Social Media and the Agency: Coach, QB or Cheerleader?

By Scott Hepburn | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (1)

Marketing/PR pros: Do you spend your time talking ABOUT Social Media?  Ever speak THROUGH it on a client’s behalf? Do your clients use SM?

I posed the question on Twitter this morning, and got some great feedback. Tom O’Brien responded with insightful questions about the agency’s role in conversations: Is outsourced “conversation marketing” viable? Is it sustainable?

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge football fan, so I thought I’d tackle the “What Role for the Agency in SM?” question in sports terms. What do you think. Share your SM –> Sports Role idea in the comments:

QB CoachingAgency as QB

In this model, the agency takes its cues from the coach coach/play-caller (the client), but has significant decision-making responsibilities.  The quarterback can call an audible at the line of scrimmage after he reads the defense. Similarly, the agency as QB must read the field and adjust the play call accordingly. After the snap, the QB progresses through his reads, finds the open receiver, and decides where to throw the ball. The agency, too, makes split-second decisions: Should we respond to a Tweet? What should we do about negative blog comments?

Examples:

 

Agency as Coach

Here, the agency isn’t the playmaker, but the play caller. The emphasis is on strategy rather than execution. The agency may advise the client on which social networks to join, just as a coach relays a play to the quarterback. Success depends on how well the client executes the play.

Examples:

Agency as Cheerleader

In the “Agency as Cheerleader” model, the agency is a social media player, but comes dressed as itself, rather than as a stand-in for the client. The client may or may not be a social media player. The agency’s primary role is to use social media to promote its clients — all of them.

Examples:

Other Roles?
I’m sure there are other roles an agency can play. Referee? Team owner? Waterboy?
What do you think? Weigh in with some comments.

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Tags:
Topics: Social Media
  • Scott,

    This is an interesting post. I'm president of a social media agency (Ignite Social Media) and thought as I started to read this that I would have to pick which one we are.

    But we've been all three, sometimes for one client. Social media is a toolbox that can be used so many ways. Many companies need basic counseling to bring folks up to speed, but they also need specific tactics to engage with their customers.

    Good post, Scott. This is well articulated.

    ~Jim
  • Thanks for stopping by, Jim. Ignite has been doing great work here in the Carolinas.

    You're absolutely right about playing all three roles. Most of us fit predominantly into one category or another, but must also be versatile enough to change characters as needed.
  • These are important questions to be asking, Scott, and I like how you have categorized them. I'm a big supporter of the Agency as Coach model - the client needs the leadership (especially when they're just starting out), but it's important that the client does the executing. They need to be the ones building relationships with their customers, and that is something that just can't be outsourced.
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