What makes a successful Instagram account? There isn’t a straightforward answer to this, but you can be assured that your connection with your audience is paramount, and consistency is vital.

Outsourcing your Instagram account to a third party may seem like a good idea, but the initial hurdle is nobody knows your business better than you, and your team.

Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t hire a third party to do your social media:

1. Authenticity – don’t underestimate social media audiences – they know when a third party is acting on behalf of another party. There are many notable mistakes an outsourcer can make; inconsistency, irregular tone of voice and a lack of understanding of the market in question. The best way to counter this is to do it yourself.

2. Authority – is this outsource agency an authority in your industry? Are you confident that they can provide content that is relevant to your business, the audience and is factually accurate? Regular posts are good, but without any hint of an authoritative voice could do harm to your business.

3. Time – is a third party saving you time? When your audience asks a public question, can you rely on a swift and accurate response? You will likely have to answer the outsourcer to answer your customers, day-to-day and causing an unnecessary layer of communications.

4. Branding – Instagram is a visual platform and needs an image for every entry. That doesn’t mean stock images like everyone else. You’ll need to provide a steady flow of images for someone else to post. Wouldn’t it be easier to do yourself? There’s no need for complex social relations.

5. Storytelling – does this outsourcer have day-to-day access to your business? Engaging with your followers tells a story, and nobody can tell a better one than you and your team. Scheduling only 30 minutes a week, your audience experiences authenticity, consistency and above else, you.