Creative Agency VS In-House Employee
Creative Agency VS In-House Employee - What is the right fit for your business?
Are you looking to recruit a marketing and social media superstar? Take a minute to consider if an in-house employee is the right fit, or if you should instead, consider hiring a creative agency.
Did you know, that the cost of working with a premium boutique agency such as Melbourne Social Co is generally equal to, or sometimes even less than, that of a junior in-house employee?
Melbourne Social Co’s team of fifteen is made up of specialist digital marketers, brand strategists, content creators, social media managers, web developers and PR gurus. Our team is increasingly sought after by businesses seeking a dedicated digital employee – because we’re able to provide the creative skills and expertise of an entire team at rates comparable to a single employee.
In our experience, it's really difficult to find one employee who can cover all aspects of the marketing and social media space, from strategy, through to creating content (photography, videography and graphic design,) managing online communities, running ad campaigns, engaging influencers, analysing results and more. (If you do happen to find this person, hold on to them!)
As part of your monthly package with Melbourne Social Co, you gain access not only to our entire team and knowledge base, but to our industry connections, our software programs, our training platform, our studio and extensive props department and more. We can also extend our service to you well beyond the traditional 9-5 confines, meaning you have coverage across the clock on social media and your brands’ digital assets.
When you engage our team, you work closely with a dedicated Account Manager, who position themselves as an extension of your team. Coffee date? Count them in. A quick text message to run an idea past them? Fire away! Weekly phone catch-ups to discuss progress? Of course! Your Account Manager will get to know your business like it’s their own, and will become a passionate advocate for your brand.
Here at Melbourne Social Co, we don’t waste time. As a creative agency, we know how to work efficiently and productively, as every hour we work is accounted for. We’re used to working in a fast-paced environment, we buzz with creativity and we love to get results. We genuinely love building relationships with our clients, and enjoy nothing more than being a part of, and celebrating their successes.
Because you only pay for the work you commission, what you won’t find us doing on your time is; sitting behind a desk in your office from 9-5, scrolling online shopping sites, taking extended lunch breaks, calling in sick every month – the list goes on! (And yes of course we scroll online shopping sites and we love to lunch in our own time, we’re Melburnians after all!)
Almost convinced? We’d love to shout you a coffee and chat further about why a creative agency is the way to go - reach out to us and we’ll pencil it in.
8 Reasons To Hire A Social Media Manager
Thinking about whether to manage your social media accounts in-house or to outsource to a professional?
We're sharing a few points on why it's a good idea to outsource your social media management requirements to a professional or agency.
1. Content creation
Having a professional manage your social accounts opens the door to amazing, expert content creation. Not only will your content be creative and of a professional standard, it will also be visually consistent and add to the overall aesthetic of your social pages.
2. Stay ahead of the trends
When you work with a professional, you're tapping into their years of broad experience in social media! It's your social media manager's job to stay up to date with all of the latest digital trends and they will adapt this knowledge to your business.
3. Consistent & professional tone of voice
It is very important when managing a social account, that the tone of voice of the account is consistent and professional. If a social account is managed internally and shared around amongst a team, the tone and professionalism of posts will differ. However, if the account management is outsourced, it will prevent variation in tone and keep the entire account consistent and professional.
4. Increase engagement
Managing your social media account is a daily task, but it can sometimes come second to the day-to-day tasks you have when running a business. Having a pro managing your social media means that no comment will go unanswered and social media can stay a priority without taking away time from the business. Not only will this make your business more personable and real, but it will increase your engagement rates, which will lead to your content appearing higher in your followers' feeds.
5. Reliability
Want to remove any unnecessary worry from your day? With a dedicated professional managing the account you can depend on them to post at the right times and provide a reliable account to engage with followers - this includes after hours!
6. It’s a time saver
Who doesn’t love saving time? By hiring a professional to head your social media it’s one less thing you, as a business, need to do. With your social accounts in more than capable hands, it gives you time to focus on other pressing matters.
7. Accountability
The great thing about using a professional to manage your socials is the level of accountability they bring. Clients expect a certain level of responsibility when outsourcing and a professional will record and measure the work their doing. This helps them meet the client’s needs and also holds them accountable for the work their doing.
