Social media management: should you work with an agency or do it yourself?

Managing your Instagram account yourself is possible, but it is not right for every business. Here are the pros and cons of both routes, and what to ask when choosing an agency.

Every business owner asks the same question at some point: should I look after the Instagram account myself, or hand it to an agency? There are situations where each is the right call. Before deciding, it helps to look at what social media management actually consists of.

What does social media management cover?

• A monthly content plan: what will be posted, and when?
• Photo and video shoots
• Designing and editing posts, stories and reels
• Copywriting
• Posting and scheduling
• Replying to comments and messages
• Ad management
• Monthly reporting

So "putting up three posts a week" is only the visible part of the job.

When it makes sense to manage it yourself

If your work is already visual and you produce content every day, managing it yourself works well. A patisserie, a hairdresser or a boutique can run a warm, effective account by filming its daily work on a phone and sharing it. The condition is this: you must be able to set aside regular time for it every week. An account that posts heavily for two weeks and then vanishes for two months leaves a worse impression than one that was never opened.

When it makes sense to work with an agency

• If you have no time to produce content
• If you want content that needs shooting, design and editing
• If you have an ad budget and want it used efficiently
• If you want to look consistent across more than one platform
• If your account has not grown for a long time and you do not know why

Questions to ask when choosing an agency

1. Who will do the shooting? An account put together by an agency that uses only stock images and templates looks like hundreds of others. Real shoots make the difference.
2. How many pieces of content a month, and in which formats? The numbers of posts, stories and reels should be written in the quote.
3. Will the content come to me for approval before it is published?
4. Is the ad budget included in the management fee? It is usually separate; make sure it is clear.
5. Who will own the account and the ad account? Both should be in your name.
6. What will I see in the report? Not the number of likes, but reach, profile visits, messages and calls.

Why is the follower count misleading?

Ten thousand bought followers will not bring you a single customer; what is more, they lower the account's real reach. Five hundred real people who follow you in your own district are worth more than ten thousand fake accounts in other countries. If an agency promises you follower numbers in a short time, ask how it will do it.

The middle way: sharing the work

With many of our clients we work like this: we handle the planned content, the shoots, the design and the ads, and the business owner shares everyday moments as stories themselves. That way the account looks professional and keeps its warmth.

When do you see results?

Social media grows slowly when it is run without ads. With regular content, a difference in reach and engagement shows within a few months. For faster results, the content work needs to be backed up with Instagram and Facebook ads.

If you would like to leave your account to us, or get support with only the shooting and advertising side, you can take a look at our social media management and reels production pages.