Indelibuzz

For most businesses it’s no longer an option to forgo a branded social network presence. And the value to companies that participate in an active conversation with their online brand communities on a daily basis is unassailable. Among many virtues are the 24-7 opportunity to resolve customer service issues before they become problems, the ability to monitor consumer sentiment and to get immediate and continuous feedback about every aspect of the brand experience. These benefits are in addition to the obvious value of the social channel when it comes to positioning, promoting and word-of-mouth selling that can be successfully done with your evangelists.

It also takes significant resources to successfully manage a social community. It’s both an art and a science to curate quality content, post and respond on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Linked In. Then there’s Yelp, Foursquare and a host of newer niche networks proliferating on a monthly basis that may require your attention. If it sounds like a full-time job, that’s because it certainly can be. And for big brands the task may fall to a team with responsibility for multiple brands and programs.

Not all businesses, however, have the resources to do this, which is why many consider handing off the task to an agency or outside contractor who becomes the surrogate social voice, eyes and ears of the brand. Small retail or restaurant businesses with owner/managers who already are wearing many hats may simply lack the manpower and expertise to focus on marketing of any kind. Social media, however, could be their best channel and investing in a contractor to develop and manage their program is a wise move. The same can be said for a wide range of local service businesses from dentists and lawyers to auto repair shops. When even a well-funded company is in the startup phase, it may face similar challenges: the importance of seeding a community and establishing the brand socially with no fleshed-out team to manage the task.

If you are considering outsourcing, keep the following in mind.

1. Stay involved. Assuming that you have hired on a contractor with the skill set to understand and manage your community, you will still need to be available to answer questions, provide guidelines and you should expect regular reporting with recommendations and observations. You certainly will want to log on to your company’s social networks regularly to observe the social conversation.

2. Stay educated. In addition to keeping you apprised what they are learning in managing your community, your contractor should be keeping an eye toward helping you understand the channel. That means giving you enough information to be an informed consumer and know the changes that can impact your business. They should also be monitoring your competitors and looking out for new opportunities to have a greater impact.

3. Stay invested. Ultimately, your social media program requires more than mere day-to-day management — if you want it to help you market competitively. That means that you’ll need to invest in outside expertise to guide a strategy and develop creative tactics, such as contests, polls, custom pages as well as advertising. A well-produced social campaign can geometrically grow your fan base, inspire more participation and expand the pipeline of new customers.

In an column in Ad Age this past August, Michael Scissons said this: “Run your brand’s community management in-house and hire someone to do it right. Outsourcing your brand ‘voice’ is not a viable long-term option. Stop pretending you don’t have the budget for headcount — you’re likely spend millions on media. You can spare some to maintain relationships with your best and most influential customers.”

That’s good advice for CMO’s of global brands, and not always practical for plenty of organizations that should be making their mark on the social landscape. In the long run, however, it’s a worthy goal. Because you simply have more control, agility and insight when your day-to-day social media is tasked to a qualified insider.