8. It’s Fun
To put it simply, social media is fun, especially to those who have made it their career. By hiring a professional to manage your social media, you are guaranteed a committed worker who absolutely loves what they're doing.
Ready to outsource your social media requirements to a professional agency? We're here to help! Contact us at [email protected] today.
Build your email database through social media
Is your email list looking a little dismal? Do you desperately want to turn your social followers into subscribers who will then become loyal customers? Sounds like a dream right? Not anymore! Here we share some of our top tips to building your email database through social media.
Share an incentive for those who subscribe
Make it worth their while for signing up! Many e-commerce stores offer a discount of 10%-20% on the next purchase. Alternatively, you could offer a free sample, a coupon or exclusive content. These are great ways to encourage people to subscribe because hey, who doesn’t love a discount or freebie!
Email only offers
Supplying exclusive, premium content in exchange for an email address is a tried and tested technique. For example, offering early access to a mid-season sale or a new e-book would be perfect. This creates excitement and a need to be ‘in the know’. Current subscribers might share this with their friends and family, which will lead to more subscribers. Winning! Additionally, to make this exclusivity known, make the followers on your social channels aware that they’re missing out on amazing offers. This should entice them to sign up!
Host a competition
Hello freebies! Hosting a giveaway is a great way to grow your subscribers. If you’re thinking about running the contest on Facebook, make the call to action a sign up to the mailing list. You can promote the competition on your other social channels too; just make sure to add a link to a page where the audience can subscribe. Here is one way to run the competition; anyone who provides his or her email address will receive a competition entry. You can also encourage your followers to share the competition with their network, possibly offering them additional entries for doing so.
Implement a Facebook sign-up button
If you haven’t already, you should add a sign-up button to your business Facebook page. This call to action button will take the user to a landing page on your website where they can subscribe to your mailing list. The sign up button is near the top of the page so its easily visible to your audience and they’re more inclined to click on it!
If you’re looking for a little more help when it comes to email marketing, shoot us an email and we can give you a helping hand.
Why every business needs email marketing
Deciding where to best invest your marketing budget is a tough decision for many businesses. However, if you’re currently at the stage where you are considering whether or not to include email marketing in your digital marketing plan – here at Melbourne Social Co, we want to convince you to!
Read on below for our top reasons why every business needs email marketing:
You stay front of mind:
With so many businesses out there, it’s important to stay at the front of your consumer’s mind, and what better way to do that then by sending them marketing emails straight to their inbox?
With 91% of online users checking their email every day, you have the opportunity to speak directly to your consumer on a regular basis and in a way that can generate some great results.
You generate new leads:
A well-thought out email will generate new leads and sales for your product or service. Email marketing has shown to be the #1 most effective online marketing tool for lead generation for businesses (Ascend 2). The trick? Consult a digital marketing specialist who can create an effective strategy to optimise your email marketing content, captivate your consumer and help generate sales of your product or service.
You can analyse your data:
One of the best parts about email marketing is that you can track and analyse everything! It offers insights into how each email is performing including open and click rates, link clicks and engagement so you can ensure you are continuing to market to your consumer in the most effective way possible.
It’s the most effective way to communicate:
Despite the continued rise and importance of social media, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to communicate with your consumer. Research shows that email marketing is almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined in helping a business acquire new customers (McKinsey). So what are you waiting for?
A few tips for sending effective emails include:
- Ensure your emails are of value to your consumer
- Make your emails engaging and not overly promotional
- Send your emails out regularly. Approximately every fortnight is best for optimal results
Do these things and you are sure to get the results you’re after!
Are you ready to incorporate email marketing into your digital marketing strategy? Get in touch with your team of digital marketing experts at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager
We all know why social media is important for business. But do you think you need a social media manager for your business?
One thing we hear regularly from our clients is that while social media is a must-do and a huge part of their marketing strategy, it's more often than not the last thing on their daily to-do list. And we can understand why, when you're running a business you've got a million things on your mind, without even thinking about social media strategy, target audiences, analytics, content creation, community management - the list goes on. And yep, that all falls under the umbrella of the 'social media manager'.
But while you're ticking off your daily tasks to keep your business running, you may be neglecting the one thing that has the potential to take your business to the next level - social media.
