Beware of Social Media Consulting Services

Matthew Loop · 08-01-2011, 09:40 PM

In today's time, just about every other person (and their grandma) is a self-proclaimed social media "expert." With all of the inexperienced people and questionable services out there, how do you decipher who's really legit?

Here are some things to look for when sifting through social media consulting services.

The first thing you need to look for are testimonials. Video case studies are better if you can find them since it's difficult to fake this. This tells you that the company or consultant is better than most since they have real people endorsing them

The next thing you want to do is to Google the company / consulting (in quotes) you're thinking about going with. They should be established and have tens of thousands of listings and links from all over the place. This will tell you that they've been around and are popular.

One of the biggest mistakes newbies make is that they go with social media consultants that have a minimal presence online. How could this company possibly promote you if they themselves have a scarce presence on Google?

The fact is they cannot.

Another thing you want to analyze before you select a consultant is how much they charge. If they're cheap, stay away! Why? It means they haven't made any money or worked with top brands.

The reality is, you do pay for what you get. You don't want to waste money on someone that's never had big results. If you bring on a well established social media consultant that's helped companies sell millions of dollars, you'll invest a few thousand easily. They charge a lot for a reason. If you want the best, expect to pay a premium.

The last thing that's critical important to analyze is if the owner of the social media company has actually built a successful brick and mortar or online business using social media. So many consultants and agencies out there practice theory and have never ran a real profitable business.

The bottom line is not all social media consulting services are scams but you really have to investigate to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. If you choose right, it will be the most profitable decision you've ever made for your business.

08-01-2011, 09:40 PM	#1
Matthew Loop Facebook Ads expert War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 100 Thanks: 10 Thanked 29 Times in 21 Posts Social Networking	Beware of Social Media Consulting Services In today's time, just about every other person (and their grandma) is a self-proclaimed social media "expert." With all of the inexperienced people and questionable services out there, how do you decipher who's really legit? Here are some things to look for when sifting through social media consulting services. The first thing you need to look for are testimonials. Video case studies are better if you can find them since it's difficult to fake this. This tells you that the company or consultant is better than most since they have real people endorsing them The next thing you want to do is to Google the company / consulting (in quotes) you're thinking about going with. They should be established and have tens of thousands of listings and links from all over the place. This will tell you that they've been around and are popular. One of the biggest mistakes newbies make is that they go with social media consultants that have a minimal presence online. How could this company possibly promote you if they themselves have a scarce presence on Google? The fact is they cannot. Another thing you want to analyze before you select a consultant is how much they charge. If they're cheap, stay away! Why? It means they haven't made any money or worked with top brands. The reality is, you do pay for what you get. You don't want to waste money on someone that's never had big results. If you bring on a well established social media consultant that's helped companies sell millions of dollars, you'll invest a few thousand easily. They charge a lot for a reason. If you want the best, expect to pay a premium. The last thing that's critical important to analyze is if the owner of the social media company has actually built a successful brick and mortar or online business using social media. So many consultants and agencies out there practice theory and have never ran a real profitable business. The bottom line is not all social media consulting services are scams but you really have to investigate to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. If you choose right, it will be the most profitable decision you've ever made for your business.
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