Marketing is crucial to any business. Whether you’re an established company that aims to stay ahead of the competition or a startup that is just about to introduce your products or services to the world, you need a good dose of marketing efforts to be successful.
But if marketing isn’t your thing, you could be facing a lot of difficulties. If you’re like most businesses, you are probably considering whether or not you should outsource your marketing to an agency. In this post, we will guide you in deciding.
The best approach would be to weigh the pros and cons. Outsourcing is not a new concept. In fact, more and more businesses are passing the marketing burden to third-party companies. But just like other things, it has some consequences too.
Why You Should Outsource Your Marketing
Inbound marketing requires expertise.
One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing marketing to a qualified agency is that they have a bank of expertise in that area. It’s what they do best, after all. They have dedicated teams that take time to upgrade their knowledge, skills and techniques to ensure that your current marketing efforts are paying off. Marketing agencies can implement a combination of campaigns that drive plausible results. They have technical knowledge to develop your website, maximize your inbound lead generation, and increase your brand awareness.
Marketing takes time and costs less.
And a lot of effort. It isn’t something you develop in just one day and implement the next day. Lots of brainstorming is put on every marketing campaign to ensure that it reflects your brand, give you the results you want, and turn leads into profit. One reason why many businesses choose to outsource their marketing to a qualified agency is because they want to be able to focus on developing their products or services. Just like most companies, your priority must be to look after your customers. Thus, you have little time to dedicated on various marketing activities. Outsourcing your marketing activity can free many hours of your time and that of your staff, allowing you to focus on your business. Furthermore, outsourcing your marketing activity costs less as you won’t need to hire an internal marketing staff, nor purchase tools or software as these are all covered by the agency. In addition, the cost of hiring third-party marketers is pretty small that you need not break your bank or apply for a big business loan. Even short-term personal loans online can be used to pay for their services.
There’s little room for failure.
A professional marketing firm will develop an expected ROI for your marketing initiatives. Unlike if you do it on your own, you never know if you’re doing the right thing or if it’s going to pay off. Choosing the right agency is the key. They should provide you the exact details of where your marketing funds are allocated and a breakdown of how your brand is performing online throughout the marketing campaigns.
You benefit from new perspectives.
It’s easy to get caught in doing the same marketing initiatives that previously worked and you may be reluctant to get away from the ‘tried and tested’ techniques. Outsiders are almost likely to provide fresh ideas to your business. They tend to be more objective than insiders, and will give you constructive criticism.
Why You Shouldn’t Outsource Your Marketing
You lose complete control.
Probably the scariest part of outsourcing tasks to third-party companies is that you no longer have full control of the situation. Of course, you have the final say but the day to day operations are all up to their discretion. But then, as long as the marketing agency is clear about their deliverables and timetable, it’s easy to leave things up to them.
There’s a risk of hiring the wrong company.
There are lots of marketing companies today and it’s difficult to find the best one. Not everyone can keep up with your expectations. Thus, it is important that you take time choosing the right company. Check their background, marketing experience, skills, and what previous clients had to say. That’s the best way to find out whether you are dealing with a reputable agency.
Outsiders may lack personal passion for your business.
Many outsiders would not know about the ins and outs of your business. Hence, they may view your assignment simply as a task that should be completed in a specific period of time. This can be risky because they may not put a lot of effort to help you achieve your marketing goals. Thus, when looking for a marketing agency, you have to put emphasis on the company that takes time to get to know your business, understand where you’re coming from, and really care about your goals.
Outsourcing your marketing activity is a major decision that you should think about carefully. While many businesses succeeded by outsourcing their marketing, some do equally well just with their internal teams. Every business has different circumstances. It is important to weigh the pros and cons before you decide. Hope this article has given you some great pointers on why you should or why you shouldn’t outsource your marketing activities to an agency.