Is your niece popular on social media because she “gives good social media” … or for another reason? I’m not saying your niece is a slut, but she may not be a social media expert, either. If your goal is give your niece money, then by all means hire her. If your goal is to drive traffic to your site, then you may want to hire a social media professional.

I bring this up because this is a phrase I hear all the time. My aunt likes to joke and say, “My niece does my social media — but she is a professional, so it’s OK.” Of course, the “she is a professional” part is the key part of that sentence. Your niece may be great at social media. But what you have to ask yourself when hiring anyone is “Do they really know what they are doing?”

Because people post on Facebook and Instagram all the time for personal reasons doesn’t mean they’re social media experts. There is a big difference between personal and business use of social media.

The niece offers:
Really great with emoji.
Good sense of humor.
Popular with all of her friends.
Has a personal account with some followers.
Loves quizzes.
Posts most of her meals.
Instagrams, snaps, and tweets everything she does.
Knows what Periscope is.
Born after desktop computing became obsolete.

The professional offers:
Real statistical analysis.
Monthly reports.
Brand-specific networks of followers.
Comprehensive understanding of your niche.
Integrative social marketing strategy.
Use of social SEO.
The ability to answer questions.
Access to potential leveraging social accounts.
Knows what Periscope is.
Really great with emoji.
Social media strategy.

So, if you think you will do well because your niece is popular with all of her friends and has an awesome ability to use emoji, then go with your niece. But if you are looking for real return on investment, hire a professional.

I have seen many people lose money because they hired the wrong person. I have seen people invest thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, in a bad hire. This is not just with social media, but in all areas of business. You would not hire someone to do your accounting simply because they can usually balance their checkbook. So, don’t hire someone to do your social media, public relations, web design, SEO, content writing and marketing, event planning, etc., who doesn’t know what they are doing.

When looking for a person to hire, don’t underestimate the job. If there is a profession attached to it, there is generally a good reason. Hiring smart could mean your niece or your friend or that twitchy guy down the street, but whomever you hire, make sure you hire smart so your business will benefit.