Social Media Resources
I was reading a fresh report on the state of search engine marketing and it had some interesting stats about social media. The first one was that the majority (>60%) of companies have decided to (or are currently) tackle social media with in-house resources. Using a social media specialist, a pr agency, a digital marketing agency etc. were all in the 3 – 7% range. This is quite natural when you think about it, because although there can be policies and guidelines around social media, the actual execution need to be spontaneous, immediate and less scripted, so it all lends itself towards people from within the organization. This, I think could create an interesting dynamic, because unless companies are willing to invest in resources, social media initiatives might starve and be slow to take off. It also creates a challenge for agencies. After all they are supposed to be experts, but with less opportunities their portfolio could look a bit thin. More to follow.
Great thoughts around in-house vs agency handling of social media. I agree that execution lends itself towards people within an organization. At the same time though, in-house marketers also need to be a lot quicker off the mark when it comes to social media, and not be scared to be spontaneous and immediate. We have a saying in Britain that today’s news is tomorrow’s chip paper. News ages even faster in social channels, like Twitter for example, and should be shared and talked about literally as it happens. Similarly, if any negative news hits the social airwaves, in-house marketers need to be ready to respond really quickly. Looking forward to hearing more!