Tag: social media packages

You’ve probably shopped around for social media managers for your business and come across quite a few with ridiculously appealing prices. Something in the realm of $200/month for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram management. For an extra $50, they’ll set up each of those platforms for you. And for another $20 a month, you can add Pinterest and LinkedIn.

It sounds too good to be true. And it is.

Every couple of months, someone brings me a proposal from a social media management company in Vancouver that offers seemingly great deals just like this and asks what’s the deal.

Our team has had tons of discussions about how companies manage this and even made some covert calls to find out more details.

Here are 10 reasons why cheap, a la cartel social media packages aren’t worth the money they’re charging.

1. Copy-and-paste messaging is ineffective.

   You don’t use the same words or tell the same stories to your best friends as you do to your boss. The subtle and less subtle ways we communicate with the different types of people in our lives are amplified and become even more important with the public nature of social media. Posting the same content with the same content on casual Facebook and professional LinkedIn can make your business look amateur. Plus, studies show that hashtags and @ handles in your Facebook posts, ellipses and truncated content in Twitter feeds and Instagram photos posted directly to Facebook lower your chances of grabbing the attention of your audience. Why pay for posts that are essentially useless to you?

2. They ignore the social part of social media.

   By their nature, social platforms are meant for having conversations and building trust and relationships. In real life, would you ever walk up to someone you wanted to be friends with, spout off a stat or a joke, and walk away? Why would you let a company do that for you on social media? Instead, your brand should be starting conversations, asking questions and posting content that entices people to engage with you and get to know your brand.

3. They don’t encourage people to engage with your business.

   Because of the way that they “post it and leave it”, these companies aren’t giving your customers reasons to talk with you. Why have a one-sided conversation? On the other hand, two-way conversations build trust between your brand and your customers, and trust leads to sales.

4. You run the risk of looking unprofessional.

   Spelling errors, poor grammar and tasteless jokes are suicide for businesses on social media. Working with an untrained, unprofessional social media manager is risky behaviour. We recommend hiring a social media marketing firm with a strong background in writing, business and social media best practices.

5. Beware the hidden costs.

   Your business doesn’t stay the same every day. You’ll want to tell people about special events, sales, promotions and news. Don’t get stuck with social media packages that charge you extra for anything outside what they think is the norm. Instead, work with a firm that is as flexible as you are and wants to see your business succeed.

6. You get what you pay for.

   Need we elaborate? Too many times, I’ve met people who have taken the cheap route with their social marketing and regretted the dollars they wasted. Your business deserves better!

7. You pay for work you don’t need and miss out on work you do need.

   The nature of a la carte social media packages is that you don’t get to pick and choose the services you need most, and skip the ones you don’t. Don’t pay for Pinterest marketing if your customers aren’t on Pinterest. Working with a social media marketing firm that understands what your business needs and helps focus your efforts and dollars on those areas is always working in your best interest.

8. They’re not there when you need them.

   On a pair of occasions, I’ve phoned one of these cheap social media package shops to inquire about their services. Both took 3 days to return my call. What if you were paying them and they posted content that embarrassed your company or didn’t align with your values? Would it be OK for that content to stay out there for 3 days? Not likely.

9. You’ll be in bed with the Walmart of social media.

   These low cost shops are all about quantity over quality. They post quickly without much thought to long term strategy and how each post represents your brand. They often use scheduling software, meaning they spend just a few minutes posting your business’ content for the week, then they forget about you. For them, it’s all about what’s fast and easy, rather than what’s going to get you the best results.

10. Personalized service? Not a chance.

    It’s always more fun ad more rewarding to work with someone you respect, who’s intelligent, connected and personable. That’s why your customers choose your business over others – they can relate to you! The same goes for the agency that represents your brand online – they should understand you and be able to tailor their service specifically to what you need. They should call to see how you’re doing and check in on your business.

Have questions? Comments? Post them below or email us!