You’ve hit the point where you are busy with the daily running of your business and don’t have the time needed to manage your brand online. Among the ideas you have to make sure this vital task is completed is outsourcing your online work. But making the choice to outsource something as important as marketing your business can be a hard decision.
Choosing to outsource definitely should not be taken lightly and just like when you’re deciding to buy a new horse, you should do your homework on any companies you’re thinking of using. To make the process as stressless as possible for you, there are also some questions you should ask yourself so you know what you’re looking for before you jump into your search.
1) What do I want them to manage?
First, you need to figure out exactly what you want your new team to manage. Are you thinking of just having them update your website or do you just want them to take over your social media? Or do you want to hand off all online marketing and management to the company? Some companies are flexible about this – at Pyrois Media, we can take over whatever level of management you feel most comfortable with.
Some of our clients only have us manage their social media, some only have us handle the website, and others have us do both. Other companies would rather take over everything or only offer one of the services. So figuring out what you have in mind before you go searching is important.
2) What are my goals?
Going in with the idea that you just want someone to take over and don’t care what they do can be harmful to your business. Before you contact anyone, sit down and write out or brainstorm what you want your company to achieve. Even if you don’t have exact details, the person you hand over your brand management to can often take what you’d like to achieve and make a plan to make the company successful.
If you want to hand over the reins to someone and have them manage everything (the question below addresses that), you’re going to have much better relationship and be happier with the service if you know and communicate what you’re looking for. This doesn’t mean you have to give step-by-step instructions but just saying something like “my goal is to add five more owners to the barn” will make sure the plan takes the best actions to achieve that.
3) How much control do I want to give up?
Some people want to let the management company take over and let them run it as they see fit, meanwhile other people want to have a say in every post. Deciding what side of the coin you want to be on – or if you want to be in the middle of the two choices – is the first step in figuring out your plans and goals.
At the end of the day, whoever is handling your website, social media, and/or overall marketing is representing your company so you need to know what makes you feel the most comfortable and convey that to them.
4) What does my ideal company look like?
This is another one size doesn’t fit all situation. For some equestrians, hiring a brand management team that has more marketing experience than equine experience is preferred. For others, they prefer to have someone who knows more about the equestrian/horseman lifestyle than have marketing experience. And of course you can also prefer that they have a blend of experience.
Another thing to consider is if you want to work with a large company that has a team focused on your account or if you want to deal directly with a small, one- or two-person company. There are pros and cons to both so you should consider your needs and how you think each company can meet them. Don’t be afraid to contact companies and talk to them to see if they fit what you have in mind. Any good company should have time to discuss your needs so you can see if they’re a right fit.
All of Pyrois Media’s services can be combined to help you find exactly the right kind of brand management plan your business needs to be successful, no matter what discipline you’re in. Find the full roster of our services here and contact Melissa@PyroisMedia.com to discuss your needs.