What Is Social Media Management Outsourcing? What You Can Hand Off and How to Choose Well

“We started on social media, but we can’t keep posting.” “The person in charge has other jobs and can’t keep up.” We often hear concerns like these about company social media accounts.

One option in that situation is social media management outsourcing: handing the running of a company’s or individual’s social accounts to an outside firm. This article covers what you can hand off, how it differs from running accounts in-house, and how to choose an agency and work with one.

What is social media management outsourcing?

Social media management outsourcing is a service in which a specialist firm takes on work such as planning, posting and checking results for accounts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X and other platforms.

You can hand off everything, or only part of the work, such as just filming and editing videos or just planning posts. How much to hand off depends on your staffing and what you want to achieve on social media.

What you can hand off

It varies by agency, but these are the main tasks you can hand off:

• Account direction: deciding who you speak to, what you post, and the tone
• Post planning: monthly themes and series ideas
• Scripts and structure: the flow of each video and what is said
• Filming and editing: shooting videos and photos and finishing them with subtitles and sound
• Posting and management: posting at set times and checking comments
• Review: looking at views and reactions and applying them to the next plan

Vertical videos for TikTok and YouTube Shorts in particular take a lot of work from planning to filming and editing, so many companies mainly hand off video production.

How it differs from running accounts in-house

You can also run social media in-house. Each approach has its own characteristics:

Running it in-house

Because your own staff post, they know the products and services well and can post quickly. On the other hand, it is not easy to keep finding time for planning, filming and editing, and the tone may change when the person in charge changes.

Outsourcing it

People experienced with each platform and with video production handle the work, so it is easier to keep up the quality and frequency of posts, and your staff can spend their time on reviews and decisions. On the other hand, the first meetings and day-to-day information sharing become important so the agency conveys your products and services accurately.

You don’t have to choose just one. You can also split the work, with the agency handling planning and production and your team handling small everyday posts.

How to choose an agency

When choosing an agency, it helps to check these points:

1. Platform strengths and track record

TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are viewed differently and favor different videos. Check what kinds of accounts the agency has run on the platform you want to focus on. It is also a good idea to look at those accounts yourself and see whether the feel suits your company.

2. Scope of work

Check whether they handle only planning or also filming, editing and posting. If filming is needed, also decide who will film and where.

3. Review process

Decide who checks what, and when, before each post. A clear review process prevents off-message wording and unexpected misunderstandings.

4. Understanding of ad disclosure rules

Posts commissioned by a company or featuring influencers may need to be labeled as advertising. For details on the rules, see our article on the stealth marketing regulation.

5. How results are reviewed

Check which numbers will be reviewed and how often. For which numbers to watch, our article on measuring influencer marketing may also help.

How the process works

Outsourced social media management generally proceeds like this:

1. Consultation: share your goals for social media and current challenges
2. Direction: decide the audience, content and posting frequency
3. Planning and production: plan posts, then film and edit
4. Review and posting: check the content, then post
5. Review: look at reactions and plan what comes next

At the first consultation, things go more smoothly if you explain as specifically as possible who you want to reach and what you want people to do after seeing your posts.

Combining social media management with influencers

Reaching many people with your own account alone can take time. Combining it with influencers or talent who appear in or introduce your content creates more chances for people to discover your account.

Keep posting on your own account while influencer posts introduce you to new people. Planning the two together makes it easier to extend your results. For choosing influencers, see our article on how to choose influencers.

Talk to nicoichii about social media management

Outsourcing social media management hands planning, filming, editing, posting and review to an outside team, making it easier to keep up the quality and frequency of posts. Deciding the scope and review process at the start lets you proceed with confidence.

nicoichii has supported artists and talent mainly on TikTok and YouTube, from planning through filming, editing and posting. We also offer proposals that combine this with influencer and talent casting. Learn more on our Social Media Support page.

It’s fine if you are still at the stage of “we don’t know where to start” or “we only want to hand off video production.” If you have questions about social media management or casting, feel free to reach out via Contact.