In today’s world, there are a lot of “self-proclaimed” social experts out there, which makes it very difficult to identify the true thought leaders in our industry. Whether you have an internal marketing team or you hire an outside agency, it is important that you are able to identify who really knows what they are talking about, because when you think about it, it could be the difference of thousands of dollars lost in wasted advertising costs.
So, here are five clear indicators to help you navigate through all the bull $h1+.
1) He or she has never asked for a single social ad dollar.
…and if they have, it was just to boost a post here and there.
Because the “Great Organic Reach Decline of 2014” was a real thing… and it’s time people stop denying it.
In fact, organic reach took yet ANOTHER hit in 2016, since Facebook made another shift in its algorithm, focusing more on friends and family.
2) He or she cannot report on how your social strategy affects your bottom line.
Because it is his or her job to show you actual, tangible, results, right?
There are many tools available to show an exact return on your social investment. It’s not just about reach, impressions, and frequency, it’s about showing you that ACTUAL revenue was generated from your campaigns.
3) He or she is doing the copywriting, graphic design, community management, data pairing, analytic management and reporting and require no help or assistance.
Because that is literally impossible…
4) He or she has never asked you how long it takes a customer to go from not knowing about YOU… to ultimately buying from you.
Because without knowing your customer, or your customer’s journey, how can you even have a strategy, to begin with?
Your customer’s buying journey should be the foundation of your marketing strategy. It will also allow you to understand what results you should expect, and how soon you should see these results. Read more from our friends at Hubspot about how to start defining who your customer is, and their buying journey.
5) He or she can’t show their work.
Because it’s 2017 and it’s his or her responsibility to show you how many phone calls, customers, purchases and the revenue that was actually attributed to your campaigns.
If your social media “expert” can’t-do any of the above, you are wasting your money. No doubt about it. To learn more about how we can help, let’s chat!
