We’ll start this article by stating the obvious: among the suite of services we provide to our clients is social media marketing. Social media is a great way for businesses to connect with their customers; it’s increasingly important as a customer service channel, and, when advertising tools are used strategically, social media boosts brand visibility and makes it easier for new customers to discover your brand.

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Creating, curating, and sharing content on social media requires time and expertise, as does making the best use of display ads and sponsored posts. It makes sense for busy business owners to choose a skilled third party to manage their social media – but it is a good idea to outsource everything?

We tell our clients no. An effective social media presence requires some degree of involvement from the business. It’s certainly possible to hand over some of the day-to-day tasks of managing your social media, but there are specific instances where you’ll want to be very hands-on:

Local Interest: The best social media management company in the world isn’t going to know about the water main break that’s blocking customers from getting to your store or the amazing sunset you can see from the park. Yet hyper-local information of this nature is very valuable on social media – it shows your customers that you’re real and connected to your neighborhood. Don’t be afraid to post local interest updates as needed. It’s hard to go wrong celebrating your community.

Customer Service: There are a number of ways that customers can ask questions, share comments, and complain via social media. Depending on your settings, they may post on your wall, leave a comment on a post, or message you directly. While a social media management firm can certainly alert you to these inquiries, effectively addressing most customer service issues requires in-house knowledge. Your social media management company can certainly provide advice and guidance when handling upset or angry posters, so don’t be afraid to turn to them for help as needed.

Engaging in Community Conversations: What appears on your own social media is only part of having a social media presence. Conversations happen on social media that are relevant to your brand. As the business owner, you’re often the best person to identify and participate in those conversations in a way that builds your brand.

Finding Balance is Key: Business owners are very busy, all of the time. Finding a way to maintain some local control and input of your social media can mean making a commitment to spending some time with it each day – with the majority of content posting and advertising handled by a third party, the time required from you can be significantly reduced – or by delegating this task to a trusted, capable member of your team who understands the critical but limited role you want them to play. If you’re not sure how to do what you’d like to do, check into your training options. Many times, your social media management company will be happy to bring you up to speed.