If your small business is debating whether to handle your social media in-house or enlist the help of an agency, your conversations may go something like this:
“If we want something done, we should just do it ourselves.”
“But outsourcing can unload some responsibility and give us better results.”
“How much time would it take to search for and hire an entire team? Wouldn’t it be easier to hire our own social media specialist or expand the role of a current employee?”
“But think about the cost of training a new employee or overloading someone on our team who’s already busy.”
The fact is, both sides of the argument are valid–and the “right choice” depends largely on your business’s budget, goals, and time constraints. Here are some pros and cons to guide your discussion about your social media strategy:
Resources
Believe it or not, keeping your social media in-house is often the costlier and more time-consuming option. Either you’ll be hiring a new employee, which can cost thousands of dollars per month and a considerable amount of time training and onboarding – or you’ll be overloading a current employee with the equivalent of a second job.
When social media is done well, it usually requires several hours per week of content creation, scheduling, comment moderation, and data analysis. If you assign these responsibilities to an employee who’s already working a 40-hour week, their performance may suffer across the board (either that, or your company may be paying for some overtime). Also, what happens if that employee leaves? You start over.
Working with an agency eliminates the need to spend time and money on recruitment, training, and in-house equipment. The adaptable pricing model also allows you to scale your social media needs up or down as your goals and budget change. Need help with just one short-term campaign? Want to build your brand’s presence on a new platform? With project-specific pricing, you get to control what you spend your money on–no more, no less.
If your business wishes to bundle social media with other marketing projects, you can also enter into a retainer with an agency and pay a monthly or quarterly budget in exchange for a suite of services. When you work with an agency, the choice is yours.
Proximity to Your Business
Your company will also want to weigh the benefits of proximity when choosing between an in-house social media strategist and an agency.
An in-house specialist will be more actively involved in business activities, especially if your business is in-person. They will be around to capture spontaneous moments around the office for behind-the-scenes content, interview team members for Instagram Reels, and join you on-site for client meetings, trade shows, etc.
A remote partner often cannot join your company events in person and might miss opportunities to capture in-the-field content (a top-performing theme on social media). However, you can overcome this challenge by encouraging employees to submit their photos and videos to the agency for content creation.
Our Atomic Idea team, for example, creates custom Google Forms that clients can use to upload their in-the-field footage. This method requires employees to be actively involved in your social media strategy, but it’s a simple way to create engaging and high-performing content without the need to be physically present. At Atomic Idea, we believe collaboration is key to success with social media.
Familiarity with Your Business
Closely tied to proximity is familiarity with your company. An in-house social media strategist will understand the ins and outs of your business through their daily interactions and participation in team meetings. This in-depth knowledge often translates into nuanced, strategic, and timely social media content.
An outsourced partner lacks this exposure to your business and, as a result, may understand your activities on only a superficial level. They may also be the last to hear about updates, announcements, goals, and pain points that could directly affect your social media strategy.
Thankfully, these obstacles can be overcome with some due diligence and clear communication. The right agency will take the time to dive fully into your brand, understand your company culture, and ask questions about your product/service–long before they begin producing any social media content. This proactive approach will help you and your agency remain closely aligned throughout the partnership.
Ongoing communication is also required on your part to ensure that your agency is aware of all crucial business developments. Does your team want to break into a new industry or target audience? Are you planning an upcoming event or trade show? Are you encountering the same questions or misunderstandings from customers over and over? These are all essential conversations to have with your agency so that they can adapt your social media strategy accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, both agencies and in-house social media specialists are valid solutions to support your marketing goals. However, the best choice for you depends on your budget, your resources, and your willingness to collaborate with external partners.
Atomic Idea blends the best of both worlds by becoming a true extension of your team at an affordable price. We will take the time to fully immerse ourselves in your business and customize our marketing solutions to your unique needs.
Contact us to find out how our social media services can strengthen your brand’s online presence, build brand loyalty, and differentiate you from your competitors.
