Zain Khan, Author at Social Media Jobs

How to Become a Google Ads Expert: Step-by-Step

Posted on 24th April 2025 | by Zain Khan

Most people turn to Google to find answers and research products before they buy them. Business owners have two options to get in front of them: Organic or SEO, where you optimize your web pages and expect the search engine to rank your content. Second, you pay Google to generate clicks on your website or landing pages. 69.04% of businesses use Google Ads for PPC, making it the most popular platform. But most business owners don’t know how to run effective search ads, or just don’t have the time for it. You can help these businesses with your Google Ads expertise. But, how do you become one? In this post, we’ll uncover an easy and relatively quick path to becoming a Google Ads specialist so that you can start your career in this growing industry. Let’s dive in.

Why Become a Google Ads Expert?

Google is the most popular search engine in the World. Any business owner, whether e-commerce, SaaS, or anything else, would want to attract traffic from it. The traffic search engines offer is high-intent, meaning that people are actively looking for solutions rather than casually scrolling, unlike social media. So, there’s high demand in almost every industry.

The second reason to become a Google Ads expert is that it’s not a hard skill to master. You need the basic knowledge and practical projects under your belt to start getting jobs. Besides, there’s no shortage of information and courses on this topic.

Master Google Ads Fundamentals

Before you can run your first campaign, learn the fundamentals, including:

How Google Ads work (Quality score, auction system, ad rank)
Key metrics (Cost per click, keyword competition, conversion rate, ROAS)
Google Ad policies (What’s allowed, what isn’t)
Account structure (Campaigns, ad groups, ads, and keywords)
Keep an eye on AI and automation trends

Campaign Types

Google Ads offers multiple campaign types, each serving a different purpose.

Search Ads (Appear on Google search results)
Display Ads (Appear on websites as banners)
Video Ads (In YouTube videos)
Shopping Ads (Product listings on Google Shopping)
Discovery Ads (Appear in Gmail and Google Discovery feed)
App campaigns (For apps)

Plus, your Google Ads bidding strategy determines how you spend your budget (Clicks, conversions). You can either let Google manage your budget and maximize conversions or set a per-click budget to put a cap on it.

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Get Certified

You don’t need a degree or a high-level certificate to become a Google Ads expert. Your skills, work ethic, and experiences are more than enough to land you a decent job. Having said that, having a certificate from a reputable organization, like Google itself, can definitely help boost your credibility. By not skipping this step, you can target clients and employers who take certifications as an important part of an employee’s career, opening up more opportunities for you. You can start by getting certified for free from Google Skillshop. It offers a range of certifications:

Google Ads Search Certification
Google Ads Display Certification
Video Ads Certification
Shopping Ads Certification

Get Hands-On Experience

Once you have the fundamental Google Ads knowledge and a certification from a reputable source, it’s time to do some practice. Without practical projects, you’ll be stuck in theory and won’t be able to grow in your career. Here are a few ways to get started.

Run Test Campaigns

Google lets you create your own campaigns without putting a lot of hurdles in your path. All you need is an active Google Ads account and some funds. If you don’t have money to invest in test campaigns, consider working for a business for free in exchange for the experience.

Do Freelance Projects

Freelancing lets you work on projects for a variety of clients in different industries, without having to work for them full-time or sign a contract. This helps you get your foot in the door before you can move on to a bigger role. Freelance platforms like Upwork are a great starting point, but you can also find remote, short-term roles on LinkedIn, Indeed, and even Facebook. Just make sure to network in the right groups and communities and get yourself noticed by sharing helpful content.

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Work as an Intern

Many companies prefer to hire interns and train them for specific roles before they can trust them with sensitive projects. An internship is a great way to build your portfolio and gain relevant experience in a professional environment.

Build Authority

Becoming a Google Ads expert is a rewarding career. It is one that doesn’t require a lot of time and money investment, either. As a result, the competition is high as well. Think about what makes you stand out among other service providers and helps you get noticed. It’s your authority on the topic and skill. Build a personal brand to make yourself a go-to choice for business owners when they’re looking for help. Here’s how to do it:

Create Case Studies: Case studies show results. Share screenshots of client results (With their permission) or your own dashboard to demonstrate your expertise
Share Helpful Content: Create content on popular topics, targeting your ideal prospects (Think small businesses and companies who might need Google Ads services)
Network on LinkedIn: Spend time on LinkedIn and build your professional network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about becoming a Google Ads expert.

How Long Does It Take to Become an Expert in Google Ads?

It depends on the time you devote to learning it and your personal learning curve. The process involves learning the fundamentals, doing practice or real projects, and building your portfolio.

How Much Do Google Ads Experts Make?

According to Ziprecruiter, a Google Ads expert makes anywhere around $53k/year, which roughly translates to $26 an hour.

Is Google Ads Hard to Learn?

Learning the basics and publishing a campaign is simple and straightforward. However, learning advanced strategies may take time, effort, and practice.

Conclusion

Becoming an expert in any in-demand skill is challenging and takes time, especially when you want to stand out. Google Ads are no exception. Start from the fundamentals and learn from Google Skillshop. Start implementing the theory on personal or client projects. To get your foot in the door, consider offering Google Ads management at a low price. As you build your portfolio, case studies, and personal brand, you’ll be able to apply for more advanced, high-paying roles and market yourself as an expert.

References:

What Does Social Media Optimization Mean?

Posted on 20th April 2025 | by Zain Khan

Over 5.4 billion people use social media these days. If you want to stand out as a creator, business owner, or brand, social media optimization is no longer optional for you. It’s a necessity. But what exactly is SMO? At its core, social media optimization refers to making your social profiles more visible, active, and engaging for your target audience. The goal of SMO is simple: Get more traffic, rank higher on search engines, and build an engaged community around your brand. In this guide, we’ll dive deeper into different aspects of SMO and how you can get the most out of this powerful marketing strategy. Let’s dive in.

Key Components of Social Media Optimization

Social media optimization isn’t just about sharing content consistently – it’s about structuring your content strategy to achieve better reach, engagement, search appearances, and conversions. Let’s break down the 4 core pillars of a successful social media optimization strategy.

