Outsourced Social Media: Oxymoron?
My guts tell me that a client should be doing their own social media content posts. My passion for transparency and honesty tell me that posting social media content for another business is a conflict of interest. After all, the power of social media resides in the ability to be oneself and gain the trust of others.
But, is there room for some outsourcing if it is handled correctly? My short answer is: "yes". My long answer is: "it's a necessity for some."
I am working with an industry where technology gadgets are not fully embraced, writing ability is limited to short "call-to-action" copy, and customer engagement is done face-to-face with charisma and charm. I am talking about the car selling business.
What translates in face to face charm by inflection of voice, giant white smiles, and lots of showmanship does not necessarily translate in content through social media. Someone whose sole purpose is to close the deal does not always have the tools to converse with the community without accidentally attempting to sell something by force of habit. The need to just chat and listen is there, but the ability is not [always].
The task of communicating effectively for someone who can't get the right message across on their own has been a booming industry since the beginning of time. Famous people "write" books using ghost writers, big brands use ad agencies to design their image across the board, and everyone has a PR Agency or Talent Agent to help promote their skills and services. Why should social media be any different? If a business hires me to handle their social media efforts, why is it different from them hiring a full time employee? It's not, if I do my job well. In fact, it's better, if I do my job well.
It all goes back to the common business advice given across the board. "Delegate what you don't do well or don't want to do. So you can focus on what you are passionate about."
What do you outsource that saves you time, energy, and money, while improving your business?