Should you outsource your social media?
Posted on by Ryan Deiss in Social Media
Ok, I just found the perfect new employee for you.
He/she has no college degree, spends 75% of their day on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc.), and demands to work from home. Oh and they want you to pay them to Facebook and Tweet all day. Do you have any opening for them?
Well, you should!
It’s definitely a unique age we live in where the kind of potential employee I just described has a bright future in social marketing. In fact, in all likelihood they could be the next vital cog in your company’s success machine.
How, you ask?
Marketing Sherpa just released a new report that shows an increasing trend in companies that outsource their Social Marketing Responsibilities.
It’s probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘outsourcing’, but it’s brilliant. Social Marketing can seriously boost the brand and success of your company. I mean, without Social Marketing, a lot of companies can’t even get their feet off the ground.
So finding someone with a love and knack for Social Media is a great opportunity for you to take your social marketing to the next level.
Heck, it will probably save you a few bucks too. The article I referenced for this post suggests hiring someone internal to do the job. But why would you when you can hire a specialist to do it for between $500 and $1000 a week. (FYI: that’s a deal)
In fact, I have a friend who’s working the other side of that deal…getting paid $500 – $1000 a month to manage social media for local businesses. It’s a pretty sweet deal for her. She gets to make 6-figures a year with just a few clients and gets to play on Facebook and Twitter every day.
If you’re into social media, maybe you should consider a career change. 
So what do you think? Would you trust someone to run your social media accounts?
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Madeline
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan
I read everybody’s comments & they have great thoughts on the subject.My 1st thought is still the same, we are people persons & the almighty dollar is important, I just wouldn’t someone else doing that for us. We need to do the research to make our views of benefit to our clients. That’s how we keep current on what’s happening in our market
I must also add, I like doing social networks, I’m one of those techy people that likes to get inside of an application. Plus I’m up very late to the early morning. I have the time then to do my networks. There are somethings that people prefer to have others do, it works for them and that’s great.I’m the old school that likes new ways to keep in touch w/folks.
Thanks for keeping us thinking with your thoughts
kailas
03. Jun, 2010
Sounds very interesting and very profitable for persons who are interested in social media. It really would pay off big time.
You come up with brilliant ideas.
Thanks.
Geoffrey
03. Jun, 2010
If I were selling a simple product–in the sense of it being uniform and with a finite number of components–like an e-book or an internet marketing package sold on a set of disks, I might outsource the social media marketing to another person. I understand that some of that work could be done by reliable people in Eastern Europe for a few $US/hour.
And it may make sense for a bricks and mortar retail store to hire a consultant with technical expertise in social media marketing to do the work of promoting the store on line, rather than using its own staff.
However, when I am selling my expertise of 30 years working with historic properties as a Realtor and historic property consultant, social media is not only a place to stay in touch with my sphere of influence but especially a place to showcase my unique expertise.
Beau Smith
03. Jun, 2010
Brilliant as usual, Ryan.
Yes, I would trust someone to run my social media accounts. Not just anyone, of course. But I would trust someone to do it.
I would want to have clear guidelines, objectives, etc. That would be necessary for any outsourcing. It’s important that both parties clearly understand the agreement.
Most business owners aren’t social media experts, and don’t want to be. Outsourcing to someone who is an expert could be very beneficial to both parties. The biggest problem I see would be finding someone who is truly an expert, not just someone who claims to be. The person would have to be good with social media, and understand (or be able to learn) the client’s business.
Is there a reliable source for this? Do you have or know of a course someone can take to become the expert? It would be very helpful when outsourcing to be able to check someone’s credentials.
Mega R. Mease
03. Jun, 2010
Out sourcing technical aspects of social media is a God send for those of us who are not all that savvy in those ways. The daily posts and content, however must be “all” mine. I use social media to build two way relationships. This creates a lasting trust and life long customers both ways.
Jim Knippenberg
03. Jun, 2010
I don’t have time to sit on twitter or facebook all day. I would LOVE to get someone to cheaply do all that for me as long as I could track measurable results instead of just throwing money down the drain.
(Things like backlinks, page rank, improved search results.)
