More and more companies are turning to marketing outsourcing to reduce their overhead while accessing the skills they need. So here are my top 12 tips for outsourced marketing which can lead to better quality at lower cost:
1. Carry on Marketing: Consistent and effective marketing is essential to the success and future survival of any business, no matter how large or small. But what if you don’t have the time or expertise in-house, or you need to reduce the cost of an in-house marketing function? How do you maintain the momentum necessary? Outsourcing all your marketing is a real alternative to the traditional in-house approach, especially in the SME sector, and it’s even more relevant in the present economic climate.
2. Save money: The cost of hiring full-time marketing staff can be expensive. Marketing outsourcing costs you less than a single, experienced marketing employee without the need for a full-time salary and overheads which can include recruitment, car, pension, training, office space and severance.
3. Flexibility: You can up-weigh or down-scale your requirements at any point. Marketing on demand, as and when you need it.
4. Experience and expertise: Get a senior-level marketing professional who knows your industry. Access up-to-date marketing experts, who can develop the right marketing approach for your business by quickly understanding your vision and objectives, and develop relevant plans and campaigns. This expertise is not always present in-house as your staff may not have developed the skills you need.
5. Unbiased advice: A professional outsourced marketing partner will use whatever means work best for you and can draw upon a variety of different marketing strategies, techniques and tools. This means unbiased advice and access to the full marketing mix. You will not be steered to the predictable and sometimes narrow solutions provided by specialist agencies.
6. External perspective: From time to time, you can get too close to your business and not see what you have to offer from your customers’ perspective. Developing your marketing plans with an outside expert can bring new energy and ideas, opening-up new views on the market and identifying fresh opportunities. Outsourcing your marketing also helps you and your internal team to focus on the core competencies of your business and maximising revenue.
7. A deeper well of resources: Get a virtual team of specialist talent: experts in marketing strategy and planning, branding, digital, content production, social media, advertising, events and more. You can have a complete and professional marketing department, with access to people and know-how as and when you need them.
8. One-stop shop: All your needs are handled by one specialist, fully-integrated, source. Outsourcing your marketing eliminates the need for managing multiple specialist agencies and other suppliers.
9. Continuity: Marketing people change jobs or are laid-off, sometimes in the middle of a project. When they leave, they take the project knowledge with them. With outsourced marketing, your knowledge assets are protected for the future.
10. Tried and tested: As companies become more familiar and relaxed with outsourced support functions, whether for accountancy, IT or HR services, they are prepared to trust outside suppliers with business functions that, until recently, were not outsourced.
11. The next best thing: Though common in the US, outsourcing the entire marketing function in the UK has only recently taken off. Yet most companies already outsource part of their marketing, such as web development, advertising, PR and market research. The outsourcing of marketing beyond these areas is catching on, as more companies come to recognise the benefits of outsourcing most of their marketing activities or their entire marketing function.
12. Partnership: Outsourced marketing works best when it’s a partnership, unlike a one-off contracting arrangement. The partnership approach adds real value to your business, not just saving you time and money. With the right marketing partner, the positive rewards of marketing outsourcing quickly become clear.
