benefits of outsourced marketing support
This article explains what an outsourced marketing department is and what are the main benefits of outsourcing marketing.
what is outsourced marketing support?
Outsourced marketing support can be defined simply as follows.
outsource
obtain (goods or a service) by contract from an outside supplier.
contract (work) out.
support
verb
bear all or part of the weight of; hold up.
give assistance to.
Outsourced marketing support is simply a way for business owners to share the effort of their marketing activity to a third party. An outsourced marketing team can also be used to help support in-house departments or replace the need for in-house staff entirely.
With so many demands on time and money for business owners, a difficult part is often differentiating what you offer, demonstrating your value and creating a positive buying impression and this is before you have actually had the chance to offer a service.
We appreciate that marketing is important to all businesses however it’s not easy to plan a strategy that will fit available budgets, be ready quickly and ultimately support your business goals. Because of this, marketing can often stay on your ‘to do’ list month after month.
deciding whether you need outsourced marketing support?
For many small to medium business owners marketing is not typically the main skill set within their business and among existing staff. Outsourced marketing support provides access to expertise, skills, and specialist marketing knowledge, which by its very nature is adaptable and flexible to fit most business models and budgets. From social media and online content to email marketing, brand awareness and search engine optimisation – an outsourced team can be active working for you almost immediately taking the headache away from you to do what you do best and enjoy running your business.
Below are a few examples of the types of marketing activities a business owner may choose to outsource:
Planning
Content
Strategy
Social Media
Email Campaigns
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Adwords & Pay Per Click
Website Design
Branding
Offline advertising
PR and outreach
Having access to a successful and dynamic marketing department is important for all businesses but this may be unobtainable without outsourcing and handing over the marketing demands to a specialised team.
benefits of outsourced marketing support
The recent national adoption of the “work from home” model has meant that many more companies are looking at outsourcing as a viable option. Businesses are now weighing up whether they should outsource their marketing activities, but what are the benefits of outsourced marketing?
1. flexibility
Marketing support is flexible to suit your needs and budget and allows you to grow and adapt. Outsourced marketing is often a short-term commitment enabling you to try the service and see what works best for you and your business.
2. scalability
Outsourcing some or all of your marketing efforts means that you can act quickly should you need to – for example when acting fast means you can potentially gain market share and need to create a campaign to a target market audience of prospects. Working with an external marketing team provides the ability to scale marketing efforts almost immediately and respond to opportunities as soon as they occur.
Many marketing providers will offer bespoke solutions and no ‘off the shelf’ products. This means that they can work with small businesses to multi-million-pound companies to build a strategy that suits each business.
3. team of specialists
To produce great marketing, you ideally want a great marketing team, however this comes at a cost. Outsourcing marketing activity to a team of specialists gives you that great team who are marketing experts bringing valuable knowledge and experience to your business and the creative and technical skills required to deliver results.
4. expert planning & advice
Running a business is often time consuming and it can be difficult to know what activities you should be doing, when you should be doing them and (probably) most importantly - how. When a business chooses to outsource marketing, that worry is removed. The marketing team will work alongside you to find out what you need and want and get to grips with understanding what motivates people to buy from you, they will then work with you to create your marketing strategy, direction on how to deliver this plan effectively and provide expert advice every step of the way, guiding you to reach your business goals.
5. proactive marketing support
With the many demands on a business owner’s time, marketing is regularly ‘parked’ when it gets busy. By outsourcing your marketing activity you will tap into proactive advice and marketing support, available at your fingertips. A dynamic marketing agency will be creative and look out for opportunities to grow your business.
6. focusing on the core business
By working with a marketing team you can have the confidence and peace of mind that they are looking after your marketing efforts which means you have more time to focus on the core elements of your business and do what you like doing best and what you’re good at.
7. a fresh perspective
One benefit of outsourcing simply gives access to a different pair of eyes, and by working ‘on’ the business instead of ‘in’ the business can offer a fresh perspective.
We are all guilty of getting stuck in the same patterns in areas of our business because of comfort, necessity or not knowing any other way, so we stick to the same strategies without looking at other options. A marketing professional will look at all aspects of your business, coming up with fresh ideas and marketing activities that drive your business forward.
Outsourcing is an excellent service, and a marketing agency will have a fresh perspective on your business and can offer new ideas you may not have thought of before and will help breathe life into your marketing efforts.
8. move from tasks to strategy
Outsourcing gives you a chance to shift from tasks achieving low results to strategy and understanding ‘why’ you do certain activities. You could work with a outsourced agency and ask for help to create an important marketing strategy, or perhaps if you have an in-house team an option would be to outsource some of your regular tasks so your team can focus on building other elements that will be more effective.
9. expanded marketing channel expertise
There are many channels available for businesses to market their services with more being added to the list (see marketing in a digital age). Outsourcing to a marketing company can help you grow and develop your presence in a new or existing channel bringing you more opportunities for reaching your target audience.
10. increased efficiency
For businesses with in-house marketing teams, sometimes managing too-heavy workloads can lead to employees seeking new job opportunities, however outsourcing can solve this issue and help keep your existing marketing team members happy by decreasing their workloads which enables them to focus on the parts of their jobs they find most engaging.
11. achieving results and return on investment
Business owners often reach a point where they find it difficult to juggle all the pressures of running a business with a to-do list that grows day by day. These demands can hamper business growth which can be frustrating.
Results are what really matter to marketers and generating an ROI is very important. This dynamic and determined approach can offer an experienced pair of hands focused and ready to take some of the burden away giving you peace of mind this part of you business is looked after and in safe hands.
12. cost-effective – reduced overhead expenses
Outsourced marketing can be a lot more cost-effective than employing a staff member – especially if you do not need full-time resource. The overhead expenses that arise from employing someone such as employee benefits, holiday and training compared to outsourcing can be vast. Should you wish to hire a full time employee at some point in the future, you can use your outsourced support to assess what your needs are giving you time to decide whether you need more outsourced support or whether it is time to employ someone.
When you work with an experienced outsourced marketer, they usually work on a regular fixed contract cost or a fixed project cost. Through them you will have access to all the agency processes, marketing tools, advice, support and administration necessary for your business.
more about outsourced marketing
Outsourced marketing support can help businesses of all sizes, taking the pressures away from you. that marketing company are here to support your business in every way we can. This means utilising our skill set and working together to drive and achieve results for your business. For more information please get in contact with our team.