What would worry me would be 1) Trusting my public image to someone who is not only a total stranger, but also more than likely has no amount of expertise on the topics I cover. And 2) the whole point of social media (if you’re a sociable person, which I’m not necessarily) is to hang out with people and get to know them. Kinda hard to do when I don’t even know the person responsible for going out there and “getting to know” people. Also, 3) if they like to sit on FB, Twitter, video sites, etc. and play all day, how do I know they are WORKING FOR ME instead of stealing my money and just goofing off?
Hardest part would be allowing someone else to post and answer questions about my topics I cover in my products. It could potentially be bad for business having someone who does not know the topic talking with other people about it.
If the person were an EXPERT on the topic, they’d more than likely be out there with a competing product instead of getting paid to do fb and twitter posts.
I suppose you have an upcoming webinar / conference call and course on how to take care of all that?
Jim Knippenberg
Vicki
03. Jun, 2010
You have touched on a topic that small businesses, home businesses, and entrepreneurs across the country (and the world) are struggling with.
Most business owners need to focus on the product or service they provide, not social media.. and so it may be overwhelming to add this new way of marketing into their plan.
Some may be interested in participating but are not comfortable with how or where to start. It is the engagement that works most effectively with Social Media so it does need to be a person behind the account, and not a series of pre-written posts.
The good news is that Social Media is still new and already delivering remarkable results to people using it the way it is intended. A small business simply needs to make the decision to participate, decide whether that means in-house or outsource, and join the fun!
Jamie Dunne
03. Jun, 2010
Hi,
Good stuff.
Ive being teaching this to my customers, clients & subscribers for a long time.
“Outsourcing” is one of the 3 ingrediants to successfully run a business. And social media is where the “people are at” today…
=JD
Cy
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for this post. From one perspective, social media is a venue for increasing traffic and conversions. If outsourcing any aspect of social media marketing can bring efficiency and improve effectiveness, then the approach is worth consideration.
We appreciate your thoughts in your post.
James
03. Jun, 2010
I don’t mind the signing up and configuring side of it, but the content i prefer to keep to myself. It’s my personality i like to push across more with the social media side of things, if i could clone me then not a problem but…..
James
Bertram
03. Jun, 2010
You should …
there is an interesting book, written by
Charlene Li und Josh Bernoff from Forester Research.
Guess who is in those networks
General Motors, BMW, Mercedes, Sony, Nike, Puma, and many others.
Viral networks are THE TOPIC.
And there is one company who has done a tremendous job. LEGO. Have a search!
Guy from good old Germany.
Alias Quaxcode
Rod Cleveland
03. Jun, 2010
I would out source. However, I don’t know what the best practices are in an efffective social network campaign. Is there anything available so to make easier to interview potential people and how to measure the work done and results?
thinkVAULTer
03. Jun, 2010
The e-scape that is Social Media changes and evolves so quickly that outsourcing makes a lot of sense. The “voice” and content can and should be internally generated. The skill sets and hands-on maintenance can come from outside the organization.
A well-planned marketing and internet visibility strategy MUST include
Natalie Alaimo
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan
Great article. I personally wouldn’t outsource my social media as I enjoy doing it too much myself. However it a service I do offer to my clients. At the moment it’s only the base setup of accounts and not the ongoing management. For me, my clients still need education on benefits and that Social Media is a long term strategy which they should be investing in. I believe that Social Media is fast replacing Search Engine Optimisation and companies need to get on board before they get left behind!
Nancy Montier
03. Jun, 2010
I hired my daughter to do this for me in my home business to work off money she owed me. She’s in her early 20′s. Once I trained her, she took care of some basics, and it was refreshing to leave the details. I had a file of 50 general tweets, and several tweets referring other peoples’ services.
James Hampton
03. Jun, 2010
To answer the question: would you trust someone to run your social media accounts?
My answer would be no. The reason is that no one can be me on social media. There is no mechanical responses or pre-programmed way to interact on social media the way I do (or anyone else for that matter).
Now if we’re talking about updating semi-static information, reports or other information that can be posted and forgotten for a while, then that’s different. But not for anything that would require “social interaction”.
