There are more than 3.2 billion people on social media all around the globe, and there’s serious scope to get your business connecting and engaging with this massive audience. In this day and age, it is vital that you integrate these social platforms into your marketing strategies, making sure you’re keeping up with trends and the digital era.

Pretty much every industry now is extremely competitive when it comes to getting their brand out there on social media and taking real advantage of the power that it holds.

Do you really want to be missing out on that, and always being one step behind your competitors?

Fighting to showcase your brand and make sure that it’s getting the recognition it deserves is difficult, but it is extremely important. 90% of companies are using social media for brand awareness, and those who are engaging in social selling get 119% better ROI.

Maybe it’s time to jump on board the social media bus and start the hunt for that perfect social media marketing agency to kickstart your success?

Hiring a social media marketing agency can help you to create and adapt your social accounts perfectly to your brand, and finding the best company to do this can really uplevel your Social Media Optimisation (SMO) and in turn your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Just in case you aren’t 100% sure about what you need to look for, where you need to turn, or where you even begin, we’ve got everything you need to know to make sure you find the perfect fit for your business. Here’s what to look for in a great social media marketing agency…

Thinking Through Your Options…

There are a couple do’s and dont’s when it comes to finding a great social media marketing company. You need to remember that the agency you go for is at the forefront of your own business. They’re the ones who can transform your business’ social reputation and online presence from non-existent (or worse, terrible!) to a strong and powerful force within your industry.

A great social agency has the ability to make big changes to your social presence, and think innovatively when it comes to how they can adapt your business. They will get you the results you want and need for your company, while striving for further success in the modern world.

Whether you’re a product based company or a business selling services, the right marketing agency will magic up the perfect social strategy for you. It will be tailored to your target audience, and come with a strong team to get the job done to the highest standard.

What you definitely don’t want is a company who says they can help you with absolutely everything in one go. Just like anything in life, effective social media marketing takes time.

If you think you’ve found the perfect company, and they say they can get you every result you need (from high engagement to a huge following and an endless influx of leads), in no time at all, it (usually) means you’re wasting your time and money. At best, they have an unrealistic view of what they can achieve for you in a reasonable time frame. At worst, they will achieve the results they’re promising but at such a high price that it’s not worth it, or they won’t achieve anything at all. Your money will have been wasted, and you may end up in a worse place than you started.

Find a loyal, reliable company who can get the job done effectively and efficiently, whilst providing you with key updates and a reasonable and attainable time scale. Look out for those SMART objectives (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound), because they make a world of difference. You need to figure out if:

1. The company is suitable for you, on a personal level.
2. If the business can actually achieve what you’re looking for.

You might be thinking that, surely, it’s not as simple as looking for a reliable company.

Yes, that’s true. There’s a bit more to it than that!

Here are our top five things to look for in a great social media marketing agency…

#1 Find Out Who They Are…

One of the very first things you need to look for is whether or not the agency you’re considering is your cup of tea. Regardless (at this point) of whether or not you think they could do a good job, it’s important to know if you can even work with them.

Finding a company that matches your brand ethos and values is important because it means that your business goals can intertwine, and you will therefore effectively work together to boost your brand on social media.

The best place to start is their website. Often, the best companies (who are proud of their team and want to provide that personal approach) not only have the standard “about us” section, but also include snippets of insights into their team across their website and social media. Check out their blog posts – who writes them? Do they have a generic author profile with the name of the business, or different team members regularly blogging about their various areas of speciality?

Snooping around their website is the quickest way to a look at who you could be working with and an easy way to get to know them.

For example, on our website, each member of the A-Team has their own photo and a bio describing who they are and what they add to our amazing team, as well as what they enjoy outside work, and the experience they have.

It allows people to get a real feel for our team and how we collaborate as a unit to get the results for our clients, whilst showing each of our personalities and uniqueness within a few quick sentences. In addition, we’re all frequently sharing our own marketing musings. I frequently blog about social media and video marketing. Hazel covers all things relating to SEO and writing, while our directors, Nick and Simon, post about business development and website/app development (respectively). In addition, you’ll also find photos of the team and behind the scenes clips and videos all over our own social media.

First impressions count.

Always ensure that a company is likeable, and you feel you can get on well with the team. After all, you will be in communication with the company and you want to ensure that they can put things in place that match your goals, whilst being personable, friendly and attentive to your needs.

You should also check out any testimonials that they have, so you can get an understanding from other businesses that have worked with them, and if customers were happy with their service. Alternatively, you can look at any case studies they may have shared, and review the companies that they have previously worked with. Ask yourself the following:

• How successful are these businesses now?
• Is there evidence that there has been a change in the way that business runs or succeeds?
• Do the case studies and the work carried out show something of interest that you need?

Make sure that your business matches perfectly with the marketing agency, ensuring the team provides a bubbly and motivated attitude to achieving goals, and are interested in making a positive difference for your business with new ideas.

