Finding a Social Media Expert
One of the struggles many companies face when exploring social media is knowing when to engage with an outside consultant – and then finding that consultant. There are a number of ways to find a social media expert and we’re going to explore a few of those in this article.
A social media expert is not your neighbor’s kid, or someone you see on Facebook a lot, it is a social media consultant that understands how to put together a social media strategy and then execute it.
First, Our Recommendation
First, we’d like to make a recommendation for you to find a social media expert, our friends at Media Connect Partners. We’ve referred a number of businesses to Brian Boyd because he understands social media better than anyone we have met in the business. Brian has worked with some of the top brands with their social media consulting efforts, from higher education to non-profit to entertainment brands to publishing companies, Brian has the breadth of experience necessary to make social media work for you. If you’re serious about social media, Brian’s team can make it happen for you.
Finding a Social Media Expert
We recommend Media Connect Partners because we’ve seen their work and know they bring results to social media. If you want success in social media, we recommend them and what we see in them is what we expect from a social media expert.
1. A Social Media Expert Has Been in the Business
If you ask your potential social media expert how long he has been in the business and he responds “6 months” or “1 year,” run away! By now, someone who is an expert in social media should have been working in the industry for several years.
2. A Social Media Expert Understands What a Social Media Strategy Is
Ask your social media expert what a social media strategy is. Brian Boyd wrote an excellent blog posts about what a social media strategy is and what a social media strategy isn’t. Check it out and see if your social media expert’s response meshes with Brian’s expertise.
3. A Social Media Expert Can Bring Resources to the Table
You may only need a social media expert for some social media consulting, but it’s important to know they have the resources and backing if you need social media execution. Your social media consultant should have a team she relies on to get the job done.
4. A Social Media Expert Should Know How to Build an Audience
Part of being a social media expert is understanding the technology behind it, a lot of being a social media expert is understanding marketing. if your social media expert can’t build an audience, you have the wrong social media expert. What good is it to build a live social media event if no one shows up?
5. A Social Media Expert Should Understand How to Measure ROI
We have spoken to a number of social media experts who don’t understand return on investment, how to measure it in social media, and why its important. Why would we be doing social media for our business if it didn’t have an ROI? Ask your social media expert how she measures social media ROI.
Sometimes you need to bring in a social media expert to get the job done. A social media expert can help you with expertise and experience you don’t have. Finding the right social media expert can sometimes be difficult, but in the end, the right social media expert will result in a success for your social media efforts.
