Making the decision to take your business and brand into the social media world generates numerous reactions. Fear, frustration, excitement, anticipation and information overload are the ones we see most often.

But first, a warning: be careful out there. There are quite a few so-called “experts” who were dabbling across websites and companies for months or even years, then saw this wonderful opportunity to self-anoint themselves social media “consultants” simply because they’ve used Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. Tread carefully.

Before you hire a social media management firm or consultant, ask some key questions to assess whether this professional partnership delivers the services you need based on the resources you’re lacking and that it feels like the right fit for you.

Be sure to ask: 

• What is the full extent of your social media marketing services? Do you offer content development support to build the blogs and microblogs? If not, editing support? SEO? Other web marketing services?
• If you have dedicated writers who build the social media content for clients, what is your process for building it? How frequently do you strategize with clients? Are topics client-driven or based on your writers’ suggestions?
• Who decides on which social media sites my content will be uploaded and by what criteria is this determined?
• What do you put in place to monitor what others are saying about your client’s social media content?
• If my content results in comments or replies from others, who will be responding to that feedback?
• How frequently will my social media profiles be updated? And can I add my own updates if I should want to share some news or a timely question?
• How do you measure the success of the social media content?

As with any inquiries you make as a business owner, even if you are not equipped with as much knowledge on the subject of social media as you might like, use your instincts to determine if company’s goals and culture sound like they’re aligned with the social media consultant you’re “interviewing.” A firm may seem like it’s competent or even well-respected in their field, but if it simply doesn’t feel like a good pairing with your own business’s culture and objectives, it’s okay to move on and look elsewhere.

Remember: your social media content is just another extension of your brand. Be careful within whose hands you place your brand.