Why is professional social media management important?
Firstly, the person managing your social media accounts is effectively the ‘voice’ of your business. If you wouldn’t put that person in front of 1000 people to promote your business on your behalf, you shouldn’t put them in charge of your social media voice - which potentially reaches a far greater audience on a daily basis.
Secondly, strategy, quality, consistency, engagement and innovation are the keys to social media success. Without these key points, your social media efforts will be in vain. By outsourcing the ongoing management of your social media channels to a dedicated strategist, you can ensure your business is not only utilising social media in a strategic manner designed to produce real results for your brand, but they're producing high quality content and distributing it a consistent, targeted manner, aimed at increasing engagement and reach for your business. (Or in other words, getting you 'seen and heard' online!)
Here are 10 reasons why businesses need a Social Media Manager:
- To develop a social media strategy. Without a great social media strategy in place, your efforts may be in vain. Your social media manager will set out a strategy for you that is geared towards achieving success online.
- To create amazing content. In 2017, your social media manager is no longer just that, (or at least at Melbourne Social Co they're not!) They are photographers, writers, stylists, publicists, community managers - you name it, the list goes on. And as part of our role, we will create and source amazing content for your brand. Because let's face it, in the crowded social media market place, you need amazing content to stand out from the crowd.
- To boost SEO (search engine optimisation): A Social Media Manager understands search engines (or knows someone who does!) and can create content that is optimised for this purpose.
- To communicate in a unified voice: A Social Media Manager will get to know your brand, define your audience and create a unified social media message to appeal to your target market.
- To manage the online community: The Social Media Manager acts as a 'brand ambassador' by listening to your customers on social media and responding in a timely manner. Social Media Managers can also be excellent PR agents, by reaching out to news outlets and bloggers who can help your business grow.
- To save time: Social Media Management takes time. Having people contribute to the process without a defined schedule or strategy won't help your marketing efforts and is often an afterthought. A Social Media Manager is dedicated to managing the digital marketing of your business - it's his/her job.
- To handle social media automation/scheduling: A Social Media Manager knows how to get the most out of social media by using a variety of tools and techniques. These methods can help grow the business and save money in the process. Do you know what is the best time of day to post particular content online? Your Social Media Manager does and can schedule posts accordingly.
- To have someone with business knowledge: Social Media Managers not only know social media, they also understand all facets of your business. They know what's important and which trends to follow because they interact with the various departments. They can confidently act as the 'voice' of your business as they are on top of what's going on.
- To track campaigns: A Social Media Manager can measure and track campaigns to see what works and what doesn't, and then adjust as necessary.
- To stay abreast of trends and technology: People who know the basics of social media may not be as informed as a person who works in social media marketing day in and day out. Just because you post on Instagram daily and love to use Pinterest doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to strategically manage your businesses online profiles.
So, now you know why a Social Media Manager is important, what should you do?
If you're looking to outsource your social media management, we can help.
We'd love to chat to you about your digital marketing needs, so that we can put together a custom full-service solution for you.
Please contact us for more information: [email protected]
Which Instagram Archetype Are You?
We are slightly obsessed with Instagram here at Melbourne Social Co and considering we spend a bit too much time scrolling through our feeds, we’ve noticed a few different user trends emerging.
From the foodie, to the hashtagger, to the selfie queen… Read on below to find out which archetype category you fall into!
The Foodie:
The name says it all doesn’t it? This Instagram user loves to snap every meal they have, and every coffee they drink. So don’t you dare touch your food before they photograph it! They are commonly found at all of the cool cafes and restaurants... especially those known to have great lighting and stunning interiors!
The Hashtagger:
Perhaps they’re on the hunt for more followers or maybe they need a lesson or two in hashtagging etiquette, either way we see this Instagram type pop up on our feeds all too often! You know you’re a hashtager if you post at least 15 – 20 hashtags per post, and sometimes even comment on your own posts multiple times with the tags!
The Selfie Queen:
This Instagram user has a good chance at becoming the next Kim Kardashian with the number of selfies they take! It doesn’t matter where they are or what they’re doing, it’s always a great time for a #selfie!
