Introduction
While some businesses handle all these activities in-house, others may prefer outsourcing digital marketing to an external partner, usually a digital marketing agency. Digital marketing is an essential aspect of any business. With the increasing competition in the market, it is crucial to create a solid online presence and reach out to potential customers. In this blog, we will discuss why your business should consider outsourcing digital marketing in 2023 and provide five practical tips to implement outsourcing digital marketing best.
The question of 'whether to outsource or not' is usually asked when we are talking about scaling the business. Growth marketing and scaling your business require more marketing resources besides more efficient use of the existing ones. The dilemma is about which path leads to more affordable and sustainable growth for your business. Let's dive in!
What is outsourcing in digital marketing?
Outsourcing in digital marketing refers to the practice of hiring an external agency or team of experts to handle specific marketing tasks for your business. This approach allows companies to focus on core business operations and delegate marketing responsibilities to a dedicated and specialized team. By outsourcing, businesses can benefit from increased efficiency, improved quality, and cost savings while still having access to the latest technologies and expertise in the digital marketing industry.
Outsourcing digital marketing services
digital marketing outsourcing services usually include:
- Growth Marketing
- Social Media content creation,
- SEO
- PPC
- Marketing Automation
If you're a business owner or a head of the marketing department and worried about the rising cost of paid media, then check out our free-to-read ebook here.
Why should you consider outsourcing your digital marketing activities in 2023 more than ever?
In the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of businesses outsourcing their digital marketing to marketing agencies. This trend is expected to continue as many companies are looking for ways to cut costs and remain competitive during an impending economic recession. The UK, in particular, is set to enter into recession during 2023.
The cost of living is rising, and the labour shortage has only worsened the situation for businesses. Sourcing talent to man the in-house marketing team is more expensive and challenging than ever. Therefore, businesses are looking for ways to make their marketing budget go further by outsourcing some or all aspects of their marketing. Managing an in-house team is hard; your staff need to be motivated and stay updated, among other things; in the next section, we dive deeper into such challenges.
1-Challenges of In-House digital marketing operation
Marketing expertise
Handling digital marketing activities in-house can be challenging for several reasons. Firstly, it requires a lot of time, effort, and resources to plan, implement, and measure the success of marketing campaigns. Secondly, it can be difficult for in-house teams to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in digital marketing while conducting day-to-day tasks. Finally, in-house teams may lack the expertise and experience to execute complex digital marketing activities effectively. It's not just enough to just know a topic; most organic and paid platforms have hidden opportunities and traps that can only be discovered through previous experience.
The human element
Managing an in-house marketing team can be challenging for businesses for several reasons. Firstly, in-house teams require competitive salaries and benefits, which can be expensive for small businesses. Additionally, businesses are responsible for covering around a month of paid leave (in addition to sick leave) for their employees, which all adds up. In order to keep their staff knowledgeable and up-to-date on the latest industry trends and advancements, businesses must also invest in a training budget.
Keeping staff motivated and focused is also a challenge, as they may become burnt out or lose motivation working within the same company for an extended period of time. Finally, most in-house staff wear multiple hats and may become distracted by other responsibilities, hindering their ability to focus solely on marketing tasks.
Related content: Top 10 SaaS marketing mistakes to avoid in 2023
2-Benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing your digital marketing
benefits of outsourcing your digital marketing
Outsourcing digital marketing activities to a professional agency can offer several benefits. Firstly, it can save time and resources as the agency can handle the entire process, from planning to implementation and measurement of success. Secondly, marketing outsourcing provides access to a team of digital marketing experts who are well-versed in the latest trends and technologies in various marketing disciplines, including content marketing, PPC, social media and growth marketing. Finally, outsourcing can help businesses focus on their core activities and achieve better results in their marketing efforts.
Among the benefits of outsourcing digital marketing, Outsourcing has several other advantages over handling it in-house. Some of the key advantages include:
- Access to a team of experts in digital marketing
- Increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness
- Ability to focus on the business itself
- Improved results in marketing efforts
- Use of the latest technologies and trends in digital marketing
Check out our PPC packages here
Drawbacks
While outsourcing digital marketing has many benefits, it is not without its drawbacks. One of the main drawbacks is the loss of control (well, to a degree) over your marketing team. When outsourcing, you're effectively trusting a third party to handle a critical part of your business: marketing. Therefore, Communication can be prone to misunderstandings, which can negatively impact the marketing campaign's performance and the success of your outsourcing. Additionally, outsourcing digital marketing can be expensive if you choose a partner that doesn't do this as part of the marketing packages.
Therefore, it is important to thoroughly vet potential outsourcing partners to ensure they have the expertise, experience, and resources to provide quality services. Cultural differences between your business and the outsourcing agency can also lead to mismatched marketing strategies. Before deciding on outsourcing, you must carefully weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing.
3-Areas of Digital Marketing to Outsource
Outsourcing digital marketing activities can be complex, but it can significantly benefit your business if done correctly. Here are five areas to consider outsourcing when working with an agency.
