Should you outsource social media or handle it in-house?

Thousands of “social media experts” showed up promising rainbows and unicorns to businesses seeking to connect with their target customers. Social media gave smaller businesses do-it-yourself marketing. Larger companies wondered whether in-house or outsourced social media was better for their business.

Fast-forward to today. Now that social media has gone mainstream and execs at those platforms have recognized there’s advertising money to be made, it’s not nearly as easy to succeed as it once was. Those early “social media experts” have mostly faded from view (although some are still lurking out there).

A prospective client told me he’s truly concerned about how to approach social media. Should he hire someone in-house or should he outsource? It’s been keeping him up at night. He’s tried a few things, and none has worked.

I chatted with him about his business and his goals. After learning about his business, I explained the positives and negatives to both in-house and outsourced social media marketing. He figured out what made the best sense for him and his business. I could sense his relief as we made plans to move forward.