Do you know who you want to hire for your social media marketing efforts this year 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦…
When you’re searching for a social media expert and notice a wide range in pricing. Ever wonder why?
It boils down to their role and expertise. Full Stop.
Not all Virtual Assistants and Social Media Managers are Social Media Strategists or do the work of a full-fledged social media marketing agency. Here’s the clear-cut difference, lean in, friend.
Virtual Assistant
A 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐯𝐲 is your go-to executor who creates content consistently without necessarily having a strategy to follow. They’re the keep the lights on professionals. They’re great with taking direction and executing on it. You will have consistent posting, basic engagement and creative structure support like populating a content calendar for your review and perhaps basic design skills within a program like Canva.
This role is extremely cost-effective for most business owners, speakers, thought leaders, solopreneurs, and authors who are looking to elevate their digital footprint.
Something to keep in mind with this role is the lack of strategic depth. They may not drive significant growth, engagement or leads without a clear strategy to guide them.
Social Media Manager
A 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 is your go-to for implementing a strategy that’s already in place. They’re skilled in managing your day-to-day social media activities. Their skillset is typically a step above in expertise in content creation mechanics like graphic design and light video editing, they also tend to be great a spotting trends that may be in alignment with your business or brand voice. They also tend to be more skilled at generating conversations and understand who your audience is with the existing strategy that is already in place across all active social media platforms. While they implement strategies, they may not have the skillset to create strategic plans from scratch or have the analytic skills to adapt a strategy overtime for the best possible outcome.
Social Media Strategist
A 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭, on the other hand, is your master planner. They don’t just manage; they create a strategic roadmap tailored to your goals. They focus on the bigger picture, ensuring your social media efforts align with your overarching objectives. They can do all the implementing and have the skillset to create content from scratch, however, their true strength lies within their ability to offer deep insights and analytics of where you’re at currently in your social media efforts in order to shift the strategy to generate the results you’re after.
This role tends to be more expensive because of the expertise that this person has gleaned over their years within the industry. However, without this skillset at the forefront of your social media efforts you may be putting in a lot of guess work.
Social Media Agency
Last but not least, is the Social Media Agency model. Social media agencies get a bad rap out here in these internet streets because they’re not transparent about how they work, who makes up the team and who is in fact working on your project day-to-day. All, by the way, great questions to ask when interviewing an agency for your marketing efforts. With an agency, like Oh Snap! Social you’re not just getting an individual, you’re getting a comprehensive team who all have a wide range of skills within the ever-changing tides of social media.
For example, on the Snap! Squad we have…
- A community manager who is excellent at running engagement strategies for our clients
- A social media strategist who takes a look at the content month-over-month to ensure we’re tracking toward the goals we laid out at the beginning of the quarter
- Content producers/analysts who serves as our creative arm with all their skills within Canva, video editing and trendspotting, not to mention their knack for reading the numbers and making sense of them to share with our clients on biweekly meetings.
- An account manager who consults with the strategist and creative producers on the content before delivering to the client. This is the face of the account and the person who works with the client directly, handling the communication and meetings on a biweekly basis.
In short, agencies provide a holistic approach, from strategizing to execution, ensuring every aspect of your social media is expertly handled. The best part of working with an agency for your social media is its an all-in-one solution that has access to a team of experts, diverse skill sets leading to a more robust strategy and execution. That being said you’re investment is for a whole team, but often this team is less pricy than hiring one full-time professional to join your team.
Deciding on the right fit depends on your business’s current needs, future goals, and budget. A Virtual Assistant or Social Media Manager might suffice for maintaining an active presence. However, if you’re looking to revamp your strategy hiring a social media strategist or agency to run a pulse check audit and build a social media strategy manual for a more growth-oriented approach could be the key to unlocking your brand’s full potential on these bustling platforms. Remember, in the world of social media, aligning the right expertise with your vision can transform your digital footprint.
Have additional questions and want to figure out what the best fit is for you and your business or personal brand, don’t hesitate to reach out. We have free discovery calls to help guide you through the process of selecting the best partner. If it’s us, great! If it’s not, we have a digital rolodex of amazing professionals who we can’t wait for you to meet!