The road to digital maturity: 4 steps to bringing social media in-house

In my previous article I spoke about the three key milestones companies need to work towards achieving in order to be successful in a digital world. This article will look deeper into how to achieve the first milestone: taking social media in-house

It really is a journey
Depending on what type of business you are, what industry you operate in and a number of other factors, every client will start their digital journey at a different point.

The very beginning of the journey will begin when you realize that you need to have a website. Although this might seem like a no brainer to many, there are countless businesses out there who still see the internet as a threat and have yet to engage, to any degree, in the digital space.

Starting from scratch
No matter where you’re starting from the most important thing is to have the vision to move your business and strategy forward, through digital.

Once you’ve realized the need for online presence, mid to large companies will understand the need for some sort of digital agency, social media expert or consultant to help them navigate their way.

At this point a lot of clients are scared of taking on too much themselves for the simple reason that they just don’t get it. And they don’t want to either. They’re very happy to hand it over to someone else who they know are experts in this space and let them run with it. As long as it’s on brand and on strat.

Getting to know the ropes
Once the client has got to grips with what their digital strategy entails, how it works and where it fits into their business through working with an external party, they generally tend to become a bit more hands on. Often at this point they then start realizing the real need for social media management specifically, to be handled in-house.

Graduation
On the day you receive a mail from your client stating that social media management will no longer be outsourced and will be managed in-house, you can crack open the champers and pat yourself on the back. You have just helped you client achieve their first milestone in digital maturity.