Here’s All You Need to Know About Outsourcing Social Media Community Management

Social media has evolved into a dynamic space for fostering meaningful relationships between brands and their audiences. For companies aiming to maintain vibrant online communities, business process outsourcing (BPO) offers a game-changing solution. BPO for social media community management promotes seamless engagement and enhances brand reputation.

If you want to learn more about outsourcing social media community management, this article is for you. It explores the different ways this practice can transform how your brand connects with audiences.

Five key benefits of social media community management outsourcing

To better understand the advantages you can gain from outsourcing social media community management, it’s best to first answer the question: What is BPO?

BPO is the practice of delegating non-core business processes to a service provider. For instance, a healthcare facility offloads social media community management to an external team as it lacks the necessary knowledge and tools.

This makes outsourcing a widespread practice across businesses of all sizes and industries. The global BPO market could reach $390 billion in 2024 and grow to $490 billion by 2029.

How can you benefit from BPO services for social media community management? Let’s explore its advantages:

1. Access to specialized expertise

According to Deloitte, 53% of businesses increased their staff levels from 2020 to 2022 to match strategic priorities. Outsourcing social media community management offers a cost-effective alternative. It lets you access a global pool of experts in the role without hiring full-time.

Here are some of the benefits of gaining expertise through outsourcing:

• Staying ahead of the curve: Social media platforms constantly evolve, with new features, algorithms, and trends emerging regularly. BPO teams stay updated on these changes to keep the strategy relevant and effective.
  
• Leveraging best practices: Outsourcing teams specializing in social media community management have a deep understanding of industry best practices. This allows them to optimize your content, engagement tactics, and overall social media strategy.
  
• Improving performance tracking: BPO teams use advanced analytics tools that let them track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement rates, follower growth, and website traffic.
  
• Identifying opportunities: Specialized experts can identify hidden patterns and trends that might not be apparent to the naked eye. This enables them to uncover new opportunities, such as untapped audiences and high-performing content.
  
• Optimizing your strategy: Based on data analysis, BPO teams can refine your content strategy, adjust your posting schedule, and experiment with different approaches to maximize impact.
  
• Maintaining brand identity: A consistent brand voice builds trust and recognition. Outsourcing teams specializing in social media community management can understand and interpret the brand’s identity more deeply for consistent messaging.
  
• Enhancing brand reputation: By understanding the nuances of the brand’s messaging, BPO teams can craft effective communication strategies that resonate with the target audience and strengthen the brand’s reputation.
  
• Creating a unified brand experience: Experienced social media community managers delve into your core values, mission, and target audience so that social media content accurately reflects the brand’s identity and maintains a consistent tone.

With qualified professionals, you can effectively manage your online communities, strengthen audience relationships, and achieve your business goals.

2. Round-the-clock services and staff

Outsourcing social media community management can significantly enhance your brand’s online presence with 24/7 audience engagement.

Unity Communications’s outsourcing case study for an information technology (IT) project proves this. After partnering with the BPO company, the IT company was able to cover call operations around the clock and increase agreements.

Imagine what this can entail for social media community management. Engaging with your audience beyond regular business hours increases brand visibility, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty.

Here’s how outsourcing providers facilitate 24/7 social media community management:

• Dynamic scheduling: BPO teams carefully plan shift work schedules to ensure someone is always available to monitor social media channels and respond to customer inquiries. They also ensure clear communication and efficient handoff processes between shifts to maintain consistency and avoid service gaps.
  
• Global workforce: Most BPO providers have remote teams worldwide to take advantage of time zones in outsourcing. For instance, the Philippine team can handle inquiries from the Asia-Pacific region during their daytime hours, while a U.S. team can take over at night in the Philippines.
  
• Advanced technology: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the BPO industry has grown over the years. Thus, outsourcing teams use the latest social media community management tools, such as automated chatbots and AI-powered technologies, to answer routine inquiries and provide immediate assistance.

By leveraging these strategies, your BPO partner can consistently represent your brand online and meet audience needs around the clock.

3. Improved operational efficiency

In addition to gaining specialized expertise to speed up processes, outsourcing can help you streamline workflows through systemized operations. According to Deloitte’s 2023 Global Shared Services and Outsourcing Survey, 82% of 500 executives achieved standardized processes after outsourcing.

That’s because outsourcing teams have well-defined standardized operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain efficient operations. Here are some examples of these processes for social media community management:

• Content calendar (creating and maintaining a content calendar to plan and schedule posts in advance)
  
• Content ideation (brainstorming and developing content ideas based on the brand’s voice, target audience, and current trends)
  
• Content creation (writing, editing, and proofreading social media posts, articles, and other content)
• Visual content creation (designing graphics, infographics, and videos to enhance content)
  
• Content curation (finding and sharing relevant third-party content)
  
• Engagement (responding to comments, messages, and reviews promptly and professionally) 
• Crisis management (developing a crisis communication plan and responding to negative feedback or online crises)
  
• Community building (fostering a sense of community by encouraging discussions and interactions among followers)
  
• User-generated content (identifying and sharing user-generated content to build brand loyalty)
  
• Brand monitoring (tracking brand mentions and sentiment analyses to identify potential issues or opportunities)
  
• Competitor analysis (monitoring competitors’ social media efforts to gain insights and identify competitive advantages)
  
• Industry trend analysis (staying updated on industry trends and adapting the social media strategy accordingly)
  
• Performance tracking (monitoring KPIs, such as engagement rates, follower growth, and website traffic)
  
• Report generation (creating regular reports to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and inform future strategies)
  
• Data-driven decision-making (using data insights to optimize content strategy, audience targeting, and campaign performance)

4. Enhanced crisis management and reputation control

Although social media can help you connect with your audience, it’s a double-edged sword. Adverse incidents can quickly escalate into full-blown crises without adequate control and management. One bad review can turn away potential and existing customers. According to Statista, bad reviews easily sway 92% of customers.

