Social media is a powerful and fast-growing tool that has taken small businesses from zero to hero overnight.
It's really not to be underestimated but the fact is no one really knows how this new marketing tool works yet there must be thousands and thousands of people claiming that they are 'social media experts' - a term that simply doesn't exist.
A good consultant needs to bring everything together - they need to understand the branding, web design, target market and most importantly your objectives.
So what questions should you ask to find out if a consultant is any good or not? 1.
What benefits do you see for my business taking an online presence? Whilst all businesses should have a website - not all businesses need to be Tweeting on Twitter or getting fans on Facebook.
Admittedly, there is usually at least one platform that every business should be active on.
Does the consultant feel that by being online you can improve your customer relations? Can you expand into new markets? Or are they just suggesting Social Media because it's the 'done thing' and they don't really know why.
2.
How would you integrate my existing website with social media? This is a key area to talk about.
Having an online presence is great and everything, but if the consultant can't or doesn't understand how to integrate this presence into your website then steer clear.
Almost all successful campaigns require an easy flow of traffic from the website to the social media platforms and vice versa.
Any social media offers or promotions should be easy to see straight from the website and converting every conversion (yes it makes sense!) into a Facebook fan or a Twitter follower is incredibly important for future sales.