Social media is indisputably important when it comes to your branding and marketing strategy. There’s just no denying the power of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others to help you reach and engage a vast audience, gain followers, and forge lasting relationships, especially if you’re looking to target new consumer groups.
As a result, it’s essential that you work with a qualified social media and branding services agency that has the creativity and technical skill to make your social media work for you and deliver quantifiable results. There are several factors to consider when it comes to selecting the right social media agency for your business. Here are a few that will help you make the best choice.
Branding and Marketing Services Offered
Whether you know which services you want or you’re simply interested in finding out what options are available to you, it’s always best to start by looking at a company’s list of services. Some companies focus exclusively on social media marketing and management, while others take a more holistic approach with digital services like website and app development, integrated marketing across channels, creative/design services, and brand auditing and strategies, just for example.
You may not want a company that is too diversified, but a variety of services within the same basic wheelhouse can increase efficiency and save you money over hiring different vendors that have no idea what the others are doing on your behalf or how it fits with the overarching strategy.
You want to look for an Asheville internet marketing firm that excels in multiple disciplines that work together to help you create a cohesive brand identity and marketing message, not only for social media efforts, but for all aspects of your online presence. If you can find all of these services under one roof, you can better collaborate across channels and ensure a cohesive message and a recognizable brand.
Experience and Reputation
Generally speaking, past experience is a fair indicator of future performance, so an Asheville branding and marketing company that has racked up successes for other clients is obviously desirable. This speaks to their relative credibility and shows you that they have the ability to deliver on promises.
However, lack of experience within your specific industry or niche need not necessarily eliminate a social media agency from competing for your business, especially not if they show an interest in learning all they can about your business and your goals. You’ll certainly want to reference satisfied customers and choose a partner with a solid reputation, but don’t get too hung up on specific experience. Don’t forget to listen to the promises a company makes to see if they’re in line with competitors and decide if they sound reasonable or too farfetched.
Transparency
Having a solid idea of how a company operates, what their fees entail, and the level of work you can expect to receive is a must. Some companies offering social media services rely on stables of low-paid, overseas workers to manage social media efforts. They may not have clear pricing policies or give you information about what they’re doing with the funding you provide.
This can lead to very bad experiences and out-of-control costs. It’s important to go into any partnership understanding your needs and your budget, but you also need to be smart about who you work with. Choose an Asheville internet marketing firm that offers easy-to-find information and reviews and has no trouble answering all your questions.
A Branding Services Agency That Cares
You’re probably going to find at least a few suitable social media agencies that offer the services, experience, pricing, and transparency that meet your requirements. How can you narrow it down to the ones that are most likely to understand and successfully promote your brand via social media?
You need to find an agency that cares. What does this mean? It means you want to work with a partner that takes the time to get to know your brand, your vision, and your voice. They need to understand your mission, your ideals, and your goals so they can properly evaluate your current social media strategy and help you come up with a suitable plan to move forward with greater success.
Your social media efforts need to support your overall branding and complement your other marketing and advertising efforts. You need a comprehensive branding and marketing strategy across channels so you can deliver a cohesive message that resonates with audiences. This starts with a company that cares enough to learn about your brand and your story in order to come up with creative social media strategies.
Cultural Similarity
Every company has their own particular culture, and you probably want to work with an Asheville branding and marketing firm that aligns with your core values, goals, and overall company culture. If you’re a fun, young, tech startup, you might not be keen to work with a stuffy ad agency that focuses on old-school media and doesn’t really understand your culture or your audience.
The best way to test this is to meet with your top candidates to get a feel for their style and personality. This can help you to find the social media marketing partner that best aligns with your own ideals and is most likely to help you formulate winning strategies that connect with your target audience.
If you’re looking for a social media agency that that has the comprehensive toolkit to transform your marketing and branding efforts and help you to achieve targeted results, contact the experts at Storypowered at 828-450-2551 or online to learn more and get your social media overhaul underway.