Profile Optimization

Your social media profiles represent your brand digitally. If they’re incomplete and inconsistent with each other, people might not trust you and bounce back. Here are the most important optimization factors:

Branding Consistency: In marketing, consistency builds trust. Branding isn’t always about the colors, logo, and fonts. The content style, bios, team headshots, and usernames matter too. You want to ensure consistency for all these elements across all social media channels.

SEO-Friendly Bios: Every prominent social media platform lets you add a brief bio to your profile. Write a bio that accurately and comprehensively represents your business. Incorporate relevant keywords to tell search engines what you’re all about. For instance, if you’re a marketer, keywords like “Digital marketing expert” or “Social media strategist” will help you appear for relevant search queries.

Link Optimization: If you want your audience to know about multiple external platforms, such as your website, YouTube channel, and different social media profiles, use Linktree. It lets you create a single link that leads to a landing page with multiple links.

Accessibility: Help social media platforms understand and rank your profile by providing enough information. Use descriptive ALT texts for your images, leverage hashtags, and write comprehensive captions for each post.

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Content Strategy

Social media platforms reward content that keeps users engaged and makes them stick around longer. Successful SMO strategies use a mix of content types:

Short-form Videos: Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube Shorts are popular among the masses. You can use this content format to get more eyeballs on your profiles.

Interactive Posts: Posts like Q&As, polls, and quizzes can boost engagement on your profiles, sending positive engagement signals to search engines.

Evergreen and Trending Topics: General and niche-relevant informational posts are a great way to gain your audience’s trust. Trending topics are a perfect way to get noticed rather quickly.

Analytics

Without data, you’re just guessing, not optimizing. Track and optimize these metrics for effective social media optimization:

Engagement Rate: Track likes, comments, and shares on your posts. They indicate how much your content resonates with your audience.

Click-Through Rate: Your CTR is the percentage of people who click on your link or CTA button (E.g., Shop now). These are more relevant for platforms that allow direct link insertion, like Pinterest.

Follower Growth: Aim for steady follower growth. A sudden spike or decline indicates a significant change in the algorithm.

Engagement and Community Building

The last important element of social media optimization is community building. SMO isn’t about sharing content. It’s more about building two-way communication channels with your audience. Reply to comments and DMs, collaborate with influencers, and join niche conversations to keep yourself relevant and active.

Social Media Optimization Strategies to Dominate Search Rankings

Social media optimization can indirectly influence your visibility on search engines like Google as well. According to research, articles with the highest social shares experienced a 22% boost in SEO performance. Here are advanced SMO strategies you can follow:

Leverage Social Signals for SEO

According to Google, social signals aren’t a direct SEO ranking factor. However, studies show a strong correlation between higher search rankings and social media engagement. For instance, content with high shares earns more backlinks, which is a key ranking factor. Bing considers social engagement before ranking websites. Plus, viral social media posts are often picked up by media outlets, generating valuable backlinks. So, optimize your social posts for shareability.

Sync Social and SEO Keyword Strategies

Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest have their own search engines. Many Gen-Z users use them for online searching instead of Google. So, research trending keywords on social platforms and incorporate these keywords into your content strategy (Post captions, hashtags, and video subtitles).

Leverage Cross-Platform Sharing

Each social media platform caters to a unique search intent. For instance:

YouTube is ideal for long-form tutorials
Pinterest is great for evergreen visual posts
While LinkedIn is suitable for B2B thought leadership

All these social platforms can help you get search engine visibility through Google or their own search feature. Leverage video marketing because posts with 3+ videos attract 55% more backlinks than text-only posts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s address some frequently asked questions related to social media optimization.

How Does SMO Differ from SEO?

SMO optimizes content on social media platforms for reach and engagement, whereas SEO targets search engines via keywords and backlinks.

Do Social Signals Directly Impact Google Rankings?

Social signals aren’t a direct SEO factor, but shareable content can generate backlinks, which can boost your SEO.

What Metrics Matter Most for SMO?

Engagement of any type (Likes, shares, comments) indicates that your content resonates with users.

Conclusion

Social media optimization specifically focuses on making your profiles and content more reachable to the target audience. It requires a more structured approach since you’re using social media to get visibility on external search engines like Google. Start by optimizing your social profiles for your target keywords. Leverage branding and content marketing to build credibility in your space. Last but not least, create highly shareable content to win backlinks and boost your SEO.

References:

How to Find a Marketing Job?

Posted on 27th March 2025 | by Zain Khan

Marketing jobs are expected to grow by 10% from 2020 to 2030. However, landing a good marketing job can feel like a daunting task, especially because of so many roles and the increasing competition. Finding a job that complements your background, skills, and interests is ideal. But, what if you don’t have a clear path? Or maybe you’re just not sure which marketing specialty to pursue. In this post, we’ll delve into the step-by-step process of finding the right marketing job even if you’re a complete beginner. Let’s dive in.

Understanding the Marketing Job Landscape

Before taking any steps, it’s crucial that you understand the different roles that exist. Knowing these specialties will help you understand the right path forward.

SEO

Search engine optimization is when you make a website or its individual pages rank on Google and other search engines. The job has three parts: Technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO. You can also get hired for individual roles, for instance, an on-page SEO expert handles everything that happens on a site. Whereas, an off-page SEO specialist will focus on building backlinks.

PPC Advertising

Pay-per-click ads involve paying platforms like Google Ads a specific amount when someone clicks on your ad. The role requires you to be good at keyword research, audience targeting, copywriting, and strategy creation. Brands and companies hire PPC specialists to help manage their campaigns and make sure they spend their ad budget on the right keywords, on the right audience, and in the right way.

Email Marketing

An email marketer helps businesses grow their email list, connect with their subscribers, and convert leads into customers with effective copywriting. The role also involves making sure your emails land in the primary tab of your recipients. And, just like any other marketing strategy, tracking and optimizing is an important part of the process.

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Social Media Marketing

A social media marketer or manager handles all aspects of a brand’s social media marketing campaign, including content creation, audience engagement, community management, and tracking. Other in-demand roles in 2025 include CRM specialists and e-commerce coordinators.

