How to Find the Right Social Media Marketing Agency: 5 Tips

Chances are, the perfect social media marketing company isn’t just going to fall into your lap. You’ll have to put in a little time and effort to find the right match.

So, you want to simultaneously connect with your audience, build awareness, and drive sales. We’re not going to lie—that’s a tall order. But social media marketing can get you across the finish line.

After all, everyone from your ex to your grandmother is on social media. Imagine the sheer number and variety of people you could reach with a carefully crafted Instagram post or a well-written Facebook ad. A hundred? A thousand? Dream bigger!

Social media marketing, whether organic or paid, offers unparalleled opportunities to engage with your audience on a personal level so you can establish relationships, foster loyalty, generate leads, and boost sales. However, just like you wouldn’t send a lone soldier out to take on an army, you shouldn’t solely rely on social media marketing. Sure, it can work well on its own, but you’d be missing out. Social media marketing shines when aligned as a complementary service alongside effective SEO, PPC, and other marketing services.

Wondering what separates the best social media marketing companies from the rest? Buckle up because we’re about to dive into five social media marketing agency must-haves!

What Factors Should I Prioritize When Comparing Social Media Marketing Companies?

Can’t wait to get your social media marketing game off the ground? We don’t blame you! But you shouldn’t settle for the first social media marketing agency you come across.

The truth is that not all social media marketing companies are created equal. Some social media marketing companies may have beautifully crafted websites, but they fall short in essential areas when you dig down to the nitty gritty. They may not even understand how companies use social media for marketing!

If you’re not sure where to start, here are five differentiating factors to help you identify high-quality social media agencies:

1. Industry Familiarity

The first step in finding the right social media marketing agency for your business is narrowing your search to those with an in-depth understanding of your industry. After all, marketing software solutions to enterprises is very different from selling kibble to pet owners.

But it goes even deeper than that. Your chosen social media agency also needs to be in the know on your specific B2B or B2C audiences, your price point, your competitive advantage(s) and value propositions, and your positioning alongside your competition. This is critical if they hope to develop tailored strategies that resonate with your target market.

2. Goal Alignment

You could hire the best social media agency in the world, but it wouldn’t matter if they don’t understand your goals or aren’t willing to help you achieve them. That’s why your chosen social media marketing agency not only needs to understand ​​how companies use social media for marketing in general but also who you are and what your goals are.

If your brand’s mission is to boost awareness, your agency partner should be a pro at crafting and launching campaigns that will grow your following and drive more traffic to your site. If you’re all about ramping up conversions across social media, your agency should know the ins and outs of running bottom-funnel campaigns to turn interested buyers into loyal customers.

To separate a good fit from a bad fit, peruse the agency’s case studies closely and—when in doubt—ask them outright for examples of how they’ve achieved your goals for other clients.

3. Community Management

Social media is all about, well, socializing. This shouldn’t come as a shock—it’s right there in the name!—but you’d be surprised by how many social media marketing companies forget that social media wasn’t made to be a marketplace.

People don’t open their phones looking for advertisements. They check social media to keep up with friends, share their opinions with the world, and engage in interesting conversations. At its core, social media is a place for connections.

That’s why social media marketing companies need to know how to build authentic communities on their clients’ behalf. No, this doesn’t mean a community full of marketers pushing products on members. These communities must deliver genuine value to customers to keep them engaged, loyal, and coming back for more.

To suss this out, look for examples of their previous work where they’ve not only grown follower count substantially, but dramatically increased relevant engagement with posts. Ask them if they have an outbound engagement strategy—because they should! Outbound engagement refers to the process of engaging with other profiles on social, which plays an essential role in tapping into the community and its benefits.

4. Website Traffic

Having a website is a great start, but it won’t do you much good if no one is visiting it. Your social media agency needs to not only understand how to deliver traffic to your website but how to deliver qualified, interested traffic that closely aligns with your goals.

Let’s say you want buyers from social media. Your agency should understand how to seamlessly redirect those users to your website without compromising the buyer’s journey. If you want users interested in learning more about a particular topic, your agency should understand the art of creating social media buzz that pulls them away from scrolling and drives them straight to your website.

Here are some questions to ask to ensure this is something your chosen agency can achieve for you:

• How do you track traffic that comes from social to the website?
• Can I see examples of how you’ve increased traffic from social for companies in my industry?
• What’s your plan for ensuring the visitors are qualified?

These are excellent starting points for determining whether a social media marketing agency has considered how they’re influencing website traffic.

5. Client Service

Good customer service isn’t just for restaurants, hotels, and retail stores: it’s essential for social media marketing companies, too. Before partnering with an agency, pay attention to their:

• Transparency: The last thing you want is to be left in the dark. A top-notch agency will keep you in the loop with regular updates and clear communication.
• Response Time: The social media landscape changes—and it changes fast—so you need and deserve quick and efficient communication.
• Copywriting Skills: Any social media marketing agency worth its salt can craft stellar copy that grabs attention, drives action, and meshes with your brand and its goals. Great copy turns casual scrollers into loyal followers and customers.
• Campaign Management Results: It goes without saying that social media marketing companies are great at marketing, which is why you must look into their campaign management results. Social media agencies can easily spin tales you want to believe in, but don’t be afraid to dig deeper and look for a proven track record of running successful campaigns. After all, results speak louder than words.

Which Social Media Services Do I Need?

There are many agencies out there—and they’re offering lots of services. But what social media services do you really need? You might want:

• Channel-Specific Services: Marketing on Facebook is a very different beast than posting to Pinterest. What will go viral on TikTok might not even make a dent on Instagram, so you may want channel-specific marketing services from an agency that knows the best practices for your chosen platform.
• Research and Analysis: You can’t execute a social media marketing strategy successfully if you don’t understand your audience. That’s why it’s worth investing in research and analysis services. Your marketing agency can provide valuable insights into your target demographics, behaviors, and preferences, leading to tailored content and strategies that fuel audience engagement.
• Strategy Planning: Plunging into social media marketing without a strategy is like heading off on a cross-country road trip without a map. A solid strategy and schedule from an experienced agency can help you achieve your goals quickly and efficiently.
• Content Creation: Chances are, you’re not stocked up on content you can share across your social media (and, even if you are, having more content never hurts!). An agency can provide videos, graphics, social media copy, blog posts, and more, ensuring your social media channels are always brimming with fresh and engaging content.
• Community Management: Building and maintaining a loyal community doesn’t end with posting content. To build a community and sense of loyalty among your followers, you need to nurture them—and your marketing agency can help by responding to comments, engaging in conversations, and addressing concerns.

Social media services allow you to focus on what you do best. So, take your time, do your research, and choose wisely—your brand’s social media success depends on it!

Get Found on Social

Your brand deserves to be seen, but that won’t happen overnight—and you can’t work with just any agency. You need to roll up your sleeves and do some research. You probably won’t find the right match on your first go around, but no matter how many agencies you vet before finding the right one, we promise it will be worth it!

The perfect agency will not only amplify your social media presence but also tailor their approach to fit your unique needs and goals. From content creation and community management to performance analytics and beyond, a top-tier agency will bring fresh ideas, strategic insights, and the expertise needed to take your social media game to the next level.

And Terra is ready to rise to the occasion, bringing our best and brightest to revolutionize your social media. You can bank on us (quite literally) for exceptional customer service, dedicated community management, expertise across a wide range of industries, and a commitment to your wider marketing goals. Ready to see what the right social media marketing partner can do for your brand? Get in touch today!