It’s sooo tempting: Throw a bunch of money at your social media agency or consultant, and have instant traffic showing up at your door.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

Social isn’t what it was even 3 years ago.

You can’t post links to blogs, dream up a bunch of pithy quote graphics or plow money into ads and expect success.

So it’s time to stop throwing time and money at social (and hoping social throws some money back).

And actually work WITH your consultant or agency to craft something amazing.

Too many entrepreneurs fall into The Helpless Trap when their social media dollars don’t translate into results.

Instead of cursing and blaming your agency, here are five things you can do to have success instead of frustration:

1. Know the basics

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I’m not asking you to become an expert.

But it’s important to know enough to have an intelligent conversation with your agency or consultant.

So if things aren’t ramping up like you want them to, you’re not out of your league talking to them.

And able to discern a real cause from an excuse that just doesn’t fly.

The more knowledgable you are, the more you can work together to get the results you want.

2. Be willing to make changes on your end

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Agencies hands are often tied when pages their traffic leads to are not designed to convert.

The best ad or post accomplishes nothing if the landing page is a dead end.

So be willing to work with the folks you’re paying.

Let them know you want their guidance if they feel something on your end is the sticking point.

This may mean reworking your landing page or lead magnet if the numbers are flat.

It’s worth it.

3. If its not working, find out why

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Social media isn’t rocket science.

Unfortunately, too many entrepreneurs treat it as if it is.

So they’re too intimidated to ask why (or even know what to ask) if things go south.

If you find yourself there:

STEP ONE:
Take your consultant or agency off their pedestal. (You can do it!)

STEP TWO:
Be professional and respectful but persistent in finding out why results aren’t up to expectations.

STEP THREE:
If their reasons sound like excuses, keep probing until you’re on the same page.

This isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being responsible.

Too many social campaigns crash and burn because the client didn’t know what questions to ask when things went south.

Be proactive.
Monitor progress.

And schedule update meetings so you can have a real-time exchange to find a solution.

4. Prioritize clear, quantified objectives and benchmarks.

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Setting expectations and objectives in advance makes it easy to know whether things are on track or not.

So you’re not thousands in the hole before you realize you need to pause or pull the plug to cut your losses.

I see this happen all the time and it’s painful and expensive.

Don’t wait an entire month to find out you’re paying $75 a lead.

Schedule frequent short-term progress reports so you can make adjustments before things get expensive.

5. Optimize ONE avenue at a time if you’re new to the game.

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Yes, it can be tempting to go all-in on the “firehose-to-every-platform” strategy. And lots of social media consultants will happily take your money to do this for you.

But different platforms have different personalities.

What works on one may tank on another.

If you have a larger following with an established presence on multiple platforms the ‘post everywhere’ strategy can work.

But if you’re early in the game, get substantial momentum and audience on one platform before moving on to the next.

Having to replace the thousands of dollars you wasted on a faulty social media strategy.

Social media and content marketing can be a game-changer.

Being smart with it instead of blindly trusting your consultant or agency can ensure it drives ongoing success.

Instead of driving you crazy.