Marketing Strategy
Each and every effective digital marketing campaign begins with a strong marketing strategy. To develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that supports the goals and objectives of your business, It's best to combine your business knowledge with a specialised agency's professional expertise. This approach provides you with the best of both worlds. For example, you will be up to date on the latest marketing best practices, and the agency partner can tailor the strategy to your specific and unique business. If you're wondering how much it would cost to outsource your digital marketing, take a look at our value-driven marketing packages for more information.
Marketing Campaign
Creating and launching various digital campaigns could be time-consuming and waste your valuable internal resource. Digital ad platforms are constantly changing, and therefore, your team should be updated to date with all these changes. Outsourcing saves time and resources, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business or focus on checking the quality of ad copies and creatives to ensure they are in line with your company's branding and tone of voice.
Marketing Automation
Automation is key to optimizing your marketing efforts and saving time. You can access the latest marketing automation tools and technology through your outsourcing partner. These tools can help you streamline your marketing processes, target your audience more effectively, and measure your results in real time.
Marketing Budget
A digital marketing agency can help you manage your marketing budget more effectively by identifying wastage and better implementation of tracking and attribution. As a result, you can allocate your resources more efficiently and make informed decisions on where to invest your marketing dollars.
Growth Marketing Specialists
You know your business like no one else. However, you may not know how to utilise your existing tangible and intangible resources in order to unlock your growth potential. That's where a growth marketing specialist can help you grow your business and provide you with the latest techniques and strategies to reach your target audience, increase your conversion rates, and drive growth.
4-When To Outsource Your Digital Marketing (& when invest in your internal resources)
Deciding whether to outsource your digital marketing activities can be a hard one. Here are some things to consider when making your decision:
When Outsourcing could be helpful
Outsourcing is recommended for business owners and founders who have limited in-house resources or expertise in digital marketing. By outsourcing, you can access the expertise and knowledge of a digital marketing agency and have the resources to support your marketing efforts.
Budgetary requirment
If your business has a minimum total marketing budget of £50K and above, then chances are outsourcing could be a good option for you. Usually, a base-level marketing generalist could set you back at least £30K without considering benefits, national insurance and other expenses. Leaving you with £20K in ad and marketing spend. Working with a specialised outsourcing partner like Republic Marketing could cost about 20% less than the in-house team, which leaves more money for marketing activities, and even that money is spent more wisely for the reasons explained in this article so far.
When you outsource your digital marketing, you can focus on other aspects of your business, such as operations, product development, and customer service, while leaving the marketing in the hands of experienced professionals.
Outsourcing may not be recommended for very small businesses that have limited budgets. Such businesses may not have the resources to invest in outsourcing and may find it more cost-effective to work with freelancers as opposed to hiring or working with digital agencies.
When is it better to do it in-house
While outsourcing digital marketing can be an excellent option for larger businesses and established companies, it may not be the best fit for solopreneurs or teams with limited marketing budgets (below £10K or £20K/year). Small businesses often have limited budgets, which can make it difficult to allocate funds to outsourcing.
If you're a small business owner or founder, it's essential to carefully consider your needs and resources before deciding to outsource your digital marketing. If you're unsure, consider working with a marketing consultant or seeking advice from a trusted industry expert. You can book a call with us to see if you could benefit from outsourcing or not.
Apart from small businesses, some medium and large businesses may want to retain more control of their in-house team. If their vision is long-term and they are sure of their ability to attract and retain talent, investing and growing an in-house team along with tools that can make the transition from existing to new staff easier can be a better business decision.
5-How To Measure Success with Outsourced Digital Marketing
Measuring the success of your digital marketing efforts is critical to determine the return on your investment. Here are some tips on how to measure success with outsourced digital marketing.
Review Reporting on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Your partner agency should provide you with regular reports on the performance of your digital marketing efforts. This includes key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rate, MQLs, and social engagement. Your partner should have access to best-in-class Martech tools, and although you may not have a user account, your agency could send custom reports and insights for you to review.
What If Goals Are Not Met?
To assess whether your agency is the right partner, give them at least 3 or 4 months. If your marketing goals are not being met, reviewing your marketing strategy and making any necessary changes is essential. You need to discuss which part of the strategy is working and which part isn't. For example, are you showing your ads to the right audience? How can you prove that? Do your website visitors take relevant actions on your site but fall short of converting or do they bounce? Askin these questions can help you pinpoint which part of your implementation is causing issues and stopping you from getting the desired return on investment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, outsourcing digital marketing can provide a number of benefits and advantages for business owners and founders. Working with a professional digital marketing agency allows you to access a team of experts, take advantage of their experience, and use the latest tools and technologies to achieve your marketing goals. Additionally, by tracking KPIs and regularly reviewing your marketing efforts, you can ensure that your marketing is on track and achieving the results you want. When working with an outsourcing partner, Set realistic expectations and involve them in various elements of your marketing and business operation. The more they know, the better the results you will get.
Combining existing internal resources with specialised outsourcing partners can be a winning combination for the majority of businesses. This way you can maximise the utility of your internal and external resources.