Outsourcing social media community management minimizes this risk, protecting your brand’s image and maintaining customer trust. BPO teams can closely monitor social media channels around the clock and address issues in real time.

Here are some strategies they implement for effective crisis management:

• Proactive monitoring: BPO teams can continuously monitor social media platforms for brand mentions, sentiment analyses, and potential threats. By staying vigilant, they can detect brewing crises before they escalate.
  
• Swift response: When a crisis occurs, outsourcing teams can quickly assess the situation in ​​your social media community’s situation and develop a response and management strategy. They can also promptly communicate with affected stakeholders, providing updates and addressing concerns.
  
• Efficient crisis communication: Social media community managers can craft empathetic and sincere messages that acknowledge the issue while also showing a commitment to resolving it. They also maintain your brand’s consistent messaging across all channels to avoid confusion and prevent further damage.
  
• Reputation repair: BPO teams can take steps to repair the brand’s reputation, such as offering apologies, providing compensation, or implementing corrective actions. They can also develop strategies to rebuild trust and restore the brand’s reputation over time.

Ultimately, outsourcing social media community management provides you with a dedicated team of experts who will be your first line of defense from online backlash. Their expertise and 24/7 services ensure your online presence remains positive and your brand image stays intact.

5. Significant cost savings and efficiency

Cost reduction is the top driver of outsourcing, making it the practice’s most prominent advantage. In the same 2023 Global Shared Services and Outsourcing Survey, Deloitte reports that 83% of businesses that outsource achieved their goals of lowering overall expenses.

But how does outsourcing social media community management help you cut costs? Let’s explore the different ways:

• Lower labor costs: BPO providers actively recruit in areas with lower living expenses, which translates to lower salaries and wages. For instance, a social media manager in the Philippines has a monthly salary of around $530. That’s almost ten times lower than the $4,225 its U.S. counterpart receives.
  
• Reduced recruitment expenses: Outsourcing social media community management also means delegating the costs associated with hiring, training, and retaining staff. BPO providers also typically cover their agents’ employee benefits, including healthcare, retirement plans, and other mandatory benefits and contributions.
  
• Fewer technology investments: Reliable service vendors carry the latest tools and technologies relevant to social media community management. This lets you avoid expensive purchases, subscriptions, and investments associated with acquiring and maintaining specialized software, hardware, and IT infrastructure.
  
• Minimized overhead: Outsourcing initiatives frequently involve remote work, particularly for tasks that don’t require an on-site presence, such as social media community management. By outsourcing, you can save on office rent, equipment, furniture, utilities, security costs, and cleaning and maintenance fees.
  
• Economies of scale: Outsourcing providers often serve multiple clients to leverage economies of scale. It spreads fixed costs across a more extensive customer base, lowering per-unit costs for each client. A BPO partnership lets you access specialized resources that would be expensive to develop or maintain in-house.

In the end, you can reallocate the resources you saved by outsourcing social media community management to initiatives that directly affect your products and services.

Let’s say you own an e-commerce shop. Your team can focus on improving product quality, optimizing your website for better user experience, or expanding inventory. You could also reinvest in marketing campaigns, enhance customer service, or develop new features that set your business apart. 

Choosing the right BPO partner for social media community management

To maximize the benefits of outsourcing for social media community management, partnering with the right service provider is crucial. This ensures your brand’s online presence is handled professionally and consistently.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the factors to consider when selecting your ideal partner:

• Consider experience and portfolio. A BPO provider’s track record speaks volumes about their capabilities. When evaluating potential agencies, read case studies for real examples of their work, especially with brands similar to yours. Look into their niche experience and client feedback.
• Ensure brand alignment. Assess how a provider familiarizes itself with your brand voice, mission, and audience demographics. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches and partner with an outsourcing team that tailors strategies to reflect your social media goals and management values.
• Look for proven processes. The best partners have established methods for managing social media accounts. Ask them about the software or platforms they use to track mentions, engagement, and sentiment. Request examples of their reports to determine whether they can provide clear, actionable insights.
  
• Evaluate transparency policies. Choose a partner who offers regular updates and is readily available to address concerns or provide clarifications. Ensure they outline the metrics to measure success and provide regular reports to track progress. They should clearly break down their pricing structure to avoid unexpected fees.

The bottom line

Outsourcing social media community management is more than a cost-effective measure—it’s a strategic decision. This practice gives you access to specialized resources that help you enhance customer engagement and protect your brand’s reputation.

By partnering with BPO experts, you can build a consistent, solid presence on social platforms. Elevate your brand’s online presence and turn social media into a thriving channel for customer connection and loyalty. Let’s connect if you want to learn more about outsourcing social media community management!