Picking Qualified Social Media Consultant
How to choose a qualified social media consultant and agency is one of the most common questions for business owners today. With companies starting to understand the power of engaging with their customers and prospects you will continue to see more unqualified folks jumping on the bandwagon singing the praises of social media and duping unsuspecting businesses.
In the spirit of being helpful to make sure you make a wise choice of a social media consultant and educator here are things you want to look for and …
…questions you want to ask:
Social Media Tools
How can they teach you or help you build your community if they hardly use the tools? Read their blog posts, read their tweets, read their Linkedin profiles. Are they complete or filled out half-ass-ed.
Do they engage with two way conversations VS one way pitches or feeding their stream with automated content?
Due Diligence shows you by reading their conversations…is it all titles with links (technically spam when that’s you main content), do they actually talk with other people and offering help? Do they ask others their opinion or only talk about their own?
Do they talk about tools first?
When you ask about social media and how to sue it for your business, if their first statement is convincing you to use facebook, twitter etc… the tools then RUN, YOU WILL ALLIENATE customers and people because that is a backwards way to maneuver in social media. They need to be asking about what are you wanting to accomplish in your business FIRST, listening and learning so they can create a strategy which is in alignment with your goals for the business.
Do they get RT, Liked, Followed and Connected?
How valuable do others find their content, whether it is tweets, blog post or radio show. Are they being RT, talked about being helpful, are they able to bring high profile people on their shows (if high profile people trust their reputation-you probably can too).
What is their influence online? What is their audience makeup? Who listens to them and why?
It’s the quality and the numbers BOTH. When they have great content they will receive two way conversations and lots of followers, BOTH.
Who follows, listens and values their advice and knowledge? Are they wanna be’s or reputable business owners? Do their colleagues even recommend them?
Have they actually taught a workshop, webinar or spoken in front of more than 2-10 people?
This is easy. Google them, go listen to them speak first.
Have they ever owned a real business? (not just a MLM)
No offense for folks wanting to generate income without a large cash outlay. Only a business that has had to create a business plan, marketing plan and generate sales qualifies as a business owner, experience is HUGE to comprehend all the challenges businesses faces today.
What do they use for their business? Blog, Youtube, Podcast, Linkedin, Twitter…
Again do they walk the talk or are they frontin’
Do they give you advice by saying “first let’s create you a facebook page”?
Can I say RUN FAST!. Facebook is not for everyone. It is not about the tools, it is about knowing who is the target audience and where are they? Being able to communicate with a REAL BUYING customer critical.
Ask them how they integrate new and traditional media?
If they say traditional media is dead another FAIL. Is the marketing dollars shifting away from total traditional media, well of course. BIG difference, integrating and creating profitable results is more than creating buzz, it is a full fledge large perspective as well as details on creating action. A Social Media Mindmap with detailed action plan for execution.
What monitoring tools do they use?
Do they talk about radian 6, do they know how to do it with free and paid tools?
How long have they been on twitter?
There is no way they can be effective with less than two years experience here.
Linkedin Recommendation
This one is HUGE. Read the recommendations and who made them, co-workers are not as valuable as clients, colleagues and guests. The more your reputation is your brand means the less likely they will take chance by recommending someone who will damage their brand with bad work.
Do they talk about tools or strategies?
If they spend all their time talking about how to use tools HUGE FAIL. Tools without a strategy is like wiring a house without a electrical scheme.
What’s their first strategy?
Do they talk about original ideas or just rehash what others do, copy cats do not reap profitable rewards.
Do a gut check, yeah I said it, do they feel slimy or disingenuous?
This one is on you, you know what feels fake or not.
Social Media Marketing Questions
Is their focus asking questions to uncover your true needs or just talk about what they can do for you?
Do they say it is not the numbers it’s only quality?
Ok, this is where even I disagree with many in Social Media. Yes, quality is critical. Is that everything, NO. Numbers plays a role as it extends your reach. Difference is large numbers with no engagement are useless AND engaged numbers is GOLD. You do not have to trade one for the other, you will notice wealthy businesses who are successful in ways that only a few accomplish are doing the opposite of the crowd. The crowd thinks you can’t have both, ridiculous. Does it take LOTS of work, you bet.
If you get told they can build your following quickly-STOP DROP AND RUN
This is the slick version where you are told you can gain 1,000-5,000 followers in 30-60-90 days. No such thing, this is equivalent of “TOO Good to Be True”
