The way I like to work with a client is fully integrated into the team, almost like an employee but of course not quite. I am a social media consultant after all and there are lines. But I still want to know everything that’s going on or at least how to quickly get the information that I need.

So how do we get there? How do you make sure your social media consultant is able to fully do their job while being a part of your team?

Have one direct contact for your social media consultant

Do you know what it’s like to have multiple bosses with multiple agendas telling you what to do? Having multiple client contacts is exactly the same. I don’t know where to turn when an organization wants me to work with multiple people as my contact, and inevitably, someone is always unhappy.

So the first step in making a social media consultant feel like a part of the team is to give them that one direct contact for day-to-day issues. This contact needs to be empowered to make quick decisions and be well-connected within the organization. This will make everything smoother, as questions can be answered quickly and decisively. And it will also make sure there is one clear direction for social media instead of five different ones.

Know who to contact

I can’t even tell you how many times I have had a client contact go missing on me when I need answers to a question. Like completely gone and I can’t get a hold of them until hours, sometimes days later.

First off, if you’re the contact for a consultant, give a heads up that you are out for the day or even for a few hours. Then have a back up contact for anything that might come up during that time. That will make sure that every social media issue is dealt with in a timely basis and that you won’t have a social media consultant going nuts trying to get a hold of you while you are out. It builds a far better relationship in the long run.

And the consultant should also know who to go to for certain kinds of questions. So if you’re out, they can do the legwork quickly with no interruptions.

Regular team meetings

One-on-one meetings are absolutely important so you can discuss the particulars of your social media plans. But let your social media consultant in on team meetings from time to time so they can see the bigger picture. That bigger picture thinking will help them come up with better, more tailored solutions. They also may be able to come up with solutions to other problems you might be having. Social media really encompasses quite a lot of departments, not just communication. And you can get early feedback on campaigns that are currently in development. It’s a win-win on so many levels.

But I wouldn’t invite a social media consultant to every team meeting, particularly not the ones that have nothing to do with social media. Keep it to the meetings they can definitely add value to and then enjoy it as they create some magic.

Trainings

Some social media consultants might not mesh into a team simply because team members lack understanding of what they do. Be proactive and have a training for team members.

There should be a couple goals for this training. The first is to teach the basics of social media. Then there is some basic understanding among the team and the consultant isn’t inundated with ideas that simply won’t work. The other goal is to go over your particular social media plan. Then the team members know how to contribute in a way that helps the plan. Because the more helpful hands on social media, the better.

Respect your social media consultant

Overall, the best way to integrate a new social media consultant into a team is to treat them with respect.

Treat them as a specialist in the arena and lean on their expertise. When they critique what you’re giving them, understand that it’s coming from a place of knowing what social media can and cannot do, as well as knowing what your audience wants and needs. Respect that knowledge and use it to your advantage.

And obviously that respect needs to go both ways. The client-consultant relationship will never work unless there is mutual respect and understanding of each other. So be mindful of that. And appreciate what both of you can bring to this relationship as you welcome a new social media consultant.

What has worked well for you as you have integrated a new social media consultant into your team?