Is It Time to Outsource Your Marketing?

We are living in an ever-increasing connected world: from Facetime and Skype to Google Hangouts and GoToMeeting, the options and ease of which to connect with others face-to-face is changing the landscape with how we communicate both personally and professionally.

Have you ever considered ‘outsourcing’ in the sense of hiring someone outside your company to complete marketing tasks at hand? Don’t limit yourself to only the talent that you can bring in-house. There may be a better way.

Unsure of What to Outsource?

Now, there may be some hesitation in outsourcing your marketing efforts because you might think it means losing control and the ability to give direction. This is simply untrue. If you ever encounter a firm who says they need complete freedom to market your products, run away as fast as you can. The reality is: this is your company. You know your mission, your vision, and your values better than anyone. So to answer the question, “What to outsource?” There are a couple of options:

1. A specific task. A specific task or service you need accomplished, such as a logo design, website design, SEO, content development, or copywriting.

2. The whole enchilada. The execution of a full marketing function, such as lead generation, strategic initiatives, or PR.

Regardless of what your marketing needs are, the relationship between you and your marketing firm is a partnership. Ensure that they want to work with you and for you. Here are 7 things to look for when hiring a digital marketing agency.

But the question on how to best market your business still remains: Do you keep it in-house or do you seek outside help?

I remember growing up and my mom insisted on cutting my hair. We would go out in the backyard and she would literally put a bowl on my head and cut away. It was not a good idea. I look back on my school pictures and think, “What was she thinking?” She had no business cutting hair. Sure it saved a few bucks, but the result was less than satisfactory (I would say scarring). I think the parallel is clear.

So let’s take a closer look at when outsourcing makes sense, courtesy of Goutham Bhadri.

Outsource When Your Efforts Are Not Producing the Desired Results

Just like my mom thought she could cut hair, if you aren’t getting good results, it might be time to do something different. And a lack of growth (or worse) is a clear sign that something isn’t working well in your business. It may be time to bring in outside expertise to elevate your business to the next level. But before you do, take a look at why you’re not growing. More or better marketing isn’t always going to help. If your business isn’t growing because of a poor product or service, you might want to wait to outsource your marketing. But if you’re just not seeing the ROI from your marketing campaigns, bring some helping hands on board.

Outsource When You Need an Expert

Have you tried to keep up with the changes in Google and what it takes to maintain a high ranking? Needless to say, access to your audience has never been easier and yet, at the same time, actually reaching them has become increasingly frustrating. Facebook is constantly updating the visibility of businesses posts. Google is a beast unto itself. Algorithms are changing almost daily. The metrics you must monitor can get confusing, too. It is increasingly imperative to have an expert on your team. This is where we at i7 Marketing can come in and partner with you to help achieve your goals. Goutham Bhadri states it well:

“Agencies are these experts. People with hyper-specific talents are these experts. For example, if you’re trying to drive highly targeted traffic to your website, hiring a firm that obsesses over the latest SEO trends and marketing campaigns will help you reach your goals faster.”

Outsource When You Don’t Have the Capacity to Accomplish Your Goals

Often times, you have talented people with marketing skills already on staff. The problem is, you don’t always have enough people or time in the day to execute everything that needs accomplished. And we all know what happens when this is the situation: The result is a prioritization of tasks and ultimately things will slip through the cracks. This is where outsourcing really comes in handy. If you have an expert in advertising working on your internal team, they probably don’t have the time to develop and manage every campaign. They can help with the big picture and will know exceptional work when they see it, but they can’t be the one who executes every single detail. So, you outsource elements such as design, copywriting, media buys, and tracking.

Don’t Outsource When You Have the Team and the Ability to Keep Things Internal

I am a terrible cook. When I try and cook dinner, we keep Pizza Hut on hold just in case. My wife, however, is an amazing cook. She can make leftovers taste amazing. When she cooks I know that we do not need a backup plan. There will be no need to order out. And when you have the right people in the right positions that can accomplish the tasks at hand, there is no need to “order out.” These people know you and your brand and they see how successful (or unsuccessful as the case may be) you are in reaching your goals. Those talents and skill-sets shouldn’t be ignored. Doing so could cost you more money than makes sense. Goutham Bhadri writes,

“If you have a person on your marketing team with a background in copywriting, let him build the content on your website. If you have someone skilled in design, let her put together the landing page for your next campaign.”

This might seem obvious, but there are many companies that continue to outsource because they don’t know what type of talent is on their team. Know your employees and their talents and find new ways to make their expertise work for you.

Conclusion
There is a singular goal: a marketing strategy that yields positive results. And one way to ensure those results is having the right people in the right places. Goutham Bhadri also states,

“It’s about putting together the best team of people to build your brand. Whether that team is from an outside agency or internal doesn’t matter as much as having the right people working for you.”

If you find your business needing marketing expertise, contact us today. We value our business relationships and look forward to starting a relationship with you today. Allow us to focus on our expertise so you can focus on yours.

We love innovation and do revolutionary marketing for our clients to keep them ahead of the rest of the world.

Eric Wagner

While Eric now focuses on internet marketing, he also has a background in web development. He loves being among the first to find out about new tech—and better yet, being a part of making that tech succeed. Eric is known to be a good listener, seeking to understand how each individual sees the world. He is a harmonizer in group settings, cultivating unity while constructing the overall goal and strategy. When he’s not busy helping i7 clients dominate the online marketplace, Eric enjoys drone videography (he’s got a UAV pilot’s license), woodworking, community service, and all things outdoors.

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