How to Determine Whether to Outsource Your Marketing

Every business needs to think about marketing. Although marketing is notoriously difficult to manage and find great success, that doesn’t mean you can neglect it. 

It would be easy if everyone knew who you were, what you were doing, and why you have a great product or service. Unfortunately, that’s impossible. 

To address the need to draw attention to your firm through marketing, most companies are faced with a choice: 

• Hire an outside firm
• Develop and execute a plan in-house

There are pros and cons to both, but making that choice is a tough process. 

This article explains how to evaluate your marketing needs and whether to keep your team in-house, hire an outside agency, or a combination of both. 

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The piece will not only discuss the benefits of having both but how they each have specific benefits depending on the project. 

5 Reasons to Consider Outsourced Marketing

The value of outsourced marketing lies with the objective and experienced expertise a third-party provider can bring to your company. 

1. You Need Specialized Experts

Your in-house team may be great at one marketing effort, but have no experience in another. If you are doing a specialized project, you should look into hiring a group of experts who have previously succeeded in a similar project. 

By hiring a marketing expert based on their unique skills, you can make sure to cover all marketing angles. 

For example, if you are entrenched in traditional marketing but want to move to digital, hiring an expert to handle the transition would make a lot of sense. With specialized fields such as PPC, social media marketing, and geolocation-based advertising on the rise, having an expert is required for success. 

2. Your Team is Understaffed

If you find yourself or your team running out of time to launch new campaigns and initiatives, it may be time to add more capacity. 

When you are understaffed, your team could be focusing more on tasks than your overall strategy. Many in-house marketing departments were understaffed even before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. If you don’t have room for broad strategies, it’s probably time to invest in additional marketing support.

3. Your Team is Overworked

If you are a growing company, your marketing needs are likely increasing with more leads. If your team doesn’t grow corresponding to your team, though, you experience bottlenecks. 

Once you realize your team cannot manage all the tasks you have given them, it is important to hire an experienced team that can help you accomplish your marketing goals.

4. You’re Looking for an Outside Opinion

Marketing can get stale fast. If your team needs an injection of creativity and new ideas, an outsourced team can bring that in spades. 

Remember, agencies not only have their own staff of talented creatives, but they have access to their own networks of talent to help your company grow. Finding an outside opinion can lead to improvements across the board. 

5. Outside Agencies Are On the Leading Edge

Due to the competitiveness and complexity of marketing, agencies are constantly researching and inventing ways to get ahead. 

Unlike an in-house marketing team, which can fall behind in technology, styles, and messaging, agencies are always on the lookout for the newest trends and best practices. 

In fact, only 34% of small businesses outsource their marketing. This gives your company a competitive edge by staying fresh and consistently adapting to market and customer trends. 

5 Reasons to Keep Marketing In-House

In the house, teams have intimate knowledge of your business’s operations and much more accountable than an outsourced team. 

1. The In-House Team is Immersed In Your Brand

An in-house team has the advantage of knowing your business. They understand the goal and the vision that you want to achieve. Hiring an outside team can sometimes confuse the mission especially when communication isn’t clear. An in-house team often knows what’s best. 

If your in-house team is already delivering plenty of leads and performing well, changing what works isn’t always recommended. 

2. You Can Set the Goals

Working with an agency often leads to differing opinions. An in-house team is more in touch with the goals you wish to achieve through your marketing efforts. 

That team can also come to a quick consensus on new initiatives and strategies, whereas an outsourced agency may not. 

While sometimes it’s good to have outside input, too many opinions can simply disrupt your workflow and can be costly in the long run. 

3.. The Staff is Always Ready When You Need Them

Strong lines of communication with an outsourced agency must be established and maintained. With an in-house team, those communication issues don’t exist. 

If you are concerned about time and resources, having an in-house solution can alleviate protracted discussions. In addition, you can send your team to attend conferences and classes to earn the skills that you want, rather than relying on the luck of the draw. 

4. Selecting an Agency Can Be Difficult

Finding the right fit for your business can be a significant hurdle. Often, many stakeholders are involved in the process, which complicates matters. 

With so many available options and decision-makers, the process can be time-consuming and costly. Managing expectations with different choices can be more hassle than it’s worth. 

5. Agencies Aren’t Always Focused on You

Agencies often have many clients. If you need highly dedicated support and input, an agency may not have the time to accommodate all that you need. Having dedicated staff will ensure you’re the No. 1 priority. 

Carefully Consider Outsourcing Options for Your Marketing Strategy 

In the end, there are ample reasons for both strategies to work. Combining both in-house expertise and outside resources can be the best way to accomplish your marketing strategy in an efficient manner. 

Specifically, this combination provides a wealth of experience intertwined with an agency that has a unique perspective. 

Whichever way you choose, it’s important to keep clear goals and objectives at hand. Because marketing plays such a critical role in modern business, you shouldn’t compromise to achieve what you want. If you take the points above into consideration, you’ll make the right choice for your business.