When to Hire a Freelance Social Media Specialist vs. Social Media Agency

Updated November 29, 2023

More than 93% of people who use the internet are on social media. This represents more than 4.4 billion individuals around the world. There’s no easier way to connect with a wide range of consumers than through social media.

From a business perspective, social channels are a fantastic source of potential clients. While a conversion rate of 2%-5% is all you need to be considered successful in a social media campaign, social media posts can widen your reach and build brand awareness in ways not possible on other channels.

Entrepreneurs, beginners, and small businesses alike may not be able to craft a social media marketing plan on their own. Outsourcing these tasks to a freelance social media specialist or social media agency can help you scale up efforts on your social media channels quickly. 

What can outsourcing social media marketing efforts take off your plate?

• Social media posting and monitoring (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)
• Content marketing efforts relevant to social channels
• Copywriting efforts
• Project management around SMM
• SMM metrics reporting (traffic, likes, followers, subscribers, shares)

The next challenge is whether you hire a freelance social strategist or contract an agency. The answer will depend on your desired deliverables and the skill set it will take to complete them.

Freelance Social Media Manager or Specialist

What is a Freelance Social Media Marketing Specialist?

A freelance social media manager or specialist is an individual outsourced marketing manager with the know-how to execute social media marketing campaigns on behalf of their clients.

They can function in part- or full-time capacities and are typically remote workers. However, some freelancers can provide services in-person to clients as needed.

5 Benefits of Hiring Freelance Social Media Marketing Specialists 

In today's fast-paced digital world, social media is essential for businesses to connect with customers and grow their brands.

However, managing social media accounts can be time-consuming and complex, requiring community management expertise that not all business owners or managers possess. This is where freelance social media managers come in.

This article will explore these top advantages of hiring a freelance social media manager for your business:

1. Cost-Effective
2. Targeted expertise
3. Flexibility
4. Save time
5. Personalization

Freelancers can be a huge help to startups and established businesses alike. Across social media platforms, they can add value to your digital marketing strategy and amplify your brand voice.

 

1. Cost-Effective

Hiring a full-time social media manager can be a significant expense for a small or medium-sized business.

By hiring a freelance social media manager, you only pay for the services you need, which can be more cost-effective in the long run.

Additionally, you don't have to worry about providing benefits or paying for office space, equipment, or software.

 

2. Targeted Expertise

Freelance social media managers have extensive experience managing social media accounts, creating content, and developing social media strategies.

As a company, you can seek out a freelancer who specializes in your area of focus or industry for social media. For instance, retail companies can specifically look for freelancers with portfolios of past retail projects.

Their expertise in social media and a given industry area will enable them to create effective social media content that can boost your brand's visibility and online presence.

 

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the primary benefits of hiring a freelance social media manager. You can hire them for specific projects, such as creating a social media campaign for a product launch or for ongoing social media management.

Freelancers can work remotely, allowing you to hire talent from anywhere in the world, giving you access to a broader talent pool.

 

4. Time-Saving

Managing social media accounts can be time-consuming, especially when running a business or managing a team.

Hiring a freelance social media manager can free up time to focus on other aspects of your business. They can handle everything from creating content, scheduling posts, and responding to comments, freeing up time for you to focus on other areas of your business.

 

5. Personalized Service

Freelance social media managers can tailor their services to meet the specific needs of your business.

They’re best positioned to create social media content or templates that aligns with your brand's messaging and goals because they work with their clients one-on-one. This makes them closely attuned to your business and goals.

With the right freelance social media manager, you can take your social media presence to the next level and stay ahead of your competitors.

5 Drawbacks of Social Media Freelancers

While hiring a freelance social media manager has many advantages, there are also some drawbacks that you should consider.

Here are some of the disadvantages of using a freelancer for social media marketing compared to an agency:

1. Limited resources
2. Restricted availability
3. Limited Expertise
4. Limited accountability
5. Limited scalability

Each of these disadvantages can put a strain on your in-house team. Discuss relevant drawbacks with your marketing team to determine which have the possibility of being serious bottlenecks vs. minor inconveniences.

 

1. Limited Resources

A freelance social media manager may not have access to the same resources as a social media agency.
Because freelancers are individuals, not a team, there might be knowledge gaps that could otherwise be filled with the help of designers, writers, or videographers.

All of this know-how is important in the creation of engaging social media content. Still, companies shouldn’t expect the same volume of resources from an individual that they would from a larger team of social media professionals.

Additionally, freelancers may be less likely to have access to cutting-edge software and tools for monitoring metrics and social media successes. Surely, freelancers can still provide reporting; it just may not be as impressive as social media agencies.

 

2. Restricted Availability

As mentioned before, most of the drawbacks of freelance social media managers stem from being individuals rather than a full-fledged team.

Freelancers typically work for multiple clients at a time, meaning they won’t be able to offer full availability to their clients.

Further, because of this, it’s unlikely that they can function at the capacity of a full-time employee without becoming overwhelmed by needs and priorities. Social media companies are more likely to be able to offer the capacity necessary for businesses that require more availability than others.

 

3. Limited Expertise

While freelance social media managers can have extensive experience, they may not have the same breadth of knowledge as a social media agency.

Agencies often have specialized teams that can offer expertise in different areas, such as:

• Paid advertising
• Email marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Social media analytics
• Video
• SEO

Specializations in these multitudes are important for social media success but may not be present in your average social media freelancer.

