1 September 2023 by Angela Knox
What do we mean by outsourcing?
Outsourcing is a common term used across many business sectors - whether it relates to the process of importing physical products from countries with cheaper manufacturing capability than the UK, or buying in services which a business doesn’t always have a full-time need for in-house.
Business is about focusing on what you’re good at, and often that requires the business owner to maintain internal resources for key tasks, whilst going outside of the business to buy in services which are either needed occasionally or where it is not practical to have them in-house.
Sometimes this applies to services which rely on specific technological expertise and where there is a constantly evolving landscape, which can be difficult to keep up with if you try to keep an internal resource.
In marketing terms, if you’re outsourcing, you’re using someone who is not directly employed by the business to carry out some or all of your marketing activities.
This would be an external consultant, agency or different supplier of services e.g. individual specialist suppliers for different activities.
Benefits of outsourcing your marketing
Outsourcing is not for everyone, and it depends on how your company is structured and how it functions, as well as the volume of your marketing needs.
Some of the benefits of outsourced marketing services include:
- Flexibility
For smaller businesses who don’t need an internal marketing function, it can be useful to retain an external marketing company, agency or consultant, as you can call on them when you need them.
They can parachute in and help with your website, collateral, ad campaigns, content creation, CRM, email marketing etc. Some of these items are one-offs and some more labour intensive at the start, with a continuous element after the origination stage.
The term ‘fractional CMO’ (chief marketing officer) is one that has become current shorthand for a tech-skilled marketing specialist to devote a set amount of time per month to working for clients mostly in the tech sector, providing a focused service for businesses that don’t need or can’t afford to employ a full-time CMO. - Cost-effectiveness
You can pay for services according to your needs, with more investment likely to be at the start and then evens out over time - so you don’t have to pay someone a salary regardless of what work is needed, you just pay for what you need.
When you have everything set up, it can be useful to pay pre-agreed monthly fees, so you have a resource in place that you can call on, but without the extra burden of employment costs and the responsibilities that go with it. - Specialist and up to date expertise
Outsourcing gives you the ability to use whoever is best for the project in hand.
If you are going to outsource, it is worth spending some time looking around for experts in particular areas and companies who provide a good service relevant to your particular needs and business sector.
It is also worth asking for referrals and checking any online reviews. Word of mouth is a great way of getting comfort that a supplier is trustworthy - if someone you know has had a positive experience it is much more likely you will too. - Opportunity to build a portfolio of best in class suppliers
It can be useful to build a bank of supply contacts who you can work with at any given moment, so you can call upon support for a particular task when needed.
Working out whether aspects such as location and proximity to your office are important are also key - if you are in London or a large conurbation it’s more likely you will be well supplied locally, but if you’re in the sticks this aspect is likely to be more challenging.
On the other hand, you can always appoint one or two key suppliers and let them manage the sub-contracting process, as long as there is an audit trail and a clear understanding of each task and proper briefing procedures in place.
One thing to note on this is that the more individual suppliers you have, the more work you have in managing them. Getting the best results involves taking the time to help your suppliers understand your company, business, culture, mission and values - and your objectives and priorities for all of your marketing activities.
So be prepared to invest time in that process to get the best results. - Freedom to use who you want and experiment
With marketing, there is nothing as constant as change. Trends change, fashions come and go, technology tools are constantly evolving, and there are always new ways to leverage social media channels.
Creativity can be fickle, and is always subjective - so you need to be happy that whoever you are working with understands your brand, ethos and how you want to express yourself.
Sometimes agencies can get stale in their approach, or a key staff member leaves, or worse still they get complacent. These are times when you’re going to need to look elsewhere - and you need the freedom to do so when you choose.
Regularly reviewing your agency or supplier’s results, contracts and performance is essential to benchmark them and decide whether you continue using their services or move elsewhere. This is a process that is much easier with external suppliers than employees. - A foot in both camps
You can always go for a combination of in-house and outsourced services if this makes commercial and logistical sense.
You may have some elements of your marketing output provided in-house, and only need to buy in some of the more hard-to-source or specialised services.
You may for example be able to plan and map out your own marketing strategy and objectives, with an outsourcing policy in place for the implementation of ad campaigns, content marketing, demand generation, email marketing etc.
Or it might be a case of needing help in the planning stages so you can get things on track, then deciding who to outsource the various elements of implementation, internally and/or externally.
There are many possible combinations that can be planned in order to lead you to achieving your marketing goals, and each case is completely individual.
Conclusion
I have outlined some of the key aspects and benefits of outsourcing your marketing provision here, and there are many compared to employing a full service internal marketing department - although it really depends on the type and size of business you are running or working for.
As a marketing consultant myself, I find that all clients have a variety of needs, as there are so many different levels of understanding of marketing and the channels, strategies and tactics available to us.
From my perspective, it’s advantageous to operate as an independent marketing consultancy business, as I can also provide the opportunity to offer wider business planning insights and strategies based on my own experience.
So clients are buying a complete package which is rounded, holistic and based on years of graft, learning, and application.
In short, if you need specialists to work on your business, that’s often a different animal compared to hiring internally. It gives you flexibility, focus, objectivity and productivity which can make a big impact on your business, whatever growth stage you are at.