01 Feb How Will a Social Media Agency Work With My Current Agency?
Today I’m going to dive into the first question in part of the Marketer’s Foray into Social Media : How will a Social Media Agency Work with my Current Agency?
First off, we have received this question numerous times, mainly from companies with existing PR and Advertising agencies who still quite haven’t figured out what the role of a social media agency is, or the relationship this type of agency will have with their existing agencies.
To answer this question – a social media agency should work seamlessly with these agencies, almost as additional partners rather than competition. After all, the work of the social media agency is to not re-brand a company, but to translate the current existing branding or messaging (from the advertising agency and PR agency) into a campaign that is appropriate for social media and its audiences.
With that being said, how we work with the company and these agencies is entirely up to a company’s budget, current resources, and social media marketing objectives. That’s why below, I’ve outlined some ways that Ignite has worked with companies and agencies to give a better picture of how a social media agency really works.
1. Consultant: Playing the role of a consultant, we’ve worked with companies to outline the specific social media strategies and tactics that will help achieve company objectives. At this point, we may even look outside the realm of social media marketing and into the applications of social media as it could be used internally or for customer service.
2. Trainer: As a social media trainer – we work with a company’s already existing resources and train internal staff on how to use social media tools (effectively). Typically this type of relationship is good for companies who have the current staff to employ social media, but don’t have the budget dedicated to hire an agency.
3. Executioner: This is when most of our clients seek our services: when they need a social media partner who will develop strategies and provide the resources and staff that they need to execute them. In this case we sell our team’s time and expertise in this field, which often saves internal resources. It also is a safer way for a company to enter social media, as it makes us a social media scapegoat if anything goes wrong.
I’m sure that as we progress in social media, these roles will change even more. For those who have worked with a social media agency, feel free to share your experience.
