Start with the skills, not the job title
Strong social media takes more than one skill set. Before deciding who should do it, list what the work requires:
- Strategy and planning
- Graphic design
- Short-form video shooting and editing
- Copywriting in your brand voice
- Community management and customer service
- Paid advertising and targeting
- Analytics and reporting
It's rare to find one person who is excellent at all seven. That single fact drives most of this decision.
When an in-house hire makes sense
Hiring internally works well when you need someone embedded in daily operations — capturing behind-the-scenes content, attending events, and answering customers in real time. It also suits companies with enough volume to keep a full-time person busy.
The trade-offs are the total cost of a salary plus benefits and tools, the time to recruit and train, and coverage gaps during vacations or turnover.
When an agency makes sense
An agency gives you a team — strategist, designer, video editor, and analyst — for less than the cost of hiring each role. You get consistent output, established processes, and experience from other accounts.
The trade-offs are less day-to-day presence in your business and the need for a clear approval process so content stays authentic to your brand.
The hybrid model
Many growing companies combine both: an internal coordinator captures photos, video, and company news, while an agency handles strategy, design, editing, publishing, ads, and reporting. This often delivers the best of both — authentic content and professional execution.
Don't forget response coverage
Whatever model you choose, decide who answers comments and messages. Sprout Social's 2025 Index found about 73% of consumers expect a response within 24 hours or sooner.
A quick decision checklist
Answer these honestly:
- Do we have enough work to keep a full-time person busy?
- Can we hire and keep someone with design, video, and ads skills?
- Who covers when that person is out?
- Do we need someone on-site to capture content?
- How will we measure whether social media is producing leads?
Considering an agency or hybrid model? Talk with us — we'll map out what to keep in-house and what to hand off.