Running your social media marketing is an ongoing and time-consuming task, so many small business owners believe that the right solution is to hire a social media team to take care of this issue. It seems like the natural thing to do in order to have full control over how to conduct your social media activity and to educate your employees on your business.
This is, after all, the traditional business model that built large and successful companies. But times have changed, and traditional business models no longer work. The focus these days is to create value for the customers while saving as many expenses as possible. Therefore, keeping a full staff for your small business is not a feasible solution.
This is where the concept of outsourcing enters stage. Outsourcing means hiring a specialised company to handle certain activities and operations for a nominal fee. You agree on the type, number and/or quantity of tasks the specialists will perform for you, and you can forget about that part of your business because it will be in good hands from now on.
Still not convinced? Here’s a short comparison between in-house versus outsourced social media marketing for your small business.
Education and Training
In-house: You have to know what combination of skills and education you are looking for in order to hire the right person. And once you hire them, you have to send them to complete further training courses if you want your employees to be up to date with the latest developments in the industry.
Outsourced: You benefit from the talent, experience and educational background of a team of seasoned specialists. You are in no way responsible to pay for their further training. The company they work for is doing that and has access to a larger knowledge base than you ever will, because this is what they specialise in and they want to keep ahead of the competition.
Accountability and Results
In-house: Your team may or may not achieve the desired results from the very beginning. Typically, as a small business, you will not be able to afford to hire the top specialists, so you will have to allow for a period of learning. This is a period of time when you pay your employees a salary and all legal benefits, but they do not produce value for them because they are still in the learning phase. As for accountability, some people feel safe enough in their employed position not to worry about the immediate negative outcomes of their lack of productivity.
Outsourced: Professional companies have the know-how and expertise to achieve immediate results for all their clients. Their employees have a high sense of accountability, because the culture of the company promotes this spirit. You do not have to worry about or supervise their work – it is carried out with top-level professionalism and to high standards.
Payment
In-house: When you hire an employee, either full-time or part-time, you have to pay their salary, social security, health care and pension contribution, plus paid annual leave. If you are unhappy with their performance, you will have to comply with a specific procedure before you terminate their employment.
Outsourced: All you have to pay is the monthly nominal fee you agreed when you signed the outsourcing agreement. You are not responsible for any other type of payment for the people working for you and, if you are not satisfied with the results, you can terminate the agreement at any moment with no penalties for you.
These are the main differences between hiring a social media team and outsourcing your social media activity. What will you choose?