#2 Have They Got The Experience You Need?

Once you’ve checked out their work and the capabilities of the team, it’s time to delve a bit deeper. The next thing you need to look at is the experience they have, especially in social media marketing.

Think about the following:

• Are they experienced enough to understand the industry, including current trends?

• Do they specialise in social media and have a clear understanding of how it can be used to promote businesses?

• What kind of creative flair, insights and strategies can they bring to the table, that outstripes other businesses offering social media marketing services?

It is important to note that some businesses have been around the block a couple of times and know the industry like the back of their hand. This can be a positive, but it can also be a negative if they’re used to using sneaky tricks to cut corners and maintain the “we know everything about anything” motto.

An experienced company is a team who understands the industry but is capable of being more than just your typical “jack of all trades, master of none”, marketing agency. An agency that offers multiple marketing services needs to have team members who specialise in different areas to ensure they have an expert on everything. They will also still be well skilled in other areas. In other words, they have specialist team members that are experts in particular areas of marketing and are still capable of brainstorming and collaborating as a team to and create powerful strategies.

Social media is a constantly evolving sphere and this ‘jack of all trades’ mentality is a sure-fire way to cripple an agency, as they become stuck in a set way of doing things because they don’t have the time, resources, or people to experiment, specialise, and ensure they’re constantly thinking outside the box.

Such agencies are rare to find.

So if you need to determine a company’s experience, look at each individual team member. Find out more about them, drop them an email and ask them how long they’ve been working in the industry, what their past experience in marketing is, and find out if they have what it takes to transform your business.

Always remember too that it’s advantageous if the social media company you’re looking at has experience in marketing your specific industry. This can really help you to get to grips with the marketing agency and figure out if they are the ones for you, if their team is appropriate, and you believe in them as marketers.

#3 What Are They Doing On Their Own Social Media?

Another thing you’re going to need to look for is a company who actually preach what they teach. You can’t expect to understand the quality of an agency’s work until you see it first hand. Check out every account that you can find, from their Facebook to Instagram to LinkedIn, to get a feel for their tone of voice and their own work.

It’s like we always say, how can you expect any business to help with your social media marketing if they can’t even do it themselves?

The added bonus here (if they’re doing it right), is that if they’re providing a sneak peek in the form of behind the scenes content, which allows you to get to know their team even more!

A great social media marketing agency will have a lot going on socially. They may not work on every channel out there, but the platforms they do have a presence on they’ll be absolutely killing it.

That means:

• Showing up consistently.
• Maintaining a clear message and a consistent brand.
• Using video wherever possible.
• Making their posts fun, quirky, and engaging.
• Building the know, like and trust factor through behind the scenes clips and chances to get to know the team.
• Effectively promoting who they are and what they do without being too ‘salesy’.

#4 Check Out Their Blog…

Another great way to gauge how good a social media marketing agency is going to be is to check out their blogs (and by extension their website). While their social media activity will give you a clear idea of what they’re capable of socially, their blog should not only offer insights into the team members and their capabilities, but also give you a broader perspective on their business and level of expertise.

You should be able to read more about which platform is best for your business, as well as specific social media strategies, the business benefits of using social media marketing, and posts that tackle the problems with social media, demonstrating they have a realistic view, and know how to handle the pitfalls of social spheres.

An agency’s overall content marketing strategy will tell you a lot about their approach to marketing, the value they place on their own brand (and by extension will place on yours), and whether or not they’re up to date with all the current marketing trends.

#5 They Ask The Right Questions…

The final thing that you need to look for is the kind of questions the agency will ask. Find a company who can ask more than just, “What’s your budget?” or “How much are you looking to spend?”. Yes, price, budgeting and costing are important, but the main objective here is to build on a business goal mutually and work to further your company.

Finding an agency who are able to look past just earning money, and are actually interested in helping nurture and grow your business is exactly the kind of company you need to look for. These companies will more likely be interested in your business’ goals, objectives and the targets you need to hit. They will be less interested in collecting a paycheque each month and more interested in helping you measure your ROI, and build on the results you get month after month.

Real social media marketing agencies thrive on working collectively with businesses and are excited by the idea of growing and nurturing your business, through powerful marketing strategies.

Ready To Hire A Great Social Media Marketing Agency?

Look carefully for the perfect social media marketing agency that has all five of these elements. That way, you can find the best company suited to you and your business, with all the experience and expertise you would ever need.

If you’re struggling to find a great social media marketing agency, then get in touch with our great team today. We can support you with all things marketing, online and even web! Simply book your free consultation below, and we can have a good chat about your goals, objectives, and how social media marketing can help you get there…

Author Profile

Hazel Butler

Our Head of Marketing, Hazel Butler, is an award-winning author, copywriter, and editor. Part ghostwriter, part blogger, part videographer, and part strategist, when she’s not endlessly penning content for our clients Hazel’s happily concocting the perfect marketing plans to propel their businesses forward.
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