Finding a Marketing Job (Step-by-Step)

Build the Right Skills and Knowledge

If you already have marketing skills, such as copywriting, analytics, and search engine optimization, skip to the next step of building your portfolio. But, if you’re not confident enough to hunt for clients yet, start practicing. Consider doing an online internship or working on your own projects to build your skills and knowledge.

Create a Strong Resume and Portfolio

Your marketing portfolio is just a combination of files, links, or folders that showcase the projects you’ve done in the past for other businesses. For instance, if you’re a writer, you can create a Google Docs file with links to your published articles.

Network

One of the most powerful ways to find any marketing job is by networking with the right people within the right online communities. Niche Facebook and LinkedIn groups are a perfect place to get noticed by potential employers. Stay active in these groups by sharing helpful content and commenting on relevant posts. You also want to network with other marketers to improve your chances of getting hired through referrals.

Leverage Content Marketing

Content marketing is when you create valuable content on popular topics in order to attract your target audience. You can leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share content. Blogging is another powerful medium to use for content marketing. But before that, find the topics that are most likely to bring your results. Use a website like Answer The Public to find search queries and questions related to your niche. For instance, if you want to offer SEO services, find a list of topics related to SEO and start creating insightful content on them.

Reach Out to Potential Employers

Another effective way of getting a marketing job is through warm outreach. Find people who are likely to hire you as a marketer and craft a personalized message for them. For instance, you can use the free LinkedIn search feature to find local business owners who might need your services.

Use Job Boards and Freelance Platforms

LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job boards connect hiring managers with people who are in search of employment. All you need to do is optimize your profile and apply for relevant jobs. LinkedIn also lets you set up job alerts so that you don’t miss out on future employment opportunities. The “Easy Apply” option on LinkedIn can help you apply for more jobs in less time.

In addition to job boards, consider creating your freelance profiles and working with small business owners, especially if you’re new and want to get started quickly. 22% of full-time marketers also do freelancing to earn extra income. Fiverr and Upwork are a couple of popular platforms, but you can explore other platforms.

Getting a Marketing Job: FAQ

Let’s address some frequently asked questions related to finding a marketing job.

What Qualifications Do I Need for a Marketing Job?

A degree in marketing, communication, or business can improve your chances, but skills and experience matter more. Get certifications from platforms like Google and HubSpot to gain a competitive edge.

What are the Best Job Boards for Marketing Jobs?

There are many job boards out there, some are generic, and some are niche-based. LinkedIn and Indeed are two of the most popular job boards for marketing jobs.

What Skills Are Most In-Demand for a Marketing Role?

Search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, content marketing, data analysis, and automation are a few prominent skills to have to land a marketing job.

Conclusion

Finding a good marketing job is a lot more challenging when you don’t have a clear path. We’ve talked about what marketing jobs are in demand and some powerful ways to get them. So, pick a direction that complements your skills and experience, work on your portfolio, and implement the strategies discussed. We hope you found the guide helpful.

Resources:

How to Find Micro-Influencers for Your Brand

Posted on 26th March 2025 | by Zain Khan

Influencer marketing is a powerful way to boost the ROI of any business, but you need to work with the right influencers to make this strategy work. The good thing is establishing lucrative influencer partnerships doesn’t have to be complicated if you know where to look for the right people and how to negotiate. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to find micro-influencers for your brand and how to establish long-term business relationships for sustainable growth. Let’s dive in.

What Are Micro-Influencers?

First, let’s talk about what is a micro-influencer. They’re typically people on social media with a small yet highly relevant audience in a specific niche. As a business owner, you can get your message in front of their audience typically for a small upfront fee. Not every micro-influencer is worth working with though. Only the ones with a niche relevant to your business, quality content, and enough engagement qualify to be worthy partners. Plus, micro-influencers offer higher engagement rates than macro-influencers.

Step 1: Define Your Goals and Audience

84% of brands think influencer marketing is impactful when aligned with specific goals. So, before you can start reaching out to micro-influencers in your niche, it’s important to define your goals, target audience, and the platforms to focus on.

Identify your Marketing Goals

Think about what you want to achieve with influencer marketing. Is it brand awareness, more traffic, building your email list, or something else? What type of people do you want to connect with online? Which platforms are your target audiences active on?

Step 2: Research and Identify Relevant Micro-Influencers

Now that you have a clear goal and audience, it’s time to hunt for business partnerships. There are essentially two ways of doing that. Let’s talk about both.

Use Social Media Platforms

Let’s say you’ve identified Instagram to be the platform where your target audience hangs out. Your next step should be to find Influencers on Instagram and reach out to them with an attractive offer.

Use Instagram’s search feature to create a list of the most relevant profiles and reach out to them one by one.

Utilize Influencer Marketing Tools

Tools like BuzzSumo can help you find the right influencers based on your niche and location, saving you time and effort.

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Step 3: Evaluate Potential Micro-Influencers

Once you have a list of potential influencers, it’s time to narrow this list down to a few most relevant options. First, make sure the influencer produces content related to your niche. For instance, if you’re a health coach, find influencers who have a health-conscious audience.

Assess Follower Count, Engagement Rate, and Content Quality

The follower count of an influencer matters, but it’s not the only important factor to consider. The quality of their content and how engaged their audience is also matter a lot. Otherwise, you’d be showing your messages to an inactive audience with insignificant results. After all, people can buy fake followers, but it’s way easier to spot fake engagement or low-quality content.

What you can do is look at their latest posts and analyze the engagement rate. If you see a good position of their followers engaging with the content, move forward to the next step.

Step 4: Reach Out and Build Relationships

Cold outreach is an art. Most influencers get messages in their inbox regularly, so it’s hard to get their attention. You need to stand out in their inbox by offering something first or making your message super unique.

Interact with Their Content

Before reaching out, we recommend engaging with their content for a while. Get yourself noticed by them. This can be as simple as an insightful comment on a post. Register yourself in their minds so that when you reach out, they recognize you.

