It is often a matter of debate, choosing the right person to execute your social media marketing. Many SMEs have up until now implemented cost-saving options to face this very serious emerging platform that helps market and interact with consumers. But as the medium and market mature, are these solutions enough to help you win new business?
So what is really the best person to run your social media marketing?
1) Me (when I get the time…)
Undoubtedly the best person to run your social media is you. Nothing and nobody will substitute the knowledge you have for your own sector and business. These days you will need an inclination for writing and image manipulation. Such is life, however, that even with those skills at hand, business owners are too busy to be able to perform all their duties plus run their social media marketing, it is, therefore, a risky strategy at best.
Pros 
- Free
- Quality content
- Organic connections & growth
Cons 
- Lack of time
2) The Junior Marketing Executive
Junior Executives cost much less than a person with a significant working history in their profession but they could also lack the experience to carry out successful targeted campaigns. That does not mean you cannot get lucky. There is some wonderful talent out there.
Pros
- Low cost
Cons
- Lack of experience
3) The Receptionist
Someone who has a little bit of free time in their hands and a Facebook account might not necessarily possess all the skills to run a social media marketing campaign to drive new business. That does not mean that internal staff cannot contribute to social media efforts. In fact, if possible, everyone in the company should be doing their small bit.
Pros
- Low cost
Cons
- Lack of experience
4) My cousin
Working with family can be great but also can be a difficult task at times, especially when things do not go so well. Imagine having to dismiss a relative. Brrr….
Pros
- Trust
- Flexibility
- Personal relationship
Cons
- Difficult if things do not work out
5) My friend 
Friends can really help you with your business sometimes, given they have the expertise and they are sufficiently invested in the project. It is no good to have a dear friend who is a top executive but does not have enough time to help and it is equally disappointing to have a friend who is desperate to help you, but is lacking the skills to do so.
Pros
- Trust
- Flexibility
- Personal relationship
Cons
- Difficult if things do not work out
6) Someone from a job site for $50 per month 
As in the case of the Junior Marketing Executive you can get lucky and find that unique person that lives afar but has a good command of English, understands the local market and delivers consistently. However sometimes, you have to spend a considerable amount of money until you find that person, and when you do, there are few guarantees they will not get busy with a bigger project. Now if your situation runs on a deadline and there is little room for experimentation, this option becomes far riskier.
Pros
- Low cost
Cons
- Lack of experience
- Lack of skills in either writing or image editing or both
- Lack of local market understanding
- Poor written English
Conclusion
Cutting cost is always an attractive business tactic, as it helps to maximise profit. In the case of social media marketing, as the channel continues to grow and mature, cutting costs is a difficult and risky approach. Most times cutting costs will have a negative impact on the quality of the work and subsequently the result. Because a lot is at risk if your social media strategy fails in this day and age.
For professional help with your social media marketing, get in touch. 
