Seven Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Social Media Expert
“Where facts are few, experts are many.”
This quote couldn’t be more true than with social media experts today, it seems everybody is one – just ask them.
Well, in today’s guest post by Ola Ayeni, Chief Idea Officer at Mobile Dialog, reminds us that before we are quick to hire an expert in social media, we should be asking a few important questions.
Seven Questions To Consider Before Hiring A Social Media Expert
I recently received an e-mail from a fellow entrepreneur, the CEO of Fanminder, Paul Rosenfeld about a recent Wall Street Journal article titled “ Firms Get a Hand With Twitter, Facebook, Entrepreneurs Hire Consultants to Promote Business on Social-Media Sites, but the Extra Cost Is Big Question”.
After reading the article which was written by Sarah Needleman, I decided to also read the comments section. The comment section is filled with people who are doing social media consulting for others and individuals who feel that entrepreneurs and business owners should approach social media as a DIY.
Two Sides to Every Story
I believe there are to sides to the story for this to make sense. Both are entirely correct. First, no one knows your business more than you do. So when it comes to connecting and engaging customers. The owner or manager you come out on top not a consultant. But what do you do when you do not know what to write, post or tweet. That is why you need some help. Either through an experienced coach, training of some sort or hire someone to get you up and running and then take it from there.
On the other hand if time ( which is something we all don’t have ) to commit to social media marketing is what you don’t have, then you need to hire someone to help you with it. The biggest cost of doing social media is time needed to get things going. In order words time you have to spend to tweet, post, engage and talk with people. That time can be better spent managing your business.
In the same article, many things were said about whether it makes sense for small businesses to hire a consultant/agency to help with starting a social media marketing campaign.
It All Depends on Two Things
1. Do you have the time to do it yourself ? If the answer is no. Then you can consider using a marketing company to help you. The help can either be to train you on how to do it or be an extension of your in-house employee/service.
2. Do you have employees who can do social media for you? If yes, you don’t need to hire anyone to help you do anything. May only need to ask for helping you with training. and showing how to do it. Ask for a customized workbook to follow.
You see the biggest expense in social media marketing apart from the know how is the time needed to do it right.
Where to Start?
I work for a restaurant marketing company that provides social media and mobile marketing services to restaurants, franchise businesses and small businesses. The number one question we get from operators is what do I even write and how do I start it without making people upset . The second question is we know many of our traditional media is no longer working right or delivering results.
What should we expect in terms of results (ROI or foot traffic ) with this social media program . Thirdly what is the cost? This is the most important question.
Many have unlimited questions and are afraid to loose money to many so called social media marketing experts out there. Everyone, agency, and my cousin is now a social media guru because they read mashable.com, follow Chris Brogan and read a recent social media book by Tim Oreilly.
So as a small business owner, you need some real world common sense approach to this .
Ask These Simple Questions of the so Called Consultant
1. What is your track record in doing this social media and how long have you been doing it
2. What should success or result look to you?
3. What have you done in the past that I can see? Verifiable clients. Not just on the brochure.
4. Do you have references I can check?
5. How much and for how long are we going to use your service? Is there any retainer?
6. What guarantees should you give me? Some people will take your money and run…
7. If you are going to hire an expert…Ask others who they are presently using and why?
My two cents..
Disclaimer, our company mobile dialog does social media marketing for several clients as well. But with an integrated approach. I am not by any means opposed to companies who are now experts in social media overnight. All I am saying there should be a measuring stick to determine those who are genuinely out to help entrepreneurs or just helping their pocket only.
About:
Dr Ola Ayeni is the Chief Idea Officer of Mobile Dialog, a new media marketing and consulting company in, Naperville , Illinois that helps restaurants and small businesses increase revenue and engage their customers using mobile and social media tools.
He can be reached at email: Corporate@m-dialog.com, phone: 1-888-424 9666, Website: http://www.m-dialog.com, on twitter @olaayeni.
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Photo Credit: Phillie Casablanca
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My personal opinion for the types of businesses that you mentioned, I think a local Google or local search presence is most important and then if they have the time and resources a social media presence can be an offshoot of that.
Social media has become part of my everyday business. And in this day and age you can’t really say that you can’t get to it because with a small investment (iphone) you can talk, chat, post, blog, tweet and who knows what as you go. Letting people see what you do and how you do it everyday creates a true and transparent image of you.
Hiring a consultant is more of a new project of venture type of deal, thus if your new to sm you should definitely consider, or ask/tweet/chat around.
Then again, that’s only my 2 cents.
Great stuff Dr Ola.
Buyer beware! It is the same for every business and the relationships that they use to leverage the best of breed solutions for their business, such as outsourcing HR, payroll, e-mail campaigns, legal issues, marketing,PR and all the other areas. Those that do that well will do well adding another element into their ecosystem.
Let’s flip this around how many businesses do not have their act together to the point of just running their businesses well enough to be able to handle a next step. If the company sucks at customer service, sales, marketing or product- SM will help for sure it will magnify it.
I have turned businesses down or streamlined what I would do for them because I have done my due diligence- are they qualified to be able to engage with their customers in a way that can return the ROI everyone expects… their are a lot of businesses out there that still do not get the message that SM is a marathon not a sprint and that the value of relationships are time engaged sensitive.
Also the need for services for this area is now at a high water point and there is not even enough folks out there supplying services. Everyone is learning everyday- no one can be an expert in SM, Marketing, or any broad topic area too much happening all the time- yes you can be an expert in area or niche- such as e-mail marketing, or sm montioring and dashboard development. You can be an expert helping plug niche expert help into a completely engaged strategy with leadership endorsement.
I would add one more question who is your network of experts that helps you get the answers to the questions and problems that will happen as we engage with you down the road? If they are all under one roof I would question if you are eating your own dog food ? Oh 1 more question, show me how your own company is getting ROI on SM and how that will transfer into my business model?
Sorry for the long post- there have been so many beware of the newbie posts- this isn’t new I remember my 1st payroll outsource company I used when it first started and it was a huge headache- just business ecosystem development issues that repeat them self’s over and over with each new area as it comes in. Don’t even talk to me about CRM software. OUCH!
Hehe CIO. You gotta love it. I should be so lucky.
I think we are so early on in the social media phase, folks have got to be on the watch for snake-oil salesmen. There are certainly some who would qualify.
The list of questions to pose I think should weed out the posers.
Cheers
George
Good questionnaire to ask before hire social media expert. We can check the work before hire them. Good!