Craft Personalized Outreach Messages

Keep your first message short, personalized, and friendly. For instance, you can mention something specific about a recent piece of content. The goal is to start the conversation.

Offer Collaboration Opportunities

A perfect way to get yourself noticed is by offering something of value upfront. For instance, most influencers are only interested in paid collaboration, so you can ask them about their sponsored post rates. In such a deal, they’ll let you publish a post on their page in exchange for monetary compensation. A single post from a micro-influencer can cost up to $2500, reflecting their growing value. At the same time, 44% of marketers prefer micro-influencers because of their cost-effectiveness.

Step 5: Track and Measure Campaign Results

Setting and forgetting don’t work in influencer partnerships. You need to track your results to make sure you’re investing with the right influencers and in the right way.

Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Monitor Success

Start by defining your key performance indicators. These are mostly the likes, comments, and shares on Instagram. It can also be email sign ups, lead generation, and sales depending on your goal. Track the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns based on the set KPIs and make sure you’re moving in the right direction.

Finding Micro-Influencers for Your Brand: FAQs

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about finding micro-influencers for your brand.

What Defines a Micro-Influencer?

A micro-influencer is a social media personality with a modest following in a specific niche. They create content around that specific niche and build trust with their audience.

Why Should I Collaborate with Micro-Influencers?

Collaborating with micro-influencers helps you put your brand or product in front of the right audience and get a step closer to your marketing goals.

How Can I Track an Influencer Partnerships Success?

You can track an influencer marketing campaign’s success by monitoring key performance indicators like engagement, conversion rate, and return on investment.

Conclusion

Working with a micro-influencer is a smart marketing strategy for most brands. It’s a cost-effective and quick way to reach and connect with a niche audience. Whether you want to build brand awareness, get more website traffic, or generate sales, influencer marketing is a great option.

However, it’s possible to end up with the wrong partner and waste your resources. To make this strategy work for your brand, always vet an influencer thoroughly before reaching out. Their follower count, engagement rate, niche relevance, and content quality are some factors that can help you pick the right partner for your brand.

References:

How to Hire a Video Editor (The Right Way)

Posted on 8th March 2025 | by Zain Khan

In today’s competitive environment, having a well-rounded marketing strategy is a must. Videos are one of the most powerful weapons in a marketer’s arsenal, helping them engage and convert their target audience. According to data, videos with professional editing have a 20% higher retention rate than poorly edited videos. If you’re running a business, you should spend your time on activities that matter most, and let experts take care of marketing. If you’re not sure how to hire a video editor, this post is all you need. Let’s get started.

Understand Your Video Editing Needs

The first thing you should be doing is understanding your video editing and marketing needs. See if you can use video editing software to automate some of your tasks, then hire someone who’s good with that software. This will depend on your style, budget, and desired editing features. Capcut, for example, is a simple yet powerful tool that helps you create and edit video content with ease. You also don’t need to have a supercomputer to use CapCut smoothly.

Some important questions you need to ask yourself before hiring a video editor are:

How many videos do you need per month?
What’s your budget per month or per project?
Do you want to create short-form videos, long-form videos, or both?

Key Skills to Look for in a Video Editor

Not all video editors are worth working with. Plus, not everyone is going to be a good fit for your video marketing needs. Here are the top skills you need to evaluate before hiring one.

Technical Skills

There are plenty of video editing platforms out there. You don’t need someone who’s good at all of them. The more important thing is that they’re able to tackle your video projects. You can check their video editing skills by looking at their past projects or asking for a small test task. The audio is a crucial part of any video, so make sure they know how to clean the background noise and enhance the audio for better clarity.

Creative Skills

Video editing isn’t always about trimming and putting together clips. It’s also about pacing and adding transitions to help you tell your stories more effectively. In addition to that, a good video editor pays attention to the details. Do their videos have smooth transitions? How do they use overlay text to hook and engage viewers?

Soft Skills

One of the most important soft skills an employee or a freelancer can have is effective communication. Even if they’re excellent at the technical stuff, ineffective communication can lead to confusion and inefficiencies. Also, you want to hire someone with a good track record of on-time delivery to make sure they’re reliable.

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Where to Find Video Editors

There’s no shortage of digital platforms to find a video marketing specialist, which is why it can be tricky to look in the right places. Let’s talk about the most prominent and safe ones.

Freelance Platforms

Freelance platforms are probably the most natural choice for hiring, whether you’re hiring long-term or project-basis. According to Upwork, freelancers can save up to 30% by hiring freelancers over agencies. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork provide a safe and professional environment for companies and freelancers to conduct business. There’s a lower chance of fraud since the interactions are regulated and standardized. However, you still need to be cautious.

Job Boards

Job boards like Indeed and Social Media Jobs are great places to hire for a long-term role. And, LinkedIn is a professional social media platform where many companies hire talent with confidence. Lastly, you can explore Facebook groups related to video editing to find someone who can help you with your video marketing projects.

Referrals and Networking

Many companies and businesses hire people purely based on referrals because of a trust factor attached to them. Look around in your circle, such as fellow professionals or business partners, and ask them if they know a good video editor. In addition, start networking in relevant online communities to build your trust as an employer. As you interact and engage with the right people, more prospects will reach out to you to offer their services.

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How to Evaluate Candidates

As soon as you have a potential candidate, it’s time to evaluate them for the role. Here are the things you should do before making the final hiring decision.

Review their Portfolio

Look at the projects they’ve done for other people in the past. See if they’re experienced in creating and editing the type of videos you need for your projects, and if they’ve worked with businesses in your industry.

Conduct an Interview

Once you’ve identified a few prospects, it’s time to ask them a few questions face-to-face. This doesn’t have to be a 45-minute interview. A short interview with the most important questions is enough since you already know about them before the interview.

Onboarding a Video Editor

Onboarding involves setting clear expectations right from the start so that there’s no confusion or misunderstandings down the road. Also, provide all the resources the video editor would need to work on your projects. Lastly, provide consistent feedback to make sure they know your style and can align their workflows accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about hiring a video editor.

What Should I Look for in a Video Editor’s Portfolio?

Look for the quality and diversity of video editing projects. Make sure their skills and experience match your needs.

