SOCIAL MEDIA OUTSOURCING: A WISE CHOICE
They say that timing is everything, and often success comes from recognizing the right opportunity at the right time. This is especially true in the ever changing Internet landscape. A recent Industry Report released by Michael A. Stelzner, founder of SocialMediaExaminer.com, reveals some untapped potential that bodes well for those with Social Media Marketing skills. We d highly recommend downloading and reading the full report from the website, but for now check out this quick video summary:
When we read the report, we were struck by the following statistic:
“Social media outsourcing underemployed: Only 14% of businesses are outsourcing any aspect of their social media marketing.”
This was fascinating because on the other hand, it s clear that an increase in benefits is directly proportional to the amount of time spent on Social Media Marketing. Here are some of the benefits that were reported:
- Helped close business
- Generated exposure for business
- Resulted in new business partnerships
- Generated qualified leads
- Reduced overall marketing expenses
- Helped business rise in the search rankings
- Increased traffic/subscribers/opt-in list
However, since the concept of Social Media outsourcing is still relatively new, and many marketers are still new to Social Media Marketing itself, the report predicts it may be another year before businesses embrace the idea of seeking outside assistance.
But with at least 67% of marketers planning to increase their use of blogs, Facebook, video/YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn, the tide is definitely going to turn. How else will business owners juggle everything they need to do and still devote enough time to Social Media Marketing?
So what kinds of things will businesses need help with as they ramp up their Social Media activities?
Here are some of the important roles an outsourced Social Marketing Specialist can fill:
- Social Media Community Manager (set up and optimize system)
- Company Representative (manage customer relations)
- Social Media Eyes & Ears for Your Clients
Most importantly, businesses need a proper Social Media Strategy, and there will be amazing client opportunities coming available for Virtual Assistants who can perform the following tasks:
- Create a clear and measurable social media strategy (#1 priority)
- Research & identify the right social networks
- Measure results of social networking activities
So if you have.