Outsourcing social media optimization

[inhouseseo]

Is it a good idea to outsource social media optimization or is it something that has to be done in-house?

I understand the question is kind of vague, but what I had in mind was to have an offshore contractor post daily about individual products and try to increase our following on twitter/facebook (i.e "social footprint").

[SEO-Doctor]

Most people don't understand social media, even people employed as social media managers!!  If you are serious about social you would do well to outsource to someone who knows their s*#£$.

[DanielFreedman]

i agree. Outsourcing to anyone who doesn't have a deep and strategic command of the brand is a mistake....unless you're just chasing phony metrics.

[attorney]

I live in social media and I dare say I still don't understand Twitter except in very limited circumstances. My thought is that you have no business outsourcing any of this until you get an actual grasp on what it is these consultants are actually doing. Until you do, you'll hear all sorts of tales spun, reports generated showing upward trends, etc. Invest some time in speaking to different people, do a little bit of research to get an understanding of what these guys do generally and then make an educated decision.