Should I Hire a Freelancer or an Agency?

Freelancers tend to be cost-effective for smaller projects, whereas agencies are more appropriate for complex and long-term projects.

What Questions Should I Ask in the Interview?

Ask about their video editing process, preferred software, experience with similar projects, and how they take feedback. Also, inquire about their revisions policy.

Conclusion

87% of video marketers say video has increased traffic to their website. Hiring the right video editor is more than filling a role. It’s about finding a partner that understands your video marketing needs and long-term vision. Whether you want to work with a freelancer or an agency, taking the time to hire the right resource will pay off in the long-run.

Resources:

Using Social Media for Hiring: A Step-by-Step Guide for Recruiters

Posted on 22nd January 2025 | by Zain Khan

According to a report, 84% of organizations use social media for hiring. Social media gives you the information you need to understand a candidate’s suitability for a job role. If you’re not active on social media, it might be time to get active as it offers multiple other benefits for companies trying to grow online. In this post, we’ll make things easier for you by giving you a complete blueprint for using social media for hiring the right candidates. Let’s dive in.

Why Use Social Media for Hiring?

About 67% of recruiters look at social media profiles of candidates to assess them. Social media has an enormous user base, with people from all ages and walks of life. Here are some of the top benefits of recruitment through social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook.

Facilitates Networking

You’re a brand or a company owner trying to find the right team. Hiring can be tricky as there’s a good chance you’ll end up with the wrong resource. Networking helps you connect with other business owners and potential candidates and make hiring less risky and more effective.

Allows You to Learn More About the Candidates

Social media profiles may not be a 100% true reflection of someone’s professional life, but they do provide you with the information you need to qualify candidates for a role. For instance, the content they post on their walls and the groups they’re most active can help you decide if they’re the right resource to contact.

May Reduce Hiring Costs

Social media platforms don’t charge anything to build connections and communicate with potential candidates. Job boards, on the other hand, may charge a certain amount of fees if you hire through them. So, using social media to hire directly can help you save costs.

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How to Use Social Media for Hiring?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on hiring through social media.

Become a Resource

Candidates want to make sure they’re hired by a reputable company; a company that they can grow with in the long run. Sharing helpful content and becoming a resource on your topic of expertise can help you build authority in the space and instill a sense of trust in the candidates’ minds.

Identify Your Recruitment Goals

Before you start the hiring procedure on social media, it’s helpful to create clear and trackable goals. This could be reaching a certain number of job applications within a specific time or attracting more traffic to your job listing.

Choose Your Social Media Platforms

When it comes to hiring, not all social media platforms are suitable. For instance, you don’t want to waste your resources trying to hire through Snapchat. You need to understand your target candidates and identify the platforms where they’re active. Each social platform offers unique benefits. For instance, Facebook is generally more personal, allowing you to connect with potential candidates more closely. LinkedIn tends to be on the more professional side. Focusing on multiple platforms initially can help you attract a diverse group of candidates to your job.

Your target platform also depends on the role you’re hiring for. For instance, it’d be more appropriate to look for candidates for a graphic design role on visual platforms like Instagram. And, if you’re hiring a programmer, you may want to interact in discussion boards.

Related Read: How to Hire a Graphic Designer?

Outline the Application Process

Clear guidelines on how candidates can apply to a position eliminate confusion and can speed up the process. For instance, you can share the link to the web page where interested candidates can apply for the role on your profile. You can also send the link to the job listing to potential candidates directly.

Leverage LinkedIn

About 40 million people seek jobs on LinkedIn each week, making it the perfect platform to find jobs and hire the right employees. If you’re in the B2B (business-to-business) niche, LinkedIn should be your top priority.

Tips for Using Social Media for Recruitment

Here are a few additional tips for effectively using social media for hiring.

Use Advanced Tools to Find Candidates

Platforms like LinkedIn let you find professionals with advanced filters. For instance, with skill targeting, you can find the right candidate for any role.

Look for Passive Candidates

Not all candidates are actively job hunting. Some are passively looking for opportunities. Some of them could be a perfect match for your company. Plus, it’s easier to get noticed by a passive candidate as compared to the one who’s interacting with multiple potential employers.

Join Online Communities and Groups Within Your Industry

Networking is an effective way to build connections with other companies and businesses. In addition, it’s also a great way to establish a rapport with potential employees. Join Facebook and LinkedIn groups in your industry and stay active.

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Using Social Media for Hiring: FAQs

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about using social media for hiring.

Is It Legal to Use Social Media in the Hiring Process?

Yes, it’s completely legal to use social media in the hiring process. There’s no general law that prohibits recruitment agencies to hire through social media.

How is Social Media Used in Hiring?

Hiring managers use social media to find relevant candidates, interact with them, and study their profiles to see if they’re fit for a specific role.

What are the Disadvantages of Using Social Media in Recruitment?

Relying solely on social media for hiring can lead to bias and privacy concerns. Plus, a company can’t over rely on online personas while analyzing a candidate for an important role.

Conclusion

Everyone’s using social media these days, including potential candidates who may end up becoming a core part of your team. Using social media for hiring has several benefits. Being able to connect on a personal level is one prominent one. However, while using social media, you need to make sure the information you’re getting is correct and the candidate you’re interested in can help you achieve your growth goals. Screening potential candidates right from the start can help you save time and hire the right resource quickly.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2023/01/12/the-power-of-social-media-in-recruiting/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-use-social-media-for-recruitment
https://gohire.io/blog/social-media-recruiting-statistics
https://gohire.io/blog/social-media-recruiting-statistics
https://goremotely.net/blog/social-media-recruiting-statistics

What Does a Social Media Analyst Do (And How to Become One)

Posted on 22nd January 2025 | by Zain Khan

Did you know that about 77% of small businesses use social media to market their products or services? And, yet many of these businesses don’t have an effective social media marketing strategy. What if you could help them grow by analyzing their current strategy and coming up with a better one? If you’re considering becoming a social media analyst or hiring one for your own business, this guide is for you. We’ll talk about the role of a social media analyst in a marketing team and how they can help a business grow. Let’s dive in.

