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    How to get the most out of your social media agency, in seven steps

    By Giuliana Schoeman, issued by Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize
    29 Jul 2016
    29 Jul 2016
    When you don't have the biggest budget, nor (let's just keep it real) the sexiest brand, how do you maximise your agency's output, and then some more, to reach your business' goals faster?
    How to get the most out of your social media agency, in seven steps
    How to get the most out of your social media agency, in seven steps

    With the help of an incredible team, I have helped build Saatchi & Saatchi Synergize’s first social media service - one that is regarded within the business as effective and fast-growing. Over this two-and-a-half-year period, I’ve gathered a handful of suggestions and insights on how you, the client, can get the most out of your social media agency.

    My seven suggestions:
    1. Educate each other twice a year, at least:

      1. Ask your agency to present the industry’s latest trends

    Plagued by fears that our client may mention a new app, video or update that we’re not yet aware of, many of us are voracious readers or listeners to the best thinking and case studies available. This means we’ve got the information, so take advantage of it. Most budgets don’t easily allow for a full-day workshop, so I’d suggest asking for a concise 15-minute presentation per specialisation. This will give you the best bang for your buck as well as the opportunity to excitedly holler, "Hey, can we do that?"

  • Teach, update and explain your business’ products or services and vision. Again.
    How many times has your agency’s core team changed since you first took them on? If you’re wondering why your agency is regurgitating the ‘same old, same old’ month on month, I’m willing to bet it’s because they only want to colour in the shapes they best understand. The shapes, you the client, have approved before and were once happy with. To get your agency out of this rut, take the proverbial ‘bull by the horns’ and arrange time to tell us about your business and your challenges again.

  • Ask your client service lead this question monthly: "Based on the data at hand, is the way we’re using our hours this month, really going to get us closer to our goals?"

    1. Make sure you and your agency has not fallen into the trap of simply doing the social work and creating the reports. Most of us are guilty of this. It’s a rarity that we have a time plan for the implications - and get your approval - but it’s essential. It is going to lead to better results. Use the data.

    2. Help us to help you: ‘Averagely performing social brands’ are characterised by clients who never get back to us on our suggestions, so get back to us – it’s a two-way relationship.

  • Don’t just get the smartest, get the most likeable client service lead on your account. As an insider, I can tell you that agency people work harder, and do better work, when they like and respect the client service lead on the account. We’re simply just more willing to get stuck into and solving your challenges on a consistent basis. This is not systemic to Saatchi, but rather across agencies - we are all human.

  • Change your mindset from being ‘trustworthy’ to that of someone makes their agency deservedly ‘accountable’:

    1. If your agency is brand-new, create a mental note to monitor the good and bad of your agency's performance over a three-month period. If they pass the test, meeting the goals they promised in the pitch (with you coming to the party over this period too), then give them more freedom to take your work further, keeping the team continually excited to make their name on your brand. The key is to keep your agency in high-performance ‘pitch mode’ while continually giving thanks so we feel good about it.

  • The 80/20 rule: To keep your boss's boss's boss happy - as well as the agency on it’s toes - explore revising your scope of work to allow for 80% servicing the general retainer and 20% for testing and experimental creative. Great leaps can be made in your brand's performance when we have the hours to act quickly on an emerging trend or testing the efficacy of an uncontested platform. It also gives you a good idea of how ‘educated’ your agency's educated guesses are, as the results unfold.

  • Get your social marketer to join your monthly meeting - I’m always pushing for this with the team. It’s not about staying on top of status queries, it’s about:

    1. Making them emotionally invested in your brand.

    2. It deepens their ‘read’ of exactly what you want to see from us.
    3. We can develop on and approve ideas and solve challenges speedily face to face, versus a laborious and boring PPT. The notable poet, Brown Sugar, would of course agree that “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
    4. It offers you the chance to build a relationship with someone who is the face of your brand on social.
    5. Choose to take my point 6 seriously or not, but I see my guys are more invested in clients they have a personal relationship with. Instead of me having to manage and push, making sure they’re ‘into it’, I instead just have to guide here and there.

  • Lastly, don’t be a d*&%:

    1. Believe it or not, we’re on your side. We all got into advertising because we want to do work that’s cool and really delivers results. Really, it gives us something to talk about when we’re out drinking. So, if you find we’re making the same mistakes, falling over the same hurdles on a monthly basis, there’s likely a situation of broken telephone that can be fixed with the a combination of face-to-face communication - and of course, the right decision-makers in the room.

    Have I missed any pertinent suggestions of how clients can inspire great social marketing work from an agency? Leave a comment below.

    • NextOptions

    About Giuliana Schoeman

    Giuliana launched her career into the world of digital marketing, working as a Senior Planner and then most recently, as the Head of Social Media for some of South Africa's biggest brands within the online sector. Her proudest moment to date is a toss-up between receiving a certificate for never missing a day of school in Grade 2 and co-penning a marketing strategy for one of SA's biggest technology retailers, which resulted in PC sales growing by 20%.

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