Thanks the I see.
-James
Delores
03. Jun, 2010
Sounds like a good business. It’s certainly something that I could do from home. How do I get started with locating businesses?
Suzanne
03. Jun, 2010
As the Social Media & Marketing Manager for an Internet Marketing Company, I honestly don’t see how someone could justify charging $500-$1000 per month to post on Twitter or Facebook (unless your client is Coca-Cola or some other major corporation). Our prices are significantly lower and were intially based on the amount of time it takes to research and post something. It is tiered pricing so the more often you want us to post on your accounts, the more you will pay. If anyone can give me some insight as to how to justify those kinds of prices I would greatly appreciate it! This way I can state my case when asking the big guy (my boss) to increase our rates. Thanks for any info you can provide.
Chris Cox
03. Jun, 2010
Love the idea Ryan, but in my market social media depends heavily on their authenticity they bring into those relationships.
How do you teach an outsourcer, particularly, to speak in your voice and otherwise reflect the real “you”?
Or would you say it’s “worth it” to lose that in terms of return on investment?? Obviously it’s real easy to get someone to speak about your issues, but to speak in your voice and with your quirks has always troubled me about this idea.
Cheers,
Chris
Ryan Deiss
03. Jun, 2010
@Chris Cox,
They don’t necessarily tweet and write for you…mostly it’s the job of a social media manager/assistant to clear out the clutter so you can focus on relationships.
-Ryan
Manon Leroux
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan,
A great post and I am hearing more and more on outsourcing social marketing efforts. I would love if you had some references as to where I could find out what the “job responsibilities” of a social marketing expert would do. I want to help moms that have a desire to work from home and I believe this could be a great opportunity.
Thanks for your input.
Manon
Ryan Deiss
03. Jun, 2010
@Manon Leroux,
A lot of people are asking about this, so I’m working on putting together a list for you guys. I want to make sure I don’t recommend someone who isn’t reputable.
I can tell you that my friend is tapped out.
-Ryan
Kimberly Bollmann
03. Jun, 2010
I was just writing about this very topic. It seems people who work from home are spending more and more time working and less and less time living. Isn’t the whole idea of working from home so you can enjoy your time off? These tasks of social media are very time consuming and take a bit of skill to find the sweet spot. No wonder people are outsourcing. But doesn’t that take away the whole point… getting to know YOU – not some employee of YOURS.
Very interesting!!
Michelle
03. Jun, 2010
I have a 15 yr old daughter who would be in heaven to be able to earn some money helping out her mom if it meant she could be on the computer
Axl Midas
03. Jun, 2010
Yes social networking is extremely mind-numbing. Just wish I had the money to outsource!! Maybe soon….
Marte Cliff
03. Jun, 2010
Th more I read about social marketing, the more complicated it gets. I use Twitter, and belong to LinkedIn, Active Rain, and Facebook – and I comment on blogs. But I sure haven’t figured out a way to put it all into a marketing system.
I probably need to take the time to learn more about using LinkedIn and Facebook, but it’s not a cheerful thought.
I do know that I’m not interested in reading posts from someone who simply repeats the same offer over and over. And I see a LOT of that on Twitter.
Valerie Lothian
03. Jun, 2010
With the advent of Facebook, Twitter etc they have given rise to a new, or maybe now not-so-new, publishing industry which involves Social Media Experts and Specialists.
The rapid increase in knowledge and business has now also created positions for Social Media Virtual Asssistants, Digital/Social Media Coaches, Trainers and others.
A trend is here, it’s here to stayand it’s manily based around Branding.
Word-of-Mouth Referrals can be the best port of call when looking to consider outsourcing your social media accounts.
It’s a matter of being diligent and looking for those that can monetize your business ethically.
Regards,
Valerie Lothian.
Jeff
03. Jun, 2010
I am just starting so hiring someone is not in my budget yet. Unless their fee is based on the amount of work they have to do. I would not require the same amount of attention that a big player would. Therefore i would not expect to pay as much. please send me any additional information.
Anne Niosi
03. Jun, 2010
Outsourcing is the best practice whenever possible. There is so much information in the internet that can be utilized in supporting your clients that utilizing someone’s time for that research just makes sense.
