The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success, 3rd Edition

Out-House

Marketing and Public Relations Firms

I get teased about using this descriptor. I have worked with a lot of outside agencies in my career. Some were good, but most knew about as much as I did and often less. Please be wary of service agencies and marketing and public relations firms selling social media services. Most companies know less than you do by now (unless they also read this book).

I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked to present and talk about social media with some of the world’s largest firms only to find out that they know less than average and have been selling social media services to their clients for several years now. Have them take the earlier-mentioned test as well. Make up a list of questions you have.

Consultants

The same goes for consultants. Within the past two years, almost everyone is now calling herself a social media expert or guru. She’s not. If you are going to hire a consultant, please interview her extensively. Quiz her on specific IDKT (I Didn’t Know That) moments you had when reading this book. If she can’t answer most of your questions, invite her to leave and you should try again with someone else.

Warning: Out-house firms don’t want you doing your own marketing, social media or otherwise. If you do it yourself, they get no billable hours. They will often obfuscate the execution and insist you leave it to the experts. You are the expert here. No one knows your company, your product, and your services the way you do.