What Does a Social Media Analyst Do?

The exact responsibilities depend on the marketing strategy, goals, and preferences of a business. The main job is to study the current strategies of a business, identify potential improvements, and create a report. Here are the most common responsibilities you can expect to handle as an analyst.

Growth Analysis

A social media analyst studies a company’s existing growth trajectory, identifies loopholes & opportunities, and reports them to the relevant team members.

Strategy Creation

As a social media analyst, you may be responsible for using the data you collect to create marketing strategies for other team members to implement.

User Engagement Analysis

Another job is to analyze and understand the way the audience of a brand interacts and engages with the company’s different social media profiles. This includes the views, comments, shares, and the click-through rates.

Research Platforms

Social media analysts can also research current and emerging social media platforms and identify the right options for a brand depending on its goals.

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Improve Advertising Campaigns

Advertising is another element of social media marketing where an analyst can help the relevant team identify the best way forward for their ad campaigns.

Competitor Analysis

Businesses also want to know what their competitors are doing and identify what’s working for them and what isn’t. A social media analyst can help these businesses pinpoint gaps and growth opportunities with competitor research.

Trend Monitoring

Social media platforms are always evolving and making updates to meet users’ expectations. A social media analyst watches the trends and algorithm updates to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.

How to Become a Social Media Analyst?

Nearly 40% of small businesses lack a social media marketing strategy, which means you can offer them your services and get paid handsomely. Here’s how to become a social media analyst.

Gain Relevant Education

Start by getting relevant education, such as a bachelor’s in communications, marketing, and data analytics. This will give you the fundamental knowledge to move forward with confidence. You can also get professional certifications from reputable platforms like HubSpot, Hootsuite, and Google.

Develop Key Skills

The next step should be to develop the skills required to be a good social media professional. These include analytical skills, communication skills, content strategy development, and technical skills (Including an understanding of different analytics tools like Google Analytics).

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Get Hands-On Experience

Once you have the basic knowledge of how to collect data and use it to deduce conclusions, it’s time to get some hands-on experience. Working on personal projects is probably the easiest way to get some hands-on experience. You can also work on a project-basis as a freelancer or offer your services as an intern to a company to get things going for yourself.

Build a Portfolio

Your portfolio includes reports, results, and case studies. It’s essentially the things that can back up your skills and experience. Simply share the results you’ve successfully generated with a social media marketing campaign.

Apply for Jobs or Network

Go for entry-level roles in the beginning, such as a marketing assistant, to gain exposure before advancing to a more advanced analytics position. Be sure to have a short resume that highlights your experience, skills, and portfolio.

What Skills Does a Social Media Analyst Need?

Let’s briefly discuss the main skills you need to be an effective social media analyst.

Analytical Skills

These include the ability to track and interpret social media analytics such as impressions, clicks, conversion rates, and click-through rates). You’ll need to identify patterns and trends with this data and devise strategies accordingly.

Technical Skills

Understanding the social media platforms and data analysis tools is an important part of the role. You’ll need a good grip on tools like Hootsuite, Google Analytics, and more (Depending on what tool your company uses for data analysis).

Communication Skills

In addition to being good at understanding and interpreting data, you also need to establish an effective communication channel with the marketing team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about the role of a social media analyst.

What is the Role of a Social Media Analyst?

A social media analyst tracks performance metrics, analyzes audience behavior, creates reports, and creates marketing strategies for brands.

What Do You Need to Become a Social Media Analyst?

To become a social media analyst, you need analytical skills, proficiency in analytical tools, an understanding of social media platforms, and marketing expertise.

What is the Salary of a Social Media Analyst?

An average social media analyst earns anywhere around $32/hour, making it an attractive role from a salary perspective.

Conclusion

A social media analyst plays a crucial role in helping brands stay on the right track by tracking, analyzing, and interpreting key marketing metrics. The role involves growth analysis, user engagement analysis, competitor research, communication with the marketing team, and more. To become a social media analyst, you need to be good at analyzing data and deducing meaningful insights to help the brand make informed marketing decisions.

Sources:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-does-social-media-analyst-do
https://www.wgu.edu/career-guide/business/media-analyst-career.html
https://resources.workable.com/social-media-analyst-job-description
https://www.score.org/resource/infographic/infographic-how-your-small-business-can-succeed-social-media?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Social-Media-Data-Analyst-Salary
https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/nearly-40-of-small-businesses-have-no-social-media-marketing-strategy/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

How to Become a Social Media Consultant: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on 14th January 2025 | by Zain Khan

Do you know that 56% of non-freelancers say they’ll likely be a freelancer in the future? The gig economy is flourishing and so is the demand for remote jobs and contractual work. Given the growth trajectory, social media consultancy is a great career path to explore, especially if you have a knack for creating content, managing social profiles, and interacting with social media audiences. In this guide, we’ll talk about what a social media consultant is, what qualities they possess, and how to become a social media consultant, even if you have no prior experience. Let’s dive in.

What is a Social Media Consultant?

A social media consultant specializes in social media content planning and strategy. Companies and businesses often hire a social media consultant to grow their social media presence, build a brand, or achieve other specific marketing objectives. The role involves helping brands come up with a social media marketing strategy and identify areas for growth.

What Does a Social Media Consultant Do?

Social media consultancy typically involves strategy creation, goal setting, and overseeing social media marketing activities. However, the exact role depends on your specific marketing needs. Typically, they’re responsible for:

Mapping out a social media content strategy
Creating and publishing content like image posts, written posts, and videos
Communicating with customers and prospects and addressing their queries
Work with sales and marketing staff to ensure consistent branding across platforms
And more

How to Become a Social Media Consultant?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can become a social media consultant.

Get an Education

Your first step should be to get yourself educated, especially if you want to do a long-term role in a big company. A bachelor’s degree in marketing or any other related field should be enough to get you a job. However, note that a degree isn’t always necessary for a job role. Also, some employers may prefer candidates without a degree if they’re good at what they’re required to do. If you don’t want to pursue a degree and are more inclined towards freelance roles, consider getting online courses, preferably with certifications. This will help you get a grip on the basic concepts and build some credibility as a service provider.

