I’ve seen this so many times. A client is talking the talk and we get to the point where we sign a contract. And then the work begins. Before I know it, I am in a silo. And we are having very little communication about what is happening at the organization.

What does this look like? And why is it bad? And most importantly, how can you prevent it? Let’s talk about it.

What is a silo?

A silo is when your social media consultant is cut off from the company. You’re probably giving them the basic information but it stops there. It’s not unusual for them to be blindsided regularly by information given to them by fans. They are likely the last ones to know what’s happening at the organization, even behind fans.

This usually results from a lack of trust. Maybe the social media is new. Maybe you just think anyone who is not a direct employee should not be privy to the inner workings of the organization. Or maybe it’s a problem with the consultant. Whatever it is, it is usually symptomatic of a bigger issue that will hinder your social media marketing efforts.

Why is a silo bad?

Beyond what the lack of trust may symbolize, there can be a lot of issues that pop up when you silo your social media consultant.

The first is a lack of preparation. When potential crises pop up, then they are flying by the seat of their pants. A response needs to happen in mere seconds. That means less consideration and more chances for mistakes. That’s not the greatest idea when you are mid-crisis.

The second is not fully using the expertise of your social media consultant. I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve been given posts or campaigns and told to post them as-is. In most cases, they did not work for that particular audience or just simply wouldn’t work for social media period. I’ve even had situations where the content was impossible (too long of a story here, but one client kept doing this). And by the time it crossed my desk, it was too late for significant changes. That means my expertise is discounted, and I have to make something work on social media when it wasn’t designed with the networks or audiences in mind. Let’s just say that it’s never fun when that happens.

How to prevent silo-ing

Yes, I made silo into a verb. It felt right. So now that we’ve accepted that’s happening, here are some tips for preventing the silo from happening.

• Invite your social media consultant to any meetings about upcoming campaigns or event marketing. This will come with a cost. But I would argue having functional campaigns is worth the extra few bucks it will take to have your social media consultant in the meeting where campaigns are created. And it will likely save you money in the long-term, so it’s honestly a wash.
• Be proactive about communication. Tell your social media consultant about upcoming events and news as soon as you know about them. Tell them about anything that might go negative. Basically, prepare for anything that might show up on social media, whether it’s from the organization, your audience or others. This will give them timelines and the ability to get a plan together in case things go south.
• Integrate your social media consultant into the team. Treating your social media consultant as if they are a vendor is a recipe for silo-ing them. Introduce them to the people who may have things to contribute to social media. Get them connected to any working documents or communication systems they need to be on. Tear down any walls, so they can get information as quickly as possible. But at the same time, make sure those in your organization know that they still need to go through the client contact. This is to ensure the social media consultant is getting the best information. But help create relationships so everyone in your organization can trust the consultant’s expertise.
• Trust your social media consultant. It all comes down to this. I could list a million little things you can do, but the overarching theme is that you need to trust your consultant. Figure out what trust looks like for you and communicate it. Your consultant may come back with what they need to trust you. That’s normal. Trust is a two-way street and anything you can do to speed the process along is great. Speaking openly will speed it along beautifully.

It’s a process to keep your social media consultant from being in a consultant. But if you put the work in, your social media will improve and it will be absolutely worth it. So dive into that relationship and see what you can make happen.

How have you prevented your social media consultant from being in a silo?