Some days I have to shake my head and ask myself “What do I do, really?” One of the first things I ask of my clients is that they state, in very clear terms, exactly what they do. Initially when I decided to go into business for myself, I thought my main focus would be on writing marketing plans.

Like most consultants however, I am finding myself learning (and adapting) as I go. What can I be doing to better serve my clients? Now, although my specialization is still in preparing practical, affordable and effective marketing plans, I also teach small business owners about marketing themselves and I help them implement any of the marketing components they need.

Lately, one of the biggest requests coming my way is “Can you manage my social media marketing for me?” Although I am very familiar with the area and have suggested that my clients be participating through most of my marketing plans, the amount of people wanting to outsource this surprised me.

After much thought I have decided that yes, this is something I will take on. So many small businesses are looking to jump on the social media marketing train and are just too busy to get the job done themselves. Social media marketing takes a strong strategy, lots of monitoring and most importantly, time.

Before passing over your Blog, Twitter, Facebook or any other social networking tools, there are some things you should keep in mind. In most cases, these tools are best used for allowing others to get to know you better and to build relationships. If you are not the one managing these sites yourself, your followers, fans and online friends may not be getting to know the “real” you. If you are simply trying to drive people to your website or blog, or looking to provide links and info, hiring someone to do this for you may be a smart solution. It’s important to remember though that most of the relationship building through these sites happens by replying to those who write to you or by asking questions and beginning conversation with others.

If you are considering hiring someone to take on this task for you or are thinking of passing the reins to someone in your office, be prepared to allow someone else to represent your business. Spelling mistakes and errors in grammar are all things that reflect back on your business. Will they be posting personal views that are not shared by the company? How will they deal with questions, concerns or complaints? These are all things that need to be very clear from the get go.

The great thing about hiring someone is…you won’t have to do it. Once you clarify all the details and find someone you trust you won’t have to worry about missing out on the biggest marketing tool out there. Social media marketing is FREE and when done properly, measurable.