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Choose a Niche

Focusing on a niche helps you stand out, get noticed by employers, and build your authority relatively quickly. Pick a niche you’re good at or are comfortable with. For instance, you could position yourself as an expert in the coaching space. Or, offer social media consultancy services to local businesses. If you don’t want to focus on a particular industry, you could pick a specialization-based niche, such as:

Content strategy
Content creation
Social media graphic design

Get Some Experience

One of the trickiest parts of becoming a successful social media consultant is getting the initial exposure and experience. Most employers would want to see your previous work and client results before hiring you for a full-time role. To get your foot into the door, you can offer your services at a cheaper price point or do an internship. This will also equip you with the right mindset, skills, and knowledge to take on a more comprehensive role in a big company.

Network

Networking is probably the most powerful way to build your credibility as a service provider or a potential employee. Join relevant social media groups and online communities and stay active. Build your network by sending connection requests on LinkedIn, commenting on relevant posts, and sharing valuable content on your social media profiles. LinkedIn is probably the best place for networking as most of the users there fall under the B2B (Business-to-business) umbrella.

Grow Your Social Media Profiles

Since you’re trying to show your social media marketing skills, there’s probably nothing better than growing your own social media profiles. Pick the platforms that you want to offer services on. For instance, if you want to focus on Instagram marketing, start and grow an Instagram page.

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Most Important Skills to Become a Successful Social Media Consultant

Here are the most important skills you need to become a successful social media consultant.

Communication

From writing effective social media content to interacting with clients, communication is the cornerstone of this role. The good thing is even if you don’t have good communication skills, you can learn them as you grow as a professional.

Creativity

As a consultant, you’ll need to come up with a growth strategy, and content plan, and even create content. All that needs creativity.

Data Analysis

The role requires you to be good at tracking key performance indicators and understanding the data to make informed marketing decisions.

How to Become a Social Media Consultant: FAQs

Let’s address a few frequently asked questions about becoming a social media consultant briefly.

How Do I Become a Social Media Consultant?

Start by equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skills. Practice social media marketing on your own accounts and/or do internships to gain experience. Network online to build connections and pitch your services when the right time comes.

How Much Do Social Media Consultants Charge?

Social media consultants charge between $500 – $2000 per month, but the exact amount depends on the experience of the service provider and the nature of the role.

What Does a Social Media Consultant Do?

A social media consultant creates content strategies, works with the marketing team, and analyzes performance to ensure consistent growth, among other things.

Conclusion

Two of the most important things you need to become a social media consultant are your skills, which you hone through practice, and experience, which you gain by working with clients. Start by practicing social media marketing on your own accounts or offer your services for free or at a lower price point to get your foot in the door. Build your portfolio and start pitching your services to potential clients on LinkedIn, the most popular professional networking site, job boards like Indeed, and even relevant social media groups.

Sources:

How to Hire a Graphic Designer: Everything You Should Know

Posted on 8th January 2025 | by Zain Khan

Did you know that 24% of graphic designers stay in a job for less than 12 months? This indicates a need for companies and businesses to use more effective hiring strategies. Graphic designers are an essential part of almost every digital marketing team. From blog posts to social media ads, you need great graphics to make your strategies work. But, finding a good designer that you can rely on in the long run is a little tricky. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the qualities to look for in a graphic designer and how to hire the right one for your specific needs so that you don’t invest more than you should. Let’s dive in.

Understand Your Design Needs

One of the first things you should be doing is understanding your specific graphic design needs. Do you only need social media post designs? Maybe you want someone to design the whole marketing funnel, including the landing page and sales page? Identify your marketing goals and understand what you’d need from a graphic designer.

Know the Skills and Qualities to Look for

Good graphic designers have certain skills and qualities. A graphic designer’s technical skills are the most crucial when it comes to doing client work effectively. One important skill to gauge would be their ability to work with different design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, and Canva. If you’re already using a graphic design tool in your workflows, make sure the person you hire has at least some experience using it or is willing to learn it. In addition, they need to have a good understanding of the basic design principles, such as typography, color theory, and composition.

In addition to technical skills, having soft skills equips a graphic designer to accomplish tasks and collaborate on projects effectively. For instance, creativity and problem-solving skills are helpful in situations where you’re stuck. Good communication is another important trait to have as a service provider; it helps both parties move forward without any confusion and get the job done efficiently.

Decide Between Remote, Freelance, or Agency Designers

A service provider can be remote or in-house. You can hire one full-time, part-time, or on a contractual basis, where you pay per project. All have their pros and cons; knowing your needs will help you go the right route. A freelance talent tends to be lighter on the pocket as you only pay for what you need. An agency designer would be a bit more expensive, but you’re more likely to get better-quality work. You can also hire an individual remotely on a full-time basis, which would require consistent monitoring, tracking, and performance analysis for a long-term relationship.

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Where to Find Graphic Designers

With so many options available, it can be tricky to find the right resource, whether you’re looking for an in-house talent or a freelance one. Here are some of the best places to find a graphic designer:

Freelance Platforms

Freelance platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Legiit host many quality freelancers in a variety of categories, including graphic design. Fiverr has its own search engine, so you’ll have to find the right freelance with its search features. Upwork lets you post your job and accept bids or proposals from suitable candidates. You can filter different candidates based on your criteria and find a suitable match from a pool of applicants.

Design Specific Platforms

Dribble and Behance are specific to graphic designers if you want to explore more niche platforms. Freelance platforms offer a safe business environment between freelancers and clients, which is something missing on platforms like Behance, where you’ll have to hire freelancers completely at your own responsibilities.

Design Agencies

Another place to find and hire graphic designers would be design agencies. Agencies already have a filtering process; they usually have experienced graphic designers, eliminating the need for you to go through the hiring process. You do need to make sure you’re working with a reliable agency and agency designers tend to be a little on the expensive side.

