Since the recent explosion of social media there is no question as to whether or not social media can be a benefit for companies looking to gain a competitive edge, but rather who should those companies have maintain their online identity. According to Forbes.com “it takes a midsize company about 32 hours a month to capably handle a single social media platform.” With most top brands ranging from 5 to 9 platforms, that’s roughly 160-288 hours a month just on social media maintenance. So ask yourself “is it worth delegating in-house or should companies look outside the office for ways to maintain their social media presence”?
In-House Over Outsource? You Decide!
Let’s start with the basics; so what exactly are the pros and cons of maintaining social media in-house over choosing to outsource it to a company who specializes in maintaining online business identities? Like anything in business, when companies choose to search “out of house” for people or companies to take over projects it can result in the company losing touch with its original goals. There is an old saying that goes something like “Out of sight. Out of mind.” If your company is not keeping up with its own online identity, then how do you know how customers are responding to your social media efforts? Another major issue with outsourcing is familiarity. By this I mean, most companies who provide outsourcing services (in our case social media upkeep) will have no relation to the company and in most cases will know nothing about what your company is about or wants to achieve. Of course this issue is something that can be resolved, but not without time and access. Which face it, these reasons are probably the main reason outsourcing would be considered in this situation in the first place. Next is priority. When companies outsource social media, the companies they usually hire are also handling several other accounts. So, do you think you’re on top of there list? Lastly, with outsourcing your giving up control which is one of the most important factors in business. When you lose control, you lose the ability to do things the way you planned or the way you want them to go. So let’s recap, the pros to keeping social media in-house are:
- Staying in-touch with company goals
- Familiarity with the company
- Prioritization
- Ability to keep control
Now that we have gone over the basics of how keeping social media in-house can benefit a company’s overall social media performance, let’s look at what outsourcing can provide.
Outsourcing! Is It For You?
In the previous section, I went over some of the benefits of keeping your companies social media efforts in-house and why outsourcing might not be the best option. In this section I want to provide the pros to outsourcing and why keeping social media in-house could cause problems.
The first and most important thing any company should ask themselves before choosing to outsource is “do we have the time and resources to do it ourselves?” Like I said earlier in this post, it takes most midsize companies 32 hours a month just to handle one social media platform. With that said, outsourcing social media can free up a lot of time for companies to focus their priorities elsewhere. Time is a valuable resource for any business. We all have heard the saying “time is money” this is especially true in business. This picture from entrepreneur.com shows just how much companies force social media on top of other, more important tasks that employees could otherwise be more focused on.
Another important benefit of outsourcing social media that surprises most companies is the ability to save money. Think of it this way, when you keep social media in-house who is handling that task? How much time do they spend managing your social media identity? How much are you paying them to perform this task? With a social media consultant or expert you may not be spending as much, since their expertise and knowledge of social media will allow them to complete your company’s goals at a much faster pace. Besides just saving money, social media consultants also offer their expertise. Staying on top of what’s new in the social media world is another task in and of itself. A consultant can provide your company with new ideas on which platforms will best suit your company’s goals and how to utilize those platforms effectively to gain the best possible results. In my opinion, the industry knowladge is priceless. Take a look at this picture.
With 94% of businesses using social media, 74% of them are seeing increases in website activity, 65% are gaining marketplace intelligence, and 58% are generating new leads and developing loyal fans. Is it worth risking such a vital tool in the hands of someone who is not skilled nor has the knowledge to run it effectively? Outsourcing may be a wise option for your company and clearly the pros far outweigh the cons, but the decision to outsource or stay in-house is for you to decide. Looking back, outsourcing provides:
- Extra time to perform more important tasks
- Ability to save money
- Expert advice
- Effective utilization of social platforms and tools
Making the Choice
Now comes the hard part. Is your company going to spend the time, resources, and man power to keep up with the ever changing, extremely difficult, and hard to measure task of managing its own social media platforms? Or will your company invest the money to outsource at the cost of lost of control, familiarity, and connection to the customer? Both options provide an array of benefits and negatives. So, take the time to asses which outlet will best suit your company’s goals without breaking the bank. Research is the most valuable tool a company possess, use it.
Level Up Your Social Identity 