When looking to start a social media marketing campaign, it’s very important for companies to realize that “affordable” social media consulting services will not only cost less, but produce less. Let me explain…

Recently our company was contacted by a restaurant chain that has yet to engage customers via social channels. They want to explore social media, though don’t want to dive in at full force. Their idea was to hire a local social media company (in Los Angeles) to provide affordable consulting services so they can test the waters without generating large expenditures. A very common approach that, unfortunately, leads to major failures.
As I explained to the restaurant chain, there are no second chances with social media and reputations can be demolished in a matter of minutes. Social media is the future and stepping into the future with an amateur guide is like driving a car in pouring rain with no windshield wipers. You have a rough idea where you’re headed, but everything’s cloudy.
In essence, social media marketing is all about trial and error to figure out what works and doesn’t work. Once a solid understanding is obtained, and only at that point, should advice be given to other companies. Since social media is the talk of the town and has been since 2009, more and more individuals/companies are providing consulting services with little to no actual, real-world knowledge. This scares me and it should scare you too.
Most importantly, ask yourself this: If a social media consultant is very experienced and produces results, why would they sell themselves short by claiming to offer “cheap social media consulting” or “affordable social media consulting”? Don’t let these approaches fool you as you’re not buying flip flops on the beach, you’re gambling with your company’s livelihood.
And that, my friends, is the difference between hiring an affordable social media consultant and an experienced social media consultant. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
For more information on social media consulting rates and what you should expect to pay, check out one of my previous articles titled: Social Media Consulting Rates – You Get What You Pay For.
Aaron Schoenberger
The Brainchild Group