Outsourcing the message

Keeping Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages updated with fresh content is now a complex and time-consuming enough job that people are prepared to outsource it. And despite the author's discomfort with being 'ventriloquised,' it sounds like these particular hash-tag happy ghostwriters did an admirable job, taking the time to get to know their client and her goals and crafting their -- her? -- messages to match.

So are social media managers really necessary? As we advise some companies on social media strategies ourselves, we may be biased. But we'd say -- if your Facebook/Twitter output goes mainly to friends and/or consists principally of food or cat pictures, probably not.

If you've got a reputation to maintain or are keen to build a following, a little professional input might not hurt. But just like @CocozzaPaula, be wary of any attempts to 'refresh' or replace your voice. A good social media manager isn't there to tell you what to say, but to help refine the ideas and expertise you've already developed for a brave new medium.