Let’s face it – there’s a ton of work to do implementing and managing an inbound digital marketing program. You need time. You need resources. And you need money to make it all happen.
When does it make sense to outsource parts of your inbound program?
The answer depends. According to a 2015 survey by Content Marketing Institute, companies outsource the following elements of an inbound digital program:
- 64% of marketers outsource writing
- 54% of marketers outsource design
- 30% of marketers outsource content distribution
- 22% of marketers outsource editing
- 13% of marketers outsource measurement & analytics
- 8% of marketers outsource content planning & strategy
- 5% of marketers outsource buyer persona creation
3 Top Reasons to Consider Outsourcing Your Inbound Marketing
When determining if and how an inbound digital agency is a good fit to support your inbound digital program, consider the following:
- Time. 57% percent of B2C marketers and 69% of B2B marketers reported that lack of time was their greatest challenge in digital marketing, specifically in content production.
- Cost Savings. Outsourcing your inbound digital marketing efforts will save you as much as half the cost of hiring a full-time marketer. By outsourcing, you pay the costs of a contracted rate and that’s it - whether it’s on retainer, hourly, or on a per-project basis. The hassle factor is considerably lower than going in-house: no benefits, bonuses, vacation, and hiring costs to deal with.
- Flexibility & Expertise. You can also skip the learning curve required when forming your own in-house digital marketing team. By outsourcing your services, you pay for experienced inbound digital marketing professionals who are already highly knowledgeable about inbound digital marketing and can jump in when you’re ready for them. They also bring a fresh, objective approach to your business and are unlikely to get bogged down by everyday office distractions.
Source: Redbird Communications
Outsourcing doesn’t necessarily mean losing control of your inbound digital marketing program. It’s a proven, cost-effective way to streamline your program, especially if the skills and talent you are looking for aren’t in-house, or even in the same city. With remote technology widely available, setting task-based schedules and assignments, and tracking and managing projects, can be relatively seamless.
However, if you’re an established business with the resources to hire and train a new team, then it may be worth the investment in costs and time to get exactly what you want. If you’re still unsure, trying a bit of both will introduce you to the world of external agencies, and then you can assess your overall comfort level from there.
Integrate Marketing with Other Departments
For successful companies, a great marketing strategy is one that integrates marketing into other organizational departments like sales, product development and human resources.
Treating marketing as something that operates completely outside other departments can lead to several problems: sales messaging that is out of line with the company mission and value proposition; a product that does not speak your customer’s language or address their pain points; a product development plan that does not prioritize the features that are most important to your users.
Since inbound digital marketing is interdisciplinary, marketers need to become expert relationship-builders. They need to make friends across other departments and learn how to influence people so that their colleagues enjoy working with them and are eager to make things happen in order to please them. Marketers need to be able to talk effectively to salespeople, as well as other professional disciplines within the organization.
Find out how Marketing Essentials can help your business grow and save your team time and resources. Schedule your free inbound digital marketing consultation today by connecting with us at 419-629-0080
