Hiring a social media consultant

When considering hiring a social media consultant there are a few things that you should keep in mind. As I have mentioned before, and as others have said as well, social media is like a cocktail party. You can't just grab a drink and interrupt a conversation, social media a a complex thing. A consultant can help make the introductions for you, smooth the initial awkwardness and ensure success.

New social media applications are popping up every week and each has it’s own values and pitfalls. Bottom line? There are NO experts and there is no one answer for every company.

A consultant can help guide you on the appropriate tools that will meet the specific needs for your company. A consultant will coach and train you on how to use the tools so that you will have a better understanding of what is involved and why you want to use one tool over another.

Even if you hire a consultant to use the tool for you (which is a common practice) you should never, ever trust a consultant who tells you that that they will create the content for you. You should control what you are saying about you! Your voice and your brand are your essence and the risk is too great to put that into someone else's hands.

However, you can hire a consultant who is familiar with the social media application to publish your content for you.

So two key considerations when hiring a social media consultant. First, be careful if someone claims to be a social media expert - there aren't any. And secondly, remember, you keep control of your biggest asset...you.