Barb
03. Jun, 2010
Ryan,
My hubby and I were just having a discussion this morning about the benefits of social networking sites. What was the determination? Well they are beneficial but very time consuming to develop and twitter or facebook interesting content that builds the list. If You want to have real impact and you have little time, you do need to outsource it to someone.
Jonathan Edwards
03. Jun, 2010
Great thoughts Ryan. I’m just always caught in those thoughts that spending all that time on Social Media isn’t really adding up. It’s like a drop of water in a bathtub. You know it’s going to add up enough to overflow…but when?
Jonathan -
Dave
03. Jun, 2010
Could you elaborate?
jb publisher
03. Jun, 2010
how a brand represents itself through “social media” has been an explosive topic for about 2 years. enormous amounts of cash and verbiage have been wasted based on the assumption that social media exists for self-promotion. “spam”–by definition–is someone else’s self-promotion that the end user doesn’t think he wants.
as the cited article leaves as an implication, social engineering is a type of engineering.
it isn’t about driving traffic, it’s about steering through it to a goal.
Guy Siverson
03. Jun, 2010
No matter if you outsource or hire someone to do the job internally, making sure that social networking is part of the equation is extremely important for your success online.
However, why stop with FaceBook & Twitter when there are many other good resources out there like Ping.FM and SocialADR.com?
Matt Cazel
03. Jun, 2010
I think you could pick up someone fairly inexpensively to outsource your social marketing too. Teenagers. And college kids live for this stuff, most would love to be paid to do it for you. Think beer money, not salary.
I feel the baby sitting would be minimal with a little training and some of your companies marketing literature. As most small business owners will attest to this is the type of thing that gets axed from a marketing plan first since it requires upkeep time.
Mistress of Love
03. Jun, 2010
I am quickly realizing how effective Social Media has become. The ability to outsource keeping up with Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media is a fantastic idea and one I will likely pursue in the near future as it does take up a fair bit of time and I would prefer to devote my time to other valuable aspects of my business.
BestAffiliateNiche
03. Jun, 2010
It’s easy to build relationships on FaceBook and Twitter from home, that’s what they’re there for. If it’s written/managed by one person, the posts will be in the same voice, and no one will know the person isn’t in the office. I worked at home in Seattle writing for an online company in Maryland for three years and no-one would guess I wasn’t in the office. It is possible, just need to get those clients.
Kathy Goughenour
03. Jun, 2010
I like the idea so much, I’d be happy to match you up with a Virtual Assistant who has been through my Expert VA Training plus another company’s specialty training on Social Media. She’s very good at this!
Setema
03. Jun, 2010
Thanks for the post Brother Deiss. Droppin value as usual!
I see both sides and depending on where the passion and purpose is…one might outsource it.
If it’s NOT the passion, then yes outsource it and have someone do the ‘chores’ for you.
If it is the passion, then DO IT YOURSELF and get really crazy smart and effective on it.
Thank you again bro. Great post!
Daniel Howard
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan
Great subject here, we offer this to our Clients, for there promotions, content, discounts, ect…
We have so many clients that we have with managing their social media, we are looking for this exact Outsource for students to do for our business.
Really interesting Ryan
Cheers Ryan
Cody
03. Jun, 2010
I’ve wanted to start a side-business doing this for local businesses since twitter and facebook started booming. I know I could do it, and I could probably hire kids to do it for me for $10 an hour and bill $50 an hour, but I struggle with how to get those first couple of clients.
G
03. Jun, 2010
@Cody, Just like any other job you would outsource, I would suggest hiring a sales person to work as an independent contractor.
Douglas Robert
03. Jun, 2010
Wonderful idea, Ryan. But how do you manage what these people do? How do you set the parameters to make sure what they’re doing is in alignment with your business objectives… when social media isn’t your thing?
Doug
Nick Cifonie
03. Jun, 2010
I think you “need” to outsource it… however, I believe the “messages” I send to people once they’ve joined my list should come from me personally. Through my newsletter, blog posts, emails.