 

4. Limited Accountability

Freelancers aren’t organizations, so project management and accountability may pose challenges.

Popular freelancer platforms do allow for a form of contract and guidelines to be passed between parties before hire. Still, responsibilities and expectations are doubly as organized as in engagements with social media marketing agencies.

Without clarity, freelancers may fall short of expectations due to confusion or misunderstandings. Additionally, if a freelancer falls behind on their work or delivers subpar results, there may be limited recourse for the business owner without a clearly drawn-up contract.

 

5. Limited Scalability

While freelancers can be flexible and offer a personalized service, they may not be able to scale their services as quickly or efficiently as a social media agency.

As a business grows, it may require more extensive social media services or support, which a freelancer may be unable to provide independently. In these cases, clients that start out working with a single social media marketing freelancer may need to add more freelancers to social efforts or begin working with an agency.

A social media agency may be a better option for your business if you require a broader range of services or more extensive social media support.

Social Media Marketing Agency

What is a Social Media Marketing Agency?

A social media marketing agency is akin to a digital marketing agency, with a specialization around managing social media platforms for clients.

The major difference between a social media agency and freelancers is that an agency is an organization of industry professionals that manage client work together. On these teams sit designers, videographers, analysts, and project managers.

There are several benefits to having the resources of an agency, but be sure to weigh them against the potential challenges you may face in collaboration together.

5 Benefits of Hiring a Social Media Marketing Agency

Social media marketing agencies benefit from having a wealth of resources at their disposal to help clients. Here are the top benefits of SMM agencies:

1. Broad social media knowledge
2. Formalized accountability
3. Ability to scale
4. Access to advanced tools and technologies
5. Potential for long-term relationships

Companies with more varied and expansive social media needs may be best suited for agencies.

 

1. Broad Social Media Knowledge

Social media agencies have a team of specialists, such as content creation, graphic design, video production, and analytics, all with extensive expertise in social media marketing.

They have experience in various industries and niches, which enables them to provide better insights and tailor their services to the specific needs of their clients.

 

2. Formalized Accountability

Social media agencies typically have more formal contracts and agreements with their clients, establishing clear expectations and responsibilities.

They also have established workflows and protocols to ensure that projects are completed on time and to the client's satisfaction.

 

3. Ability to Scale

Social media agencies can scale their services up or down to accommodate changing needs. They can do this by adding or subtracting dedicated specialists from project to project.

They have access to a team of experts in various fields, allowing agencies to provide a more comprehensive range of social media services.

Further, agencies can juggle more than one project or campaign required by clients at once. This situation may not be possible when engaging with a freelancer.

 

4. Access to Advanced Tools and Technologies

Social media agencies can access advanced tools and technologies to create more sophisticated campaigns and strategies.
They can use the latest software to track and analyze social media metrics, target specific audiences, and optimize their content to perform better.

 

5. Potential for Long-Term Relationships

When you hire a social media agency, you build a long-term relationship with a partner invested in your success. The agency becomes intimately familiar with your brand and works to achieve your long-term business goals.

Social media agencies offer a range of advantages over hiring a freelancer, including access to more expertise, accountability, scalability, technological resources, and long-term relationships.

However, it is important to consider the costs and your specific needs before deciding.

5 Challenges Posed by Social Media Marketing Agencies

Social media agencies may offer more resources and a wider variety of service options, but there are still drawbacks to choosing an agency over an experienced social media manager freelancer.

Here are the most pressing challenges revolving around hiring social media agencies:

1. Increases pricing
2. Potential for miscommunication
3. Inflexibility
4. Split client priorities
5. Reduced creativity

Companies with tighter budgets and more niche social media requirements will benefit from closely measuring the pros and cons of freelancers vs. agencies before selecting a collaborator.

 

1. Higher Cost

Social media agencies generally charge higher fees than freelancers due to their larger infrastructure, more specialized expertise, and access to advanced tools and technologies.

This may be a limiting factor for small businesses or those with tight budgets.

 

2. Potential for Miscommunication

Social media agencies often have multiple team members working on a project, sometimes leading to miscommunication or misunderstandings. This may result in delayed timelines, misaligned goals, or confusion around responsibilities.

 

3. Lack of Flexibility

Social media agencies typically work on a fixed contract, which means there is little flexibility in terms of adding or changing services mid-project.

In contrast, a freelancer may be more adaptable to scope, budget, or timeline changes.

 

4. Focus on Larger Clients

Social media agencies may prioritize their larger, high-profile clients over smaller clients. This may result in a lack of attention or resources for smaller businesses, which may not be ideal for businesses with specific or niche marketing needs.
Further, social media agencies may not offer the same level of personalized attention as a freelancer. With a team of staff and multiple projects, an agency may not be able to provide the same level of one-on-one communication or individualized attention that a freelancer can.

 

5. Potential for Reduced Creativity

Due to their standardized processes and a larger team, social media agencies may have less flexibility and creativity compared to freelancers, who are more flexible in their approach and can think out of the box.

Social Networks Hugely Affect Digital Marketing Strategy

Social media is an essential pillar of success for businesses of all sizes today. To harness the capabilities of social channels, many businesses will wind up outsourcing to either an agency or a freelancer.

Pay close attention to the pros and cons of both outsourcing options to ensure you know when to hire a freelance social media specialist vs. social media agency.