Social Media for Small Business, social media Outsource or not? business owners and managers to consider to take on a social media marketing apprentices in their business. social media outsourcing benefits and comparison with employing an apprentice to look after all your social media marketing. Social Media Apprentice are aspiring talent studying their Social Media and Digital Marketing Apprenticeship programme.

2.  Social media is a
of the marketing
mix
 As with all marketing, it is a choice -
 It is vital to choose the
your business
for
 If you are going to be on social media –
– a
poorly managed or neglected social media presence can
be worse than none at all
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

3.  What do you want from social media?
 Who are the customers you are trying to reach?
 What areas of your business will social media focus
on?
 What will social media marketing have done for your
business in 12/24 months time?
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

4.  How many new customers will you have generated?
 How much business will have come from social
media?
 What will your reach be?
 How much interaction will you have had with your
customers?
 How and how often will these be measured?
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

5.  Go where your customers are – they are unlikely to
follow you
 Don’t follow others (competitors) unless it is right for
you
 Find the platforms which allow you to deliver your
strategy and achieve your goals
 Only go where you’re wanted
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

6.  What will you be talking about and how
often?
 Will you be content or offers focussed?
 Will you be social or just business-like?
 This needs to be defined for each medium
you choose – as each is different
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

8. Advantages
Disadvantages
Expertise
Cost – expensive
Immediate resource
Don’t know your business
Advice and experience
Aren’t in your business
Simple to manage
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

9.  It is unlikely that an external agency can
to post successfully on your
behalf. The day to day elements of social media get
missed.
 External agencies can provide real value in:
Defining strategy
Establishing a plan
Training and mentoring
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

10. Advantages
Considerations
No extra cost
What part of their current job will
suffer*
Use existing and possibly under
used resource
Will it actually happen?
Knowledge of the business
Do you have a strong copywriter in
your team?
A known quantity
Do they understand social media
Do they understand the importance
of their communications
* Something will!
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

11.  Consider which part of your current team member’s job you
don’t want them to do
 If you’re adding this to an existing role, will time be made not
just to start with, but on a consistent basis
 Writing high quality and engaging copy on social media is
challenging – do you have that person in your team?
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

12.  Do your team know their hashtags from their @tags and
their likes from their follows? If not, more time and training
will be needed
 Social media posts are public broadcasts on behalf of your
business – do they understand the importance of getting it
right?
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

13. Advantages
Considerations
Demonstrates commitment
Cost
Brings in expertise
Will they have enough to
do?
A team member – in your
business
More involved
management from you
Depending on your business size, this can be a very effective way of
managing your social media and demonstrates the commitment needed
to this important marketing function
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

14.  A role in social media demands knowledge of your
business, it’s the perfect way to learn about the
business, its products and ethos
 Social media is unlikely to take all their time – an
apprentice can add value to other parts of your
business
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

15.  Recruiting an apprentice starts at just
£2.68 per hour with grants of up to
£1,500 available from the government
 No other persons role is diminished
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

16.  An apprenticeship places an obligation on your
business to train that staff member
 They will need time to know your business well
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

17. Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk

18. Promoting and encouraging
education and training and improving
and advancing employment
prospects for individuals and thereby
contributing to the success of small
and medium sized employers.
To learn more, visit…
Find out more about recruiting an apprentice–
www.apprenticeshiprecruitment.co.uk