Since 2016 it has been found that over fifty percent of Europe uses social networks. With this increased usage of social media comes a wealth of opportunities for businesses – Yet also the challenge of finding the right social media agency to help you make the most of this new and growing market.
The Future of Advertising
One fun part about social media advertising is that there are so many different ways in which a company can decide to engage with its target market. The social media cloud is continuing to grow and more apps are being developed to each reach different markets with different goals. All of these different apps and ways to reach people have truly changed the game when it comes to how companies can advertise their message or products. Between the development of social media influencers and contests for companies to gain publicity, it is clear that social media is the future of marketing.
Although social media may seem like a very simple concept to understand especially for individuals who have grown up using it there are many parts of advertising on social media that can be difficult for corporations. This is where many companies look for social media agencies to help guide them through their process of having a successful social media campaign. But with this comes finding the perfect social media agency that coordinates with your own company. So what steps should a company take to find an agency that is a perfect fit?
Step 1: Establish Objectives for Campaign
The first step in this process is to figure out what your goals are for the future of your social media campaign. Whether that is to get a high return on investment or seeing an increase in sales, any objective can be a good first step. It can also be key to have a couple of different goals so the agency can mold a successful program. This will allow you to find agencies that have been successful in accomplishing goals similar to yours with other companies.
Then you know that they will be able to work with you to find similar success on your social media. Additionally, in establishing these goals you can know what you are looking for from a social media agency and can make sure that they are aware of the same goals and make efforts to work towards them.
Step 2: Figure out Your Budget
After developing what goals you have for the success of the campaign, the next step is to determine how much you are willing to spend on it. This is very important when it comes to winding down the potential agencies with which you can work. Depending on your price range and what you hope the company will be able to do for your campaign you can whittle down the companies which will be a good fit for your organisation.
With this price range, you will be able to find the perfect agency that can perform and accomplish all of the goals that you are hoping for. Finally, by determining your budget you can truly maximise your profits and make sure that you get everything out of what you put into the project.
Step 3: Determine Your Target Market.
The next step is to determine what specific groups of people you are looking to target with your specific marketing campaign. By doing this you will be able to figure out which applications (apps) are the better fit for your personal social media campaign. Each app has a drastically different target audience compared to the other ones. For example, if you are targeting middle-aged parents then you might turn to Facebook, whereas if you are hoping to target millennials you might use Instagram instead which is incredibly popular among their age group.
When you figure out which is your target audience then it will be easy to determine which apps you are looking to use then you can also look for social media agencies that specialise in those specific apps. This could be the last step to take to determine which agency is the best fit for your company.
Step 4: Find the Companies that Match all of these Qualifications
All of the steps above are very important in narrowing down which agencies would be a fit for your campaign. Establishing your target goals, how much you are willing to spend on the campaign, who your target audience and therefore apps are can help you figure out which agency will be a fit for all of those qualifications. Social media agencies can come in all different shapes and sizes, both literally and figuratively.
Different agencies can specialise in different aspects of the social media cloud. Whether that is only posting on certain apps or having successes in specific target goals, each agency has different things which they can bring to the table. It is very plausible that there will be many different agencies that match the qualifications that one is looking for in their specific campaign. After finding those specific agencies, it is important to be able to figure out which one is the best fit.
Step 5: Conduct Research
After finding the specific companies which match all of the qualifications which you are looking for, it is a very good idea to determine which options are truly the best fit. This could be done by looking at each social media agency’s websites to figure out what their values and histories are. Another option would be to look at information about the company on LinkedIn to see the employees who work there and their backgrounds. This might give you a better understanding of the people who would be working on your project at the agency.
One final way to research any company is to look for their ratings on Google or other popular websites like Yelp. If people have found success with this agency in the past they will most likely be an amazing fit for your project. In conducting this research on the companies you will be able to determine a final couple of options for the final step of the process.
Step 6: Interview Final Options
After making a list of the final options for which agency would be the best fit for your campaign, the last step would be to conduct interviews with each of the agencies that you selected. This process would essentially be very similar to any other position within a company.
However, when you are talking to the representatives of each agency you will be able to get a full understanding of their company values and what the culture is like at their agency. In doing this you will be able to find a company which both matches your qualifications and the values of your organisation. This person-to-person experience with a representative of the agency will allow you to truly understand the agency and who is the best fit for you.
Final Thoughts
Social media is without a doubt the future of not just personal connections but it is also the future of advertising. To be on the same level as the rest of your competition, it is integral to have a handle on how to successfully use social media for your business.
The best way for a company to do this is to work closely with a social media agency that is a perfect fit for your objectives and company values. By following these steps which are included in this article, you will be able to find that agency which fits best with your company. Whether it is big or small, there is a social media agency that is out there to help take your company to the next level and expand your outreach.