I was recently asked by Sean Corcoran of Forrester to answer one simple but fascinating question: When do companies come to New Media Strategies for social media help rather than their digital agency, PR firm, or traditional agency and why?
My complete answer is below, some of which was included in their November 14 report "When to Hire a Social Media Boutique Agency." NMS was honored to be included in this report, particularly given the fine company of other agencies covered.
Companies tend to go with their incumbent digital agency, PR firm, or traditional agency when they are still in the early stages of social media experimentation. It is a path of least resistance in situations where they cannot make the case for a dedicated and significant social media budget, or where they have yet to establish a holistic social media strategy for their organization based on their inability to understand the impact that a sustained commitment to social media will have on their business. Further, in circumstances where a mid-level social media manager is new and tasked with building a foundation, there is less perceived risk in asking incumbent agencies for help.
When the C-suite understands the importance of social media and its [central] role, they seek out the value and unique expertise of a dedicated social media agency of record.
Conversely, when the C-suite under stands the importance of social media and its role as central not just to the traditionally siloed divisions within their organization (Marketing, PR, Corp Comm, Customer Service, Research, HR, etc), but also within their marketing and communications plans (digital, mobile, CRM, experiential), we find that they seek out the value and unique expertise of a dedicated social media agency of record. In short, it tends to be reflective of senior level commitment to social media, and an understanding that social is central to the future of their integrated marketing and communications efforts, and will be for the forseeable future. The increased number of RFPs specific to social media AORs is evidence of this awakening and realization within the marketplace.
Of course, there are still other cases where we get calls from clients who have gone with incumbent agencies - which invariably claim expertise in social – and are seeking smarter, more robust and impactful solutions. They may have reached a certain arbitrary numeric goal of Facebook likes, after which they realize they don’t know what to do next; they have no sustained plan for engaging these fans through meaningful and relevant content. They typically sound either desperate or distrustful when they call, since everyone they have asked has touted social expertise. We’ve had clients tell us that their incumbent, big name PR firms are "big, slow, and learning as they go" in social. I don’t blame the agencies, because social is where the action is, and it’s an obvious opportunity for them to increase their fees and deepen their client relationships. But I do sympathize with the clients, who understandably struggle with sifting through the noise and finding what is real.