Written by: Dave Kerpen
- CEO of social media and word of mouth marketing agency Likeable Media
- Author of the book Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand & Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (and Other Social Networks).
A Google search for “social media marketing agency” produces a cool 4.5 million results.
In addition to social media agencies, it seems these days everyone from creative agencies to pr agencies to digital agencies to consultants are now providing social media support for companies in need.
So how can you go about sorting the contenders from the pretenders, and finding the right agency for you?
Here are five simple and actionable tips to aid you in your search.
1. Use a qualified social media directory
By using such as directory, you’ll immediately bring your search from 4.5 million possibilities to several dozen, or fewer. Especially if you only want to work with an agency within driving distance.
- InvestinSocial.com features a social media agency directory, vendor directory, and consultant directory.
- The Word of Mouth Marketing Association features a Buyer’s Guide.
- Facebook has its own list of 90 Preferred Developer Consultants.
2. Research An Agency’s Social Presence
Before you consider talking to a social media agency, check out their blog, Facebook Page, and Twitter feed. If they are going to help you leverage social media, they should be excellent at leveraging social media on their own behalf.
3. Research Great Brand Examples
Look at great Facebook Pages from brands, great Twitter feeds from brands you follow, and great corporate blogs. Then find out what agencies work on the social media presence for your favorites.
4. Find Agency Employees On Twitter
Don’t just look for the CEO or Social Media Vice President – look for as many staff members as you can find. Ideally, you’ll want to find the Twitter feeds of the people you’d be working with and getting help from, not just the company’s figureheads.
5. Get References
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to 1-3 agencies, and you’ve gotten to know the people you’d be working with, and their ideas for you, if you still like 2 agencies equally, ask for references – not just of brands they work with, but of brands they used to work with and no longer do. You can learn a lot from this.
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Ultimately, no matter how you search for a social media agency, you’ve got to find a great fit for your brand – somebody that really gets you, has the resources to provide expertise and service, and with whom you get along really well. What tips would YOU add to this list?