The Baby (or pet) Lover:
The baby (or pet) lover has a feed filled with pictures of their children or their fur-babies. They are their pride and joy and they love to capture all the cute and quirky things that they get up to.
The Fitness Guru:
The fitness guru loves to post snaps of their meal preparation, gym workouts and amazing bodies. They are experts in their field and their feeds are positive and inspiring!
Do you fit in any of these Instagram archetypes or have we left any out? Comment and share which one you are below.
If you need help using Instagram for your business, then get in touch with our team of digital marketing experts at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
Easy Ways to Leverage Your LinkedIn Account
One of the most popular social media platforms for business professionals is LinkedIn, as it’s a great way to showcase your experience and skills, search for jobs, seek new business opportunities and network with likeminded industry professionals.
If you have a LinkedIn account or are looking to create one, try these easy ways to leverage your profile now:
Raise your profile:
Your profile is at the centre of all the activity you do on LinkedIn so it’s vital to make sure it represents who you are and your experience in the best way possible. From using a professional photo, to creating an engaging and captivating summary and adding detailed experience sections, it’s important to dedicate some time to creating the best LinkedIn profile you possibly can.
Unsure how to raise your profile? Read our checklist for creating a standout LinkedIn profile.
Get recommendations:
A great way to make sure your LinkedIn profile stands out from the crowd is by utilising recommendations. These could be from customers, clients or past and current employers. Recommendations help to enhance your professional credibility and give your profile a point of difference.
Network!
LinkedIn is a social media platform after all, so make sure you network and connect with likeminded industry professionals that could even become potential clients or customers. You’ll be amazed at the people you’ll find on LinkedIn so don’t be afraid to connect with other industry professionals and join relevant industry groups.
Create a company page:
LinkedIn is one of the top social media marketing platforms for business to business marketing, so if you own a business you need to make sure your company has a page. Having a company page is a great way to share relevant news and updates on your business, provide useful information about your services or product and increase brand awareness through posting regular updates.
Post updates:
Regardless of your reason for being on LinkedIn, posting updates to your network helps to put your personal profile in front of the right people. By sharing relevant articles or even commenting on and liking other people’s updates, you can get your name out there, showcase your expertise in your field and be found by potential clients or customers (or employers!)
Do you need help leveraging your LinkedIn account to attract new clients or business? Here at Melbourne Social Co we are experts at creating and managing professional social media profiles.
Get in touch with us today to find out more:
e: [email protected] – P: 1300 386 165
3 Steps To Facebook Success
3 things to do to make your Facebook posts visible to your audience
Thanks to Facebook’s regularly changing algorithms, reaching your customers organically on the social media platform has never been more difficult.
Recent studies have suggested that approximately only 3% - 6% of your total fans view your posts, which means it’s vital to start implementing some key tactics to increase your reach and to get your Facebook content in front of more people.
Wondering how? Here are three things to try today...
Boost your posts:
One of the best ways to increase your reach and make your content visible to more people is through boosting. A boosted post is a post from your business page that, for a fee, can appear higher up on your audience’s News Feeds. The amount of people who view and engage with your post depends on the budget you want to spend.
Boosting posts is a great way to ensure that the right audience can view your Facebook page content as you can utilise key demographic targeting options including age, location, gender and interests as well as tailored budget and scheduling functions.
Post content your audience wants to see:
Another great way to make your Facebook content visible to your audience is to post content your audience wants to see, not just what you want to show them! This is important as the more people engage with your content, the greater the reach. To do this, think about who your target audience is and post content that is a mix of business promotion and general interest content you know they will respond to and engage with.
Choose the right timing:
Choosing the right timing for your social media posts should be a vital part of your social media strategy! You’ll be amazed at the difference you get by posting content at optimal times. To do this, ensure you understand your demographic and their social media habits so you can post when they are active online in order to optimise engagement.
Are you struggling to engage and reach your audience on Facebook? Do you need help creating amazing content that your audience can connect with? Get in touch with your digital marketing experts here at Melbourne Social Co today.
e: [email protected] – p: 1300 386 165
The Lowdown on Snapchat for Business
Ever since its launch in 2011, Snapchat has become a seriously popular social media platform for both businesses and individuals thanks to its instant, creative and interactive features.
