Are you in or are you out?

Many companies see the need for social media strategy but due to budget concerns or lack of information, they don't make the jump to bringing someone on board. For some, they contract out the strategy to an agency or individual.

In my opinion, this is the complete opposite of what an organization that's concerned with their quality of outreach, PR and customer service should do. By trusting this new and delicate type of engagement to a relative outsider, they are short-changing not only the end user, but themselves as well.

TRUST
The value of having an actual employee manage the day-to-day social media interactions is the trust that results from this level of involvement. Whether it's a physician, patient, employee or neighbor, closing that gap and having that face-to-face connection (when you can) is essential to getting it right. You'd be amazed at how much someone is more prone to open up if you have built that short yet tangible connection. The end result is the story gets told from a very personal outlook - as it should. You do right by the interviewee and by your employer - win/win.

CREDIBILITY
Additionally, getting out to film the stories yourself lends credibility to the task and the position. Not only do people start to trust you, but they trust in the medium, in the process. The word gets spread, and "social media" starts getting a better rap, and in turn is more valued. I'm all about education, and have recently helped other departments and entities under our corporate umbrella understand the value of and get set up to begin social media strategy. This interconnectedness within the organization can only be nurtured by someone on the inside.

INVESTMENT
Finally, the value of investment is realized by having an insider. I like my job, and want to keep doing what I do, so I am heavily invested in doing all I can from an engagement standpoint. Yes, there is overhead when you hire someone, but the cohesiveness and personal investment (from the employee) far outweighs what little you might save by contracting out the position with an agency or individual. Agencies and freelancers are probably juggling multiple clients, and you can be sure that you're not in that #1 position for very long.

So, the question is - are you in, or are you out?