Outsourcing social media strategy is a big step for any business owner. Your online presence is many people's first impression of the business you've worked hard to build, and you need someone who will get it right.
You could hire a freelance social media manager or work with a digital marketing agency. But which is better for your organization? In this article, we'll discuss the differences and help you make the right decision.
Short-Term Savings vs. Long-Term Value
Hiring a freelance social media manager appeals to many small businesses because the cost tends to be reasonable. Social media manager jobs on Upwork, the popular freelance marketplace, typically pay
$14-$35 per hour, depending on required skills and freelancer experience.
At those costs, you could get full-time social media services for as little as $490 per week. Services that affordable can be tempting to a small business owner, especially if the company hasn't invested in outsourcing yet. But before you commit and offer someone a freelance social media manager job, consider why the cost is so low.
With an agency like Optimize, you receive expert services at costs competitive with or less than freelance rates. Plus, because an agency has the advantage of experience, you don’t have to worry about hiring a second freelancer to fix the first one’s work. The agency stands behind its deliverables.
Results Reliability vs. Labor-Intensive Vetting
Extremely low prices rarely come without risks. In the freelance world, those risks usually relate to professional experience — or the lack thereof.
A freelance social media manager job is a popular way for digital marketers to gain experience. Without the experience to command higher rates, new or less capable freelancers offer affordable services to attract potential clients.
Those newer marketers might offer top-notch work. Or not. As a small business owner, hiring an agency is usually the safer bet.
High-quality agencies vet their employees and contractors before working with them, so you don't have to. That’s because agencies thrive when their staff does great work. They’re invested in having great people work on your projects.
At Optimize Digital Marketing, we're as invested in your social media campaigns' successes as you are. Our staff members have earned our trust by helping clients reach their goals, and they're committed to earning your trust in the same way.
Scope of Work: The Agency Advantage
Also, freelancers tend to offer only a few of the many services an agency provides. Even if a freelancer has years of experience and an extensive portfolio, they can't compete with the expertise of an entire team.
With an agency, you can do much more. Agencies build teams that include:
- Content writers
- Graphic designers
- Website developers
- Campaign analysts
Together, these teams have skills far beyond what one person can offer. For example, at Optimize Digital Marketing, our team lets us offer expert strategy development, content creation, and community management. While our content writers and designers work on putting your best foot forward, our account consultants refine your strategy and engage with comments, messages, and reviews.
Turnover Differences and Why They Matter
If you work with freelance social media managers, you'll inevitably deal with high turnover. Being a freelancer means someone is free to seek greener pastures, and there's no guarantee of a backup if the freelancer moves on.
When that happens, you have to build a relationship with a new freelancer from scratch. You learn their working patterns, and they discover your brand, beginning with the basics. That complete rebuild of knowledge rarely happens with an agency.
At agencies, including Optimize, you have a creative team and an account consultant or manager as your primary point of communication. One person may move on, but the agency will have a process for the transition. Someone will debrief the new person on your brand identity and preferences for your social media accounts, and other agency team members will be available for support. You won’t have to explain everything from scratch, as you would with a freelancer.
Consistent Communication and the Agency Advantage
Communication systems are nearly always stronger when you work with an organization rather than an individual. Independent freelancers can choose how they communicate with clients, and many select informal channels, such asWhatsApp or Facebook messenger.
Unfortunately, less formal channels often sacrifice reliability for convenience. It's easier to miss an update or question if your freelance social media manager uses Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Especially if you don't follow those channels during the workday.
Agencies are more likely to communicate using Slack, Outlook, or another common business messaging platform. They understand the fast-paced nature of digital marketing communications and know how easily messages can get lost in the shuffle. By encouraging formal messaging systems, agency leaders keep everyone on the same page.
Those business communication systems tend to be more trackable than casual messengers. Teams can search for crucial information from previous messages instead of contacting you, the client, with every question.
Finally, agencies are more reliably available during traditional business hours, as freelancers are often based overseas.
On Upwork, for example, only 26.6% of freelancers live and work in the United States. This often leaves clients having to message a freelancer during the freelancer’s nighttime hours, and then wait until the next day for a response.
Reviewing the Pros and Cons
These are a few of the most important factors to consider when hiring a freelance social media manager or agency. Value for your money is the first consideration for most small businesses. After all, nobody's budget is unlimited, and all marketing spending needs to pay off.
Turnover concerns relate to value. If your freelance social media manager moves on to a new client, you invest more time and money in finding and training someone else. Agencies handle turnover with less impact on your workload.
Communication challenges also affect your bottom line. A lost message can mean hundreds spent on the freelancer following the wrong instructions. Sometimes, it can even mean a published post you didn't want people to see.
At Optimize Digital Marketing, we understand how important social media is to your business image. We offer comprehensive
social media management services based on your business goals, from strategy development to community engagement. We also provide reputation management, digital ads, and more, so you can focus on growing your business.
To learn more about Optimize and how our digital marketing services can help your business,
schedule a free consultation today.