While it’s most commonly used by the millennial generation, many Australian businesses are embracing the Snapchat revolution thanks to its potential to reach - well over 3 million Australians use the social media platform on a daily basis.
Ready to start using Snapchat for your business? Read on below for more information on this trendy social media platform and why you should use it now!
What is Snapchat:
Snapchat is a social media platform where you can send pictures or videos with a 10-second time limit to your choice of followers. You can also send “stories” which are 10-second media items that all of your followers can view for the next 24 hours. Snapchat also has a variety of fun features, including animated filters, instant messaging, voice/video calling and replay options.
Why should businesses use it?
Many businesses are tapping into Snapchat’s popularity to run marketing campaigns including ads, sponsoring interactive features, as well as using it on a day-to-day basis as a way to connect with their audiences. Businesses including Samsung, McDonalds, MTV and Cosmopolitan along with well-known personalities like Ashy Bines, Lara Bingle and Kim Kardashian use Snapchat as a vital marketing tool for their businesses or personal brands by posting multiple daily “stories” to keep their consumers engaged and connected.
How can businesses use it?
For businesses, the main aim of communication on Snapchat is to engage your audience in your business by posting short “stories” to all your followers. You can use these stories to promote sales, updates on the business, share behind the scenes footage, run influencer takeovers, post instructive or informative videos and a whole lot more! The options on ways to market your brand are endless.
A few examples of how Australian businesses have used Snapchat include Myer, who used Snapchat to live stream their fashion parade for Spring Fashion Week, along with Cricket Australia who shared highlights of the Ashes series. Other examples include retail brands like Showpo and Frank Body who use Snapchat to take fans behind the scenes of their photoshoots, share tips, run influencer takeovers and more.
Unsure how to get started using Snapchat for your business? Or, would you like to know more about this popular social media platform?
Get in touch with Melbourne Social Co today.
P: 1300 386 165
Instagram Fast Facts
Are you thinking about using Instagram for your business? If not, you should be – as one of the most active and engaged social media platforms world-wide, Instagram could be your next great marketing tool.
By using Instagram, you can showcase your products/services in a visually appealing manner, take followers behind the scenes of your organisation, (making your business more personable) and you can take advantage of the huge audience looking for great images to like and share.
Not convinced? Here are some facts to consider:
- Instagram has 400 million active monthly users
- Instagram users have shared over 40 billion photos to date, and now share an average of 80 million photos per day
- 75 percent of Instagram users come from outside of the U.S, making it a truly global platform
- Instagram adoption is at 85 percent among top brands
- Top brands on Instagram are seeing a per-follower engagement rate of 4.21 percent
- Instagram’s per-follower engagement rate for top brands is 58 times higher than on Facebook and 120 times higher than on Twitter
Now that it’s permanently on your radar, why not start using Instagram for your business today!
Need help creating 'double tap' worthy imagery for your social media channels? Eye-catching images are key to engagement and success on Instagram, but do you have time to source and create beautiful images on a regular basis? Our creative team can take care of this for you!
Melbourne Social Co's Product Photography For Instagram Package:
As part of this service, your business will receive:
14 professionally styled product images per month. Our team will style, photograph and edit a series of product images for use on Instagram, (as well as Facebook, Pinterest and within blog posts.)
Together we will plan a look that will not only suit the aesthetic of your brand, but will push you in a new and exciting direction, showcasing your products in the best possible light.
Cost: $599 + GST per month
Want to get a feel for our style? Follow us on Instagram @melbournesocialco.
Need help managing your Instagram accounts on a daily basis? We can take care of that too.
Tailored specifically to your businesses needs and goals, our team are experts in social media strategy, content creation and audience engagement, and would be more than happy to discuss managing and building your Instagram profile on your behalf.
Contact us for more information – [email protected]
Product Photography For Instagram Package Terms and Conditions:
- These rates are only valid for clients who sign a 3 month booking with Melbourne Social Co. Month by month rates are available, please ask us about these
- Each booking will be specifically quoted after a consultation with the client
- The images created by our team will become the property of your business. We may share these on our website and social media channels from time to time, crediting your business. Please let us know if you don't want us to do so
Stats via: www.instagram.com/press/