Companies that have in-house marketing teams often find it valuable to outsource as well. Let's examine five key benefits that outsourced marketing can provide:
An outside perspective.
Broad experience.
Flexibility.
Focused expertise.
Scalability.
An outside perspective. Your company is by definition a closed environment, and environment always influences perception. You've probably heard the phrase "you can't see the forest for the trees," and your marketing team operates among the branches of your organization. It's easy for employees to get caught up in managing the details, causing them to lose track of their objectives. An outsourced professional can more easily see the big picture and help bring focus back to the end goal.
Additionally, an outsourced marketing partner gives you access to a view of your company that is more aligned with that of your target market. That's because they fundamentally see things from the outside in, not the inside out. In other words, your marketing partner can help you determine whether your company's perception of itself is aligned with how your market sees you. They can more easily assess whether you have any brand image disconnects, and can help you determine whether you are taking full advantage of your competitive position.
Broad experience. Because independent marketing firms work with more than one company, and in some cases across a variety of industries, they benefit from exposure to a wider range of experiences. Every company's situation is unique, and by engaging in the marketing efforts of a variety of companies your outsourced professional has probably been afforded more (and more diverse) opportunities to learn and grow. Outsourcing allows you to tap into the experiences of those who came before you, shortening the learning curve and giving you access to proven strategies.
Flexibility. There may be situations that call for a temporary boost to your marketing efforts. Outsourcing allows you to address these needs efficiently on a targeted, as-needed basis. Some examples include:
Seasonality. Your business may ebb and flow on a predictable cycle. For retail stores, the holidays are a busier time. For beach resorts, it's the spring travel season. Or perhaps your company participates in a large annual trade show that requires some extra attention during the months prior to communications, public relations and event planning. In all of these cases, outsourcing can help fill the gaps.
Extraordinary circumstance. This could be a recent acquisition, a brand change, a corporate move, or any other situation that requires extra, short-term marketing support. Companies often find that outsourcing can help them address their circumstantial needs better than hiring. Unusual circumstances can present new challenges that your in-house team may require ramp-up time to address. Outsourced professionals can contribute their broader knowledge when it comes to dealing with these opportunities as they arise.
Start ups or re-brands. New companies have special needs. These can include (but are not limited to) defining brand position, creating a brand identity, and building and implementing marketing strategies. Launching a new company (or rebranding your existing one) requires specialization, and it is especially helpful to find a marketing firm that has start-up experience to guide you along the way.
All of the above examples require expanding your resources on a temporary basis. In these situations, outsourcing gives you more flexibility and is usually more cost-effective than hiring people. It also keeps your team from being spread too thin and outside of their comfort zone.
Focused expertise. Even on an ongoing basis, some of your marketing needs might be better addressed with an on-demand resource. For example, you might not need a graphic designer on your staff, but for the times you require the services of one, outsourcing offers a viable solution. Or perhaps you would like to have a writing professional from outside your company available on-demand to review your team's written copy and content, both to offer an outsider's perspective and to edit for context and error. Maybe you'd like to do annual brand image reviews with consulting help on how to plan for marketing and communications for the coming year, with a quarterly review of plan performance. Regardless of the assignment, outsourced experts can improve the execution of your ongoing marketing activities, contributing their specialized guidance to whatever you are trying to accomplish.
Scalability. Companies grow, and as they do they require more infrastructure to support that growth. The challenge is that these positively correlating variables aren't always exactly aligned, nor are they predictable. As you grow, your infrastructure can bend to accommodate that change, but eventually it threatens to break. In order to support growth, in fact in order to continuously drive it, you might find you need to expand your marketing efforts. But if you hire before you need to, you'll compromise your bottom line. Outsourced marketing professionals can help you stay on top of a surge in workload without stressing the internal resources of your company.
In closing, there are many reasons why companies choose to outsource some or all of their marketing. Keep in mind as you look for a resource that your marketing partner should be able to explain to you specifically how their contributions will help you reach your goals. It also pays to find a partner you can rely on consistently so that they get to know your company, culture, market position, competition, target market, industry, marketing team, strategies, and revenue goals. This will make them more efficient, as well as more invested in your success. And finally, look for a partner that understands their collaborative role with your existing marketing team. Their role should be to support, not replace, the resources you already have in place.
If you are interested in learning more, contact us today for a free consultation.
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