Your social media takes time, ideas and several skills. There are three ways to handle it: someone in-house, a freelancer or an agency. None is the best in absolute terms. Here is how to choose.
What a community manager really does
The job is not just posting. It covers:
- strategy: which networks, which messages, for which customers;
- the editorial calendar and post ideas;
- creation: texts, photos, videos, visuals;
- publishing, and replying to messages and comments;
- analysing results and adjusting.
Before choosing an option, identify which of these tasks you can already handle, and which ones are missing.
In-house: closeness
Advantages: the person knows the company, lives its day-to-day and can react within the hour. They easily capture behind-the-scenes moments, news and team life.
Limits: one person has to master many skills, from photography to advertising. Social media often comes after urgent tasks, and everything stops during holidays.
A freelancer: flexibility
Advantages: a specialist, a single contact and a light organisation.
Limits: you depend on one person and their skills. If you also need photos, videos or advertising, you often have to coordinate several providers.
An agency: the full team
Advantages: strategy, creation, photo, video and advertising in one team, with continuity even when someone is away. Your image stays consistent across all channels.
Limits: the agency does not live your day-to-day. You need a contact person on your side and regular exchanges to share news and moments worth posting.
The mixed option, often the most effective
Many SMEs combine both: the agency handles strategy, the calendar and polished content, and someone in-house posts the everyday stories and replies to messages.
To make that person comfortable, social media training saves a lot of time.
Four questions to decide
- Volume: how many posts a week do you want to keep up over time?
- Skills: do you have photography, video and graphic design in-house?
- Languages: do you need to post in French, German, English, or even Luxembourgish?
- Time: who on your team can spend hours on it every week, without it coming after everything else?
Key takeaways
In-house for closeness, a freelancer for flexibility, an agency for the full team, or a mix of both. This is what we offer in social media, from one-off advice to full management. And SME Packages Digital can fund part of the project, subject to conditions.