Hopefully the title grabbed some attention. I’ve been meaning to write a post about this for a while. But after seeing some examples this week, both good and bad, I thought it was time. So let’s get started.

There is nothing wrong with outsourcing the management of your social media channels. I’m speaking directly to agribusinesses and farm groups. I’ve seen some serious growth in this practice lately. This can be a good thing. However . . .

There is a right and a wrong way to go about it. In my opinion the number one “right” way is with the T word = Transparency! Be open and honest about what you’re doing and who is doing it. Or, please don’t do it at all. I’m talking about you companies that outsource your Twitter account and Facebook page to an agency. Why won’t you let your customers or members know this? Afraid to? Why do I care? Because social media is about personal engagement and trust. If you want me to believe that you care enough to join the online conversation then please don’t pretend that what you’re “saying” is you when it’s not you. I would much rather know who I’m listening to. Take Monsanto as an example. They make good use of their Twitter bio to let you know who is tweeting. They are doing it internally but the bio could just as easily have said that the person tweeting worked for an agency. Are you aware of any ag companies who are transparent about this, especially when they outsource it? What is your opinion?

So is the reason companies aren’t open about who is doing their social media because they think it will negatively impact their credibility? If so, what do they think their credibility is like when customers find out it’s not them? And they will find out!

I believe social media is very different than traditional forms of marketing like advertising. When you see an advertisement you aren’t wondering who produced it and you’re not trying to interact with it. However, how many ads do you know where the producer/agency has been news themselves for their creativity? It’s not unheard of. Don’t consumers assume the company outsourced the creation of their advertising?

Enough for now. Coming up soon, I’ll try to move on to right and wrong ways to use your social media channels and how to pick a “social media expert.”