Introducing the best social media marketing agency to handle your social media can be a big step for a business.
Many companies start by managing social media in-house, then realize over time that working with professionals is needed to unlock the full potential of their social media presence.
But when do you know it’s the right time to make the switch? This guide will cover the top signs your business is ready for agency social media management.
You Don’t Have the Time or Resources
Managing social media effectively requires a significant time investment. Between creating content, engaging with followers, analyzing data, running campaigns, and more – it can quickly become a full-time job.
- If you find your team is constantly playing catch-up on social media, stretched thin by handling it on top of your normal responsibilities, it may be time to bring in reinforcements.
- According to Sprout Social, small businesses should budget 5+ hours per platform, per week for social media management. For medium and large companies, it’s significantly more:
Social Media Time Commitment Per Week
| Company Size | Hours Per Platform |
| Small Business | 5+ |
| Medium Business | 10+ |
| Enterprise | 20+ |
Bringing on an agency alleviates this burden from your in-house team. The right partner will handle daily social media tasks seamlessly so you can focus on running your business.
You’re Not Seeing Meaningful Results
While it takes time to build an audience organically, after an initial ramp-up period you should start seeing traction and results from social media.
Some warning signs that your current social media strategy isn’t working:
- Little or stagnant follower growth over an extended period
- Low engagement rates on your posts
- Minimal website traffic or leads being generated from social
- No progress toward your key performance indicators (KPIs)
If you’ve given social media a fair shot in-house without seeing returns, an agency can maximize impact by reevaluating your strategy and bringing fresh ideas to the table.
You Lack Certain Expertise
Social media management encompasses a diverse skillset – content creation, community management, graphic design, videography, advertising, data analysis, listening and engagement tools, and more.
While larger companies may be able to develop this expertise in-house, for small to midsize businesses it can be difficult to master every discipline.
Some common areas where businesses seek an agency’s expertise include:
- Content Creation: Developing large volumes of creative, high-quality content tailored to each platform.
- Design: Creating eye-catching visual assets – posts, ads, Canva templates, guides, and more.
- Videography: Filming and producing compelling video content optimized for social media.
- Paid Ads: Running and optimizing paid campaigns across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and more.
- Community Management: Responding to audience questions/feedback, monitoring reviews/mentions, and engaging followers.
- Analytics: Generating in-depth reports and recommendations using listened data and metrics to inform strategy.
While you can attempt to fill some gaps through free tools, nothing matches the impact of experienced professionals.
You Want to Scale Your Reach
Perhaps you have a solid social media program at the moment, but you’re looking to expand your reach and take things to the next level.
Common growth scenarios where a social media agency can help include:
- Rapid follower growth across platforms
- Expanding reach into additional geographies/languages
- Adding emerging platforms like TikTok or Snapchat
- Integrating advanced paid ad strategies
- Building interactions with social influencers
- Developing unique social campaigns that captivate your audience
Dedicated agencies invest heavily in staying on the cutting edge of best practices across every social platform. They bring strategic vision combined with executional excellence to make your goals a reality.
Signs It’s Time for a Change
If several of the points below describe your current social media approach, it may be time to seek outside help:
✔️ Your organic reach has flatlined
✔️ Engaging your audience feels like a chore
✔️ You don’t have the bandwidth to implement new ideas
✔️ Key talents like design or writing are lacking
✔️ You’re too busy reacting vs. being proactive
✔️ Your social presence feels dated or stale
✔️ Campaigns aren’t aligned with business goals
✔️ You want major growth in followers/engagement
Key Takeaways
- Managing social media effectively requires significant time and diverse expertise. At a certain point, limitations become roadblocks to meaningful traction.
- Warning signs like stagnant growth, low engagement, and minimal payoff signal it may be time for a change.
- Social media agencies dedicate full teams solely to community management. This enables them to execute sophisticated strategies calibrated for ROI while you focus on operating your business.
- By handling the heavy lifting, agencies empower you to achieve the reach, reputation, and results your brand deserves.
Ready to take your social media to the next level? Reach out for a free consultation on developing a custom-tailored strategy for your brand.