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Evaluate Candidates

Once you’ve picked a few good options, the next step is to evaluate them thoroughly to make sure they fit your requirements. Start by reviewing their portfolio, skill set, and experience. Check to see if they have worked with similar businesses in your industry. Look at their past designs and make sure they can satisfy your branding needs. Next, take interviews to gauge their communication skills and understand their design process. If you can get in touch with their previous employer and get some insights into their work ethic and quality, that would be super helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s address some frequently asked questions about how to hire a graphic designer.

How Much Should I Pay a Graphic Designer?

The pay of a graphic designer varies depending on factors like project type, experience, and location. A good freelance designer charges anywhere around $25 – $100/hour while an in-house designer normally charges between 40k – 80k USD/year.

What is the Process of Hiring a Graphic Designer?

Define your project needs, long-term goal, and budget. Look for suitable candidates on online platforms and go through their portfolios and hire the best fit for your project.

When Should You Hire a Graphic Designer?

Hire a professional graphic designer if you want to build a brand through online marketing and need consistent design support from an expert.

What are the Qualities of a Good Graphic Designer?

The right graphic designer will have good communication, problem-solving, creativity, and technical skills. They should have a portfolio that showcases quality and relevance to your needs.

Conclusion

A graphic designer can help you create visually appealing social media visuals and make sure everything aligns with your branding. Freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork and design-specific platforms like Behance are some ideal places to look for the right talent for your needs. Just make sure you’re hiring the right resource by looking at their technical and soft skills. Also, look at their portfolio, client reviews, and references from past employers for an informed and effective hiring decision.

What Does a Social Media Agency Do?

Posted on 16th December 2024 | by Zain Khan

A social media agency offers a range of services, including ongoing management, community support, ad campaigns, and more. It helps businesses generate leads and sales with social media marketing.

This means that by hiring a social media company, you can let the experts take care of marketing while focusing on what matters more – making your offers or business better. In this post, we’ll talk about the marketing workflows a social media agency handles and why you should hire one for your business. Let’s dive in.

Social Media Management

This is an ongoing process where the agency does everything from content creation and scheduling to analyzing your KPIs. Let’s dive into the details.

Content Ideation and Creation

A social media agency is typically responsible for coming up with new topics and creating content on those topics. Whether it’s Instagram captions or long-form LinkedIn posts, the agency helps you attract more leads with social media content marketing.

Scheduling and Automation

Another aspect of marketing a business can outsource to a social media agency is content scheduling and automation. Although most aspects of social media content marketing can be automated these days, thanks to tools like HootSuite and Later, businesses still need to oversee automation workflows and ensure their effectiveness.

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Community Management

If you have a social media page with even a few followers, you have a community of individuals with at least one similar interest. Community management is an aspect that requires a decent amount of time. If you neglect this aspect of your online presence, it can easily lead to lost leads and can even damage your reputation. To engage with existing customers and potential customers, brands, and businesses hire community managers or social media agencies.

Paid Social Advertising

It’s an art to grab people’s attention and make them listen to your message, especially with organic social marketing. Paid ads help businesses bypass the organic competition and get in front of their target customer almost instantly. However, you need to know the ins and outs of pay-per-click advertising to get the most out of your investment. Business owners mostly don’t have the time, energy, and experience to manage paid ads themselves, which is why they hire a professional social media agency. Here’s how a social media agency can help you grow on social media with ads.

Creating and Managing Ad Campaigns

If you aren’t already running a paid ads campaign on any social platform, your agency will help you start from scratch. They can help you find the right ad platform and run a profitable ad campaign. In addition to managing your ad campaigns, they should also keep you in the loop about your progress and ROIs.

Testing, Tracking, and Optimization

When it comes to identifying the best way forward for your ad campaigns, testing is the name of the game. A social media agency makes sure you’re investing in all the right places to help you achieve the maximum return on ad spend (ROAS).

Video Marketing

According to data, 91% of businesses now leverage video as a marketing tool.

Video content is loved by people of all ages, but that doesn’t mean all types of videos perform good, especially when you’re promoting a service or product. A social media agency creates and optimizes your videos from every aspect to make sure they resonate with your audience.

This includes YouTube long-form videos where you take a deeper dive into your topics. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok let businesses create short-form, vertical videos; perfect for grabbing attention and driving traffic to your website or landing page.

Influencer Marketing

This is where you eliminate the need to build an audience from scratch and get your message across to a wide pool of potential customers. Influencer marketing is all about working with the right influencers, monitoring your campaigns, and identifying long-term partnerships. The entire process requires constant communication and a deep understanding of the social platforms you want to work on. A social media agency handles everything from identifying the right platforms to reaching out to the right influencers to optimizing your campaigns for maximum impact.

Tracking and Reporting

One of the most important aspects of every marketing campaign is tracking. Without effective tracking, there’s no way for a business to know whether their marketing efforts are generating the desired results or are going to waste. A social media marketing company will identify your key performance indicators (KPIs) and track them to make sure you’re moving in the right direction. They should provide you with a detailed report to help you understand the growth trajectory and make informed decisions.

What Does a Social Media Agency Do: FAQs

Let’s briefly discuss some frequently asked questions about the role of a social media agency.

What is the Role of a Social Media Agency?

A social media agency manages your online presence. They create and schedule content, run ads, engage with your community, and analyze & optimize performance for maximum ROI.

Is a Social Media Agency Worth It?

Yes, a social media agency handles the creative, time-intensive, and other aspects of your social media strategy, allowing you to work on tasks that require your attention. The right social media agency will help you boost your ROI in the long run.

Why Should I Hire a Social Media Agency?

Good social media agencies have a team of experts who understand the ins and outs of social platforms and can help your business grow with minimal investment. By working with an agency, you maximize your chances of success with social marketing.

Conclusion

A social media agency can have a variety of roles, depending on their client’s goals, niche, budget, and audience. For instance, your goal may be just to build a targeted community, such as a Facebook group, around your brand. Or, maybe you want to work with an agency that can help you generate more traffic to your landing pages. Generally, a social media agency offers content creation, ad management, performance tracking, and in-depth progress reports. However, hiring an agency is only a good idea when you have a product or service to sell. When your basics are covered, an agency can help you sell more of whatever you’re trying to sell.