The short answer
Do it yourself if you enjoy it and can keep it going in your busiest weeks. Hire a freelancer if you want one person to take it on and you’re happy to manage them. Use an agency if you have a bigger budget and want a team. If you’re a small outdoor brand that wants it done properly without a long contract, a specialist who works month to month sits in the middle, and that’s where we are.
The options side by side
Swipe the table sideways to see all four.
| Question | Doing it yourself | A freelancer | An agency | Graft Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | You, or someone on your team | One person, often covering lots of industries | A team: an account manager, creatives, sometimes ad specialists | One person, Connor Neill, who plans, edits and posts, and can film on site |
| Your time | The most: planning, filming, editing, posting and replying | Less, but you’ll brief them and approve their work | The least day to day, plus meetings and approvals | Footage from a shot list (or none, if we film), plus approving posts |
| What you pay | Your time, and maybe some apps | Usually an hourly, daily or per-post rate | Usually a monthly retainer, sometimes with a set-up fee | Nothing for a two-week trial, then a monthly fee |
| Commitment | None | Depends on the freelancer | Often a minimum term | Rolling monthly, cancel any time |
| Outdoor know-how | Yours, which is the best there is | Depends who you find | Depends on the agency | Outdoor brands are all we work with |
| Best for | Brands with the time and a knack for it | Brands that want help and are happy to manage someone | Brands with bigger budgets, or that want ads, design and PR in one place | Small outdoor brands that want it done without a long contract |
Doing it yourself
Nobody knows your product or your customers better than you, and some of the best small-brand accounts are run by the founder. If you enjoy it and can protect a regular slot for it in your week, doing it yourself can work well.
The trap is consistency. Social media is usually the first thing to slip when you’re busy, and busy is exactly when you have the most to show. If your feed goes quiet every time orders pick up, that’s a sign it needs a different home.
If you’re doing it yourself:
- Plan a month at a time, so you’re not deciding what to post on the day.
- Batch your filming, and keep a bank of clips for quiet weeks.
- Schedule posts. Meta Business Suite schedules to Instagram and Facebook for free.
- Pick one or two platforms and do them well, rather than five badly.
Hiring a freelancer
A good freelancer can be a great fit for a small brand: one person who gets to know you, usually on flexible terms. The quality varies enormously, though, so choose carefully.
- Check they understand your customers. Someone who mostly does cafés and salons may not know what makes a wild camper stop scrolling.
- Ask what happens when they’re away. One person means no cover for holidays or illness.
- Be clear about what’s included: planning, filming, editing, captions, posting, replying to comments, reporting.
- Agree who owns the content they make for you.
Using an agency
Agencies bring a team: more skills under one roof, cover for holidays, and often ads, design and PR alongside social. For a brand with the budget, that breadth is valuable.
- Ask who will actually do the work. The person who pitches isn’t always the person who makes your posts.
- Check the contract length and notice period before you sign.
- Ask about brands like yours. A small outdoor brand can get lost on a client list of much bigger names.
Questions to ask whoever you hire
- Who will actually plan, film, edit and post for us?
- How will you measure whether it’s working, and against what?
- Can we approve posts before they go out?
- Who owns the accounts and the content?
- How long are we committed for, and what’s the notice period?
- Have you worked with brands like ours? Can we see the work?
We’d answer the last one honestly: we’re new, so we don’t have client results to show yet. That’s why the first two weeks are free, so you can judge the work on your own accounts.
Where we fit, and where we don’t
Graft Media is the middle ground: one specialist, working only with small outdoor brands, on rolling monthly plans after a free two-week trial. You get the person you speak to on the first call, from the plan through to the report.
It’s not for everyone, and it’s better to say so:
- We’re one person, so we only take on a few brands at a time, and only run a few trials at once.
- We’re new, so there’s no wall of client logos. Judge us on the trial.
- Social media is what we do. We can run paid ads as an optional extra, but if you need a full marketing department, an agency is the better fit.
Our two plans side by side
| What’s included | You film, we edit | We come to you |
|---|---|---|
| Who films | You, from our monthly shot list | Connor, on site |
| A monthly content calendar, built around your goal | Included | Included |
| Editing and captions | Included | Included |
| Scheduling and posting on Instagram and Facebook (TikTok coming soon) | Included | Included |
| A monthly report against your baseline | Included | Included |
| Best for | Brands already filming on their phones | Brands with no time to film, or kit that needs to be seen in use |
| Price | Agreed after your free trial | Agreed after your free trial |
| Contract | Rolling monthly, cancel any time | Rolling monthly, cancel any time |
On-site filming depends on distance, and we’ll talk it through on the call. Boosting posts and paid advertising are optional extras on either plan. Every plan starts with a free two-week trial.