Outsource Marketing – 4 Benefits it provides your business
Outsourcing is a process of contracting part of your business’ activities to an external business. This can be for a variety of business functions such as: Production, Customer Services, Human Resources etc. It also common for businesses to outsource marketing. There are many marketing companies out there offering a variety of marketing services.
Marketing is a wide spanning industry; covering web design, email marketing, direct mail, telemarketing, data etc. As a result, many companies feel that it is too much for their internal staff to handle all by themselves. Some of these activities require a very niche skill set not always available in house or may come at a higher cost to the company than outsourcing.
A business owner should always look at ways to improve and increase the performance of their business. There can be no denying that marketing provides a fantastic opportunity to increase your brand awareness, sales, product penetration, surveys etc. The decision is therefore, should it be handled in house, or outsourced to a specialist marketing company? Outsourcing presents the opportunity to reduce costs and free up more time which can be spent running the company.
There are advantages and disadvantages for companies that outsource marketing. The final decision should always come down to analysing what is the best way forward for your business. However, in this post, we will be addressing some of the main benefits that outsourcing brings to our clients. As we handle the marketing for a number of companies across a wide number of industries, we see these benefits first hand.
1. Skills & Expertise
In a previous post, we address telemarketing further and why it should be a key part of your marketing strategy. We touch upon the benefits that outsourcing telemarketing can have. One of the main benefits are skills. Telemarketers receive high levels of training that help them pitch your business. They work off highly skilled scripts that give out the right information which leaves the listener wanting to know more.
Your in-house staff may know more about your business than anyone else but this does not guarantee that they will deliver a more successful telemarketing campaign. As telemarketers work on campaigns all day every day, their expertise really makes the difference when working on a marketing campaign.
This can also be the case for more digital related services. If your staff do not necessarily have the skills required to design graphics, update your website, write a regular blog etc. then outsourcing can be an effective answer. Dedicated marketing companies such as Impact provide these services for clients everyday. Staff are experts in their respective fields. They know what works and how to go about doing it which will bring the best returns for your business and help you grow. Their creativity provides your business with high quality designs that will catch the eye of your target audience. This may be something that your internal staff are not able to create.
2. Outsourcing saves you time
One of the main benefits that outsourcing brings across all business activities is saving time. Allowing a third party to undertake certain elements of your business frees up your time and resources which can be applied elsewhere. You can rest assured knowing that your marketing is in good hands which can allow you to focus on running and growing your business or any other areas that may need attention.
This is especially helpful for smaller companies that do not have a dedicated marketing department. When the sole director of the business also has the responsibility of running every department, marketing can be forgotten and often overlooked. To outsource marketing therefore alleviates some stress and will help grow the business.
For small businesses that perhaps have a dedicated marketing employee, outsource marketing can still be a sensible choice. Marketing encompasses many different facets and it can be far too much for just one person to handle. An outsourced marketing company can work with your internal marketing staff. Put simply, outsourcing marketing does not mean that people have to lose their job. It is the opposite. A marketing company can help your internet staff by helping with the workload, which will alleviate stress and allows for much better results.
3. Training or Hiring Staff
An alternative to outsourcing is to either train up your current staff or to bring in additional staff. While this does bring its own benefits to the business, it may not be the most cost effective action. Outsourcing to a dedicated marketing company can be cheaper than spending time and money recruiting new staff or training existing staff.
It can also be cheaper to pay for a marketing campaign than to pay an annual salary. This also relates to the above point of saving time. Recruiting can be a long and expensive process. Therefore, outsourcing can get the ball rolling a lot faster, removing the time issues concerning training and recruiting. It also presents it self as a more cost effective alternative for your business.
4. Latest Innovations Within Marketing
Dedicated marketing companies spend all day, everyday undertaking marketing activities for their clients. When new marketing techniques and channels come into the equation, they are the first to know about it. When you outsource marketing to these companies, they will not only keep on top of everything, but they will also make you aware of new marketing channels.
If these show to be highly successful in your industry, they can implement them into your marketing strategy. This removes any hassle of you having to organise it yourself. The marketing company handle everything and make it as simple and easy as possible for yourself. Not to mention the fact that they will have a much better insight on what works better for your industry, thus saving you time, resources and budget on any ‘trial and error’ scenarios.
Summary
Outsourcing is a valuable tool available to many businesses. It helps you save time so you can focus on your core business activities. It also puts your marketing in the hands of experts who do it on a daily basis. You are also able to save time and money by not having to recruit additional staff or re-train existing staff members.
Impact are responsible for the marketing for many of our clients. Our team is comprised of experts in different fields who are able to manage all aspects of your direct marketing. We provide many marketing services which we can advise on and/or handle for you, if you so wish.
Please get in touch today and a member of the team will be happy to discuss our services more and advise on how we can assist.