To do social media correctly, it’s a huge time-sink, and (IMO) purely a lead source. Social media brings people “to” me, as well as backlinks, etc. It takes so much time that I could spend doing things that bring in more $, that I outsource it.
Let the social stuff bring me people, then I’ll create the relationship afterwards personally.
Nick
Francces Flynn Thorsen
03. Jun, 2010
Good points! Business people have been paying for Google Ad Words for years. The advent of social media makes it possible to outsource a social media contract and receive the benefit of enhanced, organic SEO and build a social media presence.
(1.) Get first page ORGANIC ranking, drive new traffic, generate new leads.
(2.) Put an engagement plan into effect.
ckc
03. Jun, 2010
I just finished a mini MBA Social Media course which included doing business on facebook, twitter, web designs, html, designing mobile sites and Qr codes. Any business who does not have someone who can implement and manage this on a day by day basis will be left behind. Green Marketing is going to take over.
Having these skills make me very valuable.
Chris Hiller
03. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan
Great article – interesting as I have a client right now that is looking to outsource his entire social media program. Let me know that details of your friend that manages the social media for the local businesses – I might have some more work for her.
Chris
Craig
03. Jun, 2010
@Chris Hiller, I do this right now for several clients as part of my business. In fact my prices are right in line with what Ryan suggested in this post. Furthermore Chris, I would be glad to pay you a referral commission if you sent this client my way.
My site is http://buckeyebusinessmarketing.com
my email is craig(at)buckeyebusinessmarketing.com
Either way this strategy works, and it can make you some money. I have been steadily working my way out of my day job doing this. Each client I add gets me one step closer to leaving that day job.
Sunny
03. Jun, 2010
There is outsourcing and there is outsourcing, If you can find someone who has a handle on Social Media, an understanding of your business, and who thrives on seeing your business succeed.. then yes!.. But if you outsource to someone who sees this as a way to just earn an income and no more.. then I guess you would not get the same level of return as from the first person. I know which category I fall in.
Tai Sheppard
03. Jun, 2010
I think it’s brilliant.
I’ve always loved FB and Twitter, but I find doing what’s needed to keep up a horrible chore.
I’d rather be designing and programming or creating new products than sending tweets.
I’ll keep this idea on file for sure.
Thanks Ryan.
T
ckc
03. Jun, 2010
I just finished a mini MBA in Social Media and web design, html etc. Having these skills are not a luxury – they are a necessity for any business. With mobile websites and QR codes fast taking over … Believe me I am well worth every cent that someone would pay for these skills.
David
03. Jun, 2010
Yes it would be great to have everything outsourced if we had enough money coming in
Alison Richmond
03. Jun, 2010
I’m just now getting started so I wouldn’t be able to hire someone to run social media for me, but I’d love to hear more about your friend who is doing this work for other people.
James Hannan
02. Jun, 2010
Hi Ryan
I really like this concept however I do find it hard to understand how an employee can keep the momentum going in the home business industry because it is based on relationships. I don’t know how an employee can build the relationships and bring the knowledge that is required.
Do you have any answers?
James
Ryan Deiss
03. Jun, 2010
@James Hannan,
It’s not always about building relationships…having someone manage your social media is as much about clearing out the clutter and spam so the business owner is physically able to manage their own social media.
Alexa Davis
03. Jun, 2010
@Ryan Deiss,
Ryan, great point. I’m working with Kenrick Cleveland as his JV and marketing manager. I decided to ramp up his strategy with Twitter/ FB and other social networking sites to “clean” up the lists.
It’s time consuming to keep up on all of it, but it is so important. People judge you and your brand on how you use Social Media. Once we have the strategy in place this week then we can find someone to do the actual work. Where would you go to find the best people to hire for SN maintenance?
Craig
03. Jun, 2010
@Ryan Deiss, Great post Ryan! I have added this service to my SEM business and it has it has become an instant hit with my current clients and those that I am prospecting. I am doing this service for both local businesses and world wide businesses (those that are not confined to a local market) on the internet
Another way I amped up my referral’s for it too is by offering to pay a commission to anyone who sends me a social media client.
Who would have thought facebook and twitter could make me rich someday, or simply just get me out of my day job!