If you’re a business owner and clicked on this article, then you’re pondering whether it’s worth it to pay an agency or hire an individual to manage your social media accounts. With the new year upon us, this is the time to decide the best way to grow your social media presence and digital marketing to see the most result by 2023.
But, is it necessary to pay an agency or new employee for your business to see this growth? Or can you simply tack on some new tasks to your (ever-growing, never-ending) list of to-do’s? We hope that after reading this, you’ll have a good baseline to make that decision!
Social Media Algorithms
For the average person, participating on social media platforms and sharing content for friends and family seems simple. You post an Instagram picture or Facebook update and you reach your desired audience immediately. But things can be more complicated if you use various platforms for more than personal use.
Each platform has its own algorithm that determines what a user sees on their feeds. Although each algorithm is different, they all end up sorting posts based on relevancy to user and the most relevant content is what they see.
Because of this, as a brand or business, you must understand how each algorithm works and then create individualized strategies for each platform to reach your target audience. To create the right strategies, you need a deep understanding of your target audience and how to produce content that is relevant to them.
But the platforms don’t make learning the algorithms easy. As Brent Barnhart at SproutSocial wrote, “Networks are traditionally vague about the specifics of their algorithm … Determining how algorithms work … can be a tedious process, but a necessary one.”
It’s a must for all brands to learn how to reach their target audience using each specific algorithm to successfully market themselves online.
Social Media Analytics
Tracking and accurately interpreting performance analytics is a fundamental aspect of digital marketing. If you don’t track the performance of your content and understand what’s working and what isn’t, then you won’t be able to improve your content or grow your reach/audience.
Although there are some great tools out there when it comes to tracking analytics, understanding that data can be complex. As with any research and data collection, it’s important to understand specific terminology. Even if you know the correct terminology, interpreting that data is the key to using analytics.
And although most platforms have built-in analytics databases, these usually provide only basic analytic reports. A more advanced tool should be used to get an in-depth analysis of your marketing performance. And each tool has different systems and layouts to learn.
The Domination of Video in 2022
According to Business Insider, there is no stop to the growth of social media in 2022. They predict that, by the end of the year, there will be more than 5 billion active users across all networks.
Across the board, it’s predicted that video content (both short and long-form) and live-streaming will increase exponentially in 2022. The most dramatic increase in video will be on Instagram. Since its launch in 2010, it’s primarily been a photo-sharing platform, but in 2022 it will be shifting to a video and shopping-based platform, minimizing (maybe even removing) photo content.
Facebook is also moving to video content after the release of “Reels for Facebook” in late 2021, and it’s predicted that the platform’s Live and Audio Room features will grow in 2022. Twitter is introducing new video tools in 2022 as well. And all of this comes along with the continued growth and predicted domination of TikTok in the years to come. Even Pinterest is increasing its use of video and live streaming!
Honestly, video content is the most listed prediction going into 2022 for social media across the board. And as any digital marketer or content creator could tell you, video content ups the level of time it takes to succeed on social media as a brand or business.
The more that video and live streaming is used, the more work it will take for brands, businesses, and influencers to grow their audience and reach new people. As most of us know, editing video content and filming tends to be more time-consuming and takes a greater level of experience than scheduling written posts or photos.
So, what does this have to do with hiring a social media manager?
Okay, so you now know some background information on how social media marketing works, but how does it relate to hiring a social media manager? The main takeaway so far should be this: social media marketing is complicated and work-intensive.
Is it possible to learn and successfully market your brand or business on social media if you have no background in digital marketing? Of course! But it takes time and effort to learn the ins and outs of social media marketing. At times, it can be like learning a new language, especially when it comes to algorithms and code-specific analytics tracking.
And as we all know, time is money when you’re running a small business. Ultimately, it’s up to you as the owner to determine what is more cost-efficient: hiring an experienced social media manager, hiring someone or paying for a course to teach you, or taking the time to teach yourself how to market on social media.
However, if you’re looking for a quick turnaround that you know will be successful, hiring a trained professional or agency to manage your social media and digital marketing campaigns is your safest bet. What’s great is that digital marketing is a booming industry, meaning there are different professionals and agencies with a variety of services for any budget, product, or brand.
Our recommendation is to first find an agency or professional with experience across all social media platforms. This includes platforms your business is currently active on and up-and-coming platforms like TikTok. Even if you can’t hire someone long-term, starting out with an experienced professional or agency can make all the difference when it comes to using social media to grow your business.
Here at Social for Good, we offer three tiers that new clients can choose from that work with any budget or business need. For more information, you can check out our services here or reach out to our team with any questions you might have!
