Whether you’re on the hunt for a social media marketing expert in Worcestershire, Herefordshire or beyond, discover what you should be looking out for before making the all-important decision.
‘Experts’ can appear ten a penny these days. And with over half the world now on social media (4.2 billion people), there are more than a few social media specialists available for hire.
But to help you distinguish the masters from the mediocre. Here’s a quick guide to ensure you find the right social media marketing expert near you.
What is a social media expert?
A social media expert is a specialist who operates in the dynamic and extensive field of social media. Their role includes marketing brands, professionals, or individuals to create engagement, increase popularity and generate awareness across various social media platforms.
The job description of a social media marketing expert would include:
• Developing social media strategies
• Conducting competitive research
• Understanding target audiences
• Creating, scheduling and posting unique content
• Staying up to date with the latest practices, trends and technologies
For interactive features and analytics, the success of their activity can be measured by the number of followers, ‘likes’, and overall engagement the subject receives.
The role will include creating and publishing content with an acute understanding of audience engagement and brand awareness across numerous social platforms.
But building an effective social media marketing strategy is no easy feat and requires a specialist with an acute knowledge and an approved reputation.
Due to the diverse nature of every social media platform, an expert will rarely know all the ins and outs of every platform or be effective across every niche.
The question is, how do you find one that knows their tweets and spaces from their reels and stories.
What to expect from a real social media expert near you?
What makes social media marketing experts so valuable is the skills and services they display to boost the popularity of brands, professionals, and individuals across the vast social media stratosphere.
Here are a few attributes all social wizzes will have in common:
Tried and tested
The first question your business should ask is, has the social media expert or agency near you got proven experience?
They should be able to demonstrate their credibility with experience in successful social media strategies and campaigns.
Preferably, this experience should align with a client in a similar industry to yourself. Plus, before outsourcing your social media marketing to an agency or freelancer, check their social media accounts to see how well their posts perform. Do they practice what they preach?
Social clout
When you’re doing your research on a social media expert, take a look at their client’s following. Do they engage with the content they produce? Are there any post comments? If so, how do they respond?
If the client has a large following but garners minimal engagement on their posts, this could suggest that the social media professional or agency has purchased followers.
Content consistency and adaptability
A social media expert might prove they can produce popular posts that generate engagement, but does this content apply to your needs? If not, can they demonstrate the experience or the ability to create what your brand needs?
Identity is vital in branding and digital marketing, and this identity is only convincing when content is high quality and consistent.
Just because they’re masters of promoting sportswear on Instagram doesn’t mean they know the art of writing story-led posts for personal LinkedIn accounts. Find someone that can create consistent, quality content suited to the platform and your brand. If they can do it all, then you’ve struck gold
An expert in social media marketing should also have the tools to produce video content, as this is the most engaging content currently circulating. To put that into context, 64% of marketers plan to invest in short-form videos in 2022.
Scheduling superstar
How does your social media expert plan and publish newposts? Do they use a social media scheduling platform? If so, what one?
Some social platforms like ContentCal offer a neat approval system, which reduces the need for ugly spreadsheets or excessive Word docs. You want to work with a social whizz that can make your life easier, not harder.
Depending on the size of your business and the amount of social media content you aim to deliver, the organisation process becomes a crucial aspect of the role.
When scheduling, does your expert have a good grasp on key dates in the social media calendar? Whether it's "Bring Your Dog to Work Day" or "Pride Month", your social media expert should always have one eye on the calendar.
“Down with the kids”
Social media thrives on the latest trends and social movements. A true social media expert will always know the latest talking points, hashtags and platform tools
There are always new social platforms popping up or features introduced. For example, can they demonstrate a good understanding of Instagram Reels or LinkedIn Ads? All these elements can help you determine strengths and weaknesses.
Social media agency vs freelance experts
Now you understand what your social media expert should demonstrate, there are two roads you can take to outsourcing – an agency or a freelancer.
You can expect a freelancing social media expert to be a well-rounded marketing individual. Typically, most freelancers don’t start their careers as self-employed. They have more likely developed the skills and knowledge while working in other companies or agencies.
Being well-rounded suggests they will have a good idea of multiple social media platforms and industries, granting them a broad social media background in marketing.
In contrast, an agency comes with more manpower. Certain professionals take up specific roles within an agency environment. So, you can expect a more concentrated application of work.
For example, an agency has more firepower to support all aspects of content, research, engagement and branding within a digital marketing package. This process also offers insights from other digital marketing services, such as SEO and PPC, informing your content creation.
Plus, social media agencies tend to have more resources and can handle multiple clients at one time to keep them in tune with the latest developments.
Whatever avenue you decide, ensure your social media expert has some experience in your niche and glowing reviews from other companies.
Speak to social media marketing experts near you
Finding a social media expert can help extend your reach, generate leads, and secure a loyal following in your business.
It requires a dedicated individual or agency to create quality content on-brand with your business and publish across the right platforms at the perfect times for your target demographic.
At Design in the Shires, we offer a comprehensive range of social media services for Malvern, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire businesses.
We can take care of your:
• Scheduling and publishing
• Content creation
• Graphic design creation
• Social media strategy
• Reporting
• Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Ads
Get in touch today to discover how our social media marketing agency in Worcestershire can maximise your brand’s reputation, enhance engagement and generate new leads.
