility: Typically more adaptable to specific needs or changes in content and trends.
- Saves time: Delegates the responsibility of social media management, freeing up your time.
Cons
- Varied expertise: A freelance content creator might excel in visuals but lack in other areas like social media strategy or captioning.
- Limited resources: Individual content creators will only have access to their personal skills and resources, unlike an agency with access to a whole team of people's skills and expertise.
- Costs: While less expensive than an agency, it’s still another ongoing cost for your business.
- Reliability concerns: A single point of failure. What happens if an emergency comes up or they’re sick? You are relying on a single person to manage what should be a largely successful part of your business marketing.
Social Media Management Agency
Pros
- Diverse expertise: Agencies bring together specialists in every facet of digital marketing and social media.
- Consistency and reliability: With a team in place, there’s always someone to handle tasks even when some people are unavailable.
- Holistic strategy: Understands how social media fits into broader marketing strategies, with experience working in other marketing areas.
- One-stop solution: Multiple digital marketing services can be packaged together, including paid advertising, professional content creation, website development, SEO and other digital services.
- Unlimited potential: Want to get your brand on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit and LinkedIn all at once? With access to a whole team of people, you aren’t going to overwhelm a single social media account manager.
- Vast network: Access to a wider range of creators, influencers, and social media management tools that DIY and freelancers often can’t afford on their own.
- An understanding of ROI: Agencies are fluent in the digital marketing space and know how important ROI in marketing is for businesses. Content creators may see followers or views as ‘success’, whereas an agency knows that your business relies on results related to your business’s success.
Cons
- Cost: Generally, agencies are the priciest option (but arguably worth it for the value you get)
- Getting to know you: Sometimes the beginning phase of working with a social media management agency can be more difficult than doing DIY or working with a single freelancer, as you have a whole team of people who need to get to know you. Make sure your agency has a proper 'intake' system to make this easy!
How to choose the right social media management option
Where do you begin?
If you’re leaning towards DIY, remember that it’s not just about posting the occasional picture or tweet. It’s about understanding algorithms, engagement tactics, and analysing metrics. It’s a steep learning curve and demands your time and dedication.
Considering a freelance content creator? It’s not merely about hiring them and then setting things on autopilot. It involves consistent communication, providing feedback, and managing schedules. You’re liaising directly, ensuring your vision aligns with their execution.
With an agency, you’re tapping into an ensemble of professionals, each specialising in their own area of social media management. While it does come at a price, remember you’re playing for a comprehensive service that typically ensures consistency, a better chance at results, wide-ranging skills, and minimal stress.
Ultimately, your choice boils down to a blend of time, expertise, budget, and the level of personal touch you desire. Find the best possible balance for your business’s future success.
Struggling to navigate the ever-changing social media landscape?
Let’s face it: social media is like digital weather – forever changing and occasionally unpredictable.
Each year, we see new platforms emerge, algorithms shift, and user preferences evolve. For businesses, it’s not just about creating content – it’s about ensuring that your content aligns with the current trends and platform nuances.
When you opt for DIY or rely on a social media freelancer, it can be challenging to keep up with these whirlwind changes. With every algorithm tweak or new feature launch, you’re tasked with recalibrating your strategy.
On the other hand, social media agencies often have dedicated research teams and tools, ensuring that they’re always on the cutting edge of the latest changes.
Staying updated isn’t just about keeping up – it’s about capitalising on new opportunities and preventing your brand from getting lost in the digital shuffle.
What's the best option for optimum success?
Each option offers unique benefits, but if simplicity and optimal ROI are at the top of your wishlist, an experienced digital marketing agency truly stands out.
By partnering with marketing professionals, you’re giving your brand the best possible advantage, maximising engagement and conversion rates to help your business grow.
All In Creative – Your Sunshine Coast Social Media Management Experts
Looking for an experienced, on-shore social media management agency?
Our Sunshine Coast social media management team is made up of Australian experts with a wide range of skill sets, from strategy specialists to account managers, designers and professional writers.
We are already working with big national brands, right down to small start-up social media accounts that are just getting started, and we pride ourselves on getting results that help grow your business.
Talk to us today about how we can build you the perfect social media strategy for your business, budget and industry, and execute it to get you results.
We are here to make you look awesome!
