Should you outsource your companies Digital Marketing?
For many small to medium enterprises social media and online marketing is an area that has not been given much consideration. Within the more traditional of businesses, online marketing has not factored much into the overall business and marketing plans.
Businesses owners are realizing this is an area that cannot be avoided any longer and has become an essential part of the marketing mix. The question for business owners then becomes how to handle this new element of the business. Do you take responsibility and handle digital marketing in-house or do you outsource to professionals. There are benefits to both approaches, which we will look at here. Each business will be different and it is up to each company to decide which option best suits their organization.
The benefits of handling online marketing in-house
Faster communication:
When a company hires a new employee or re-trains an existing employee to be solely responsible for its digital marketing it has the advantage of immediate access to the person working on your project. There is no need for phone calls or arranging meetings with an agency. Ideas can be implemented immediately.
Closer control
Companies who market in-house have almost full control over their output. A business will have someone directly responsible for each piece of content created and can directly affect this from the top down in a straightforward manner.
Company Knowledge
An employee hired to manage the digital marketing will be working solely on your companies’ output as opposed to an agency where they will have multiple clients. The benefit of hiring direct means your employee is immersed in your companies ethos, knows the organization, the product or service and understands the goals of the business. This gives them an advantage when portraying the voice of the company.
Marketing Synergy
In-house marketing allows for improved marketing synergy. This means your in-house digital marketer will have a better understanding of what’s happening in your marketing mix, your offline marketing campaigns, and can use this knowledge so your companies digital marketing activities compliment this.
The benefits of Outsourcing Digital Marketing activities
More cost effective
One of the main benefits in outsourcing your digital marketing activities to an agency is the cost, an issue that is of utmost importance to many small to medium businesses. Outsourcing to an agency will cost you less than hiring an employee full time. An inexperienced digital marketer fresh out of college will cost you in excess of €2,400 per month, an experienced quality marketer will cost more. Outsourcing to an agency will cost you less and you will have a team of professionals working for your business as opposed to one person attempting to handle all your digital marketing activities.
More skills and tools
As mentioned you will have a team of professional’s working on your business as opposed to one new employee. Having multiple digital marketers will bring a wealth of experience to your company. Outsourcing will also give you access to the digital marketing tools used by the agency, which you will not have to burden the cost of. If you go in-house you would need to hire an employee and pay for the tools. An agency will also work on multiple projects with varying companies giving a better understanding of what will work and what won’t whereas an in-house employee could have tunnel vision.
Guaranteed timely delivery
When outsourcing to an agency you will set key objectives, targets and goals. A plan will be set in place of what will be delivered and when. An in-house marketer will be working alone on multiple elements such as social media, website development and design, SEO, PPC, blogs, content creation, email marketing, reporting etc. With such an overwhelming task list it is easy for things to get overlooked or forgotten. When you outsource to an agency the agreed upon objectives will be delivered.
Stay focused on core business
Outsourcing to a digital marketing agency allows the business to focus on that which they are knowledgeable, effective and successful at. Companies don’t need to spend valuable time learning about a new area, which they don’t understand, going through a recruitment drive and training in a new employee. By outsourcing this aspect of their business to professionals companies can focus wholly on areas which they can spend their time and efforts in the most efficient manner.
Minimal Management and HR
As stated, outsourcing eliminates the need for companies to spend time going through recruitment and training, it also reduces the work for management and removes work for the HR department. By outsourcing you don’t need to sort things like taxes, payroll, pensions etc. There will be no work for HR through conflict within the workplace.
A fully equipped team
An agency brings to your company a fully equipped team ready to go, you are hiring a team of professionals, equipped with the most up to date knowledge and digital marketing tools.
These are the benefits to both having your digital marketing in-house and also the benefits to outsourcing to a digital marketing agency. Each company is different and where outsourcing may not suit one company it may perfectly fit the needs or requirements of another business. The decision is ultimately what you feel will suit your business best.
If you were considering outsourcing your companies digital marketing activities our advice would be:
Shop around, the outsourcing of digital marketing is a competitive space and you can get a deal that works best for you.
Beware of price, some companies charge a disproportionally large fee based on their reputation. The higher the price does not necessarily mean you will receive the best service. Some agencies started out as traditional marketing agencies, built a reputation and entered the digital space without learning the trade sufficiently to reflect their high prices.
Similarly the cheapest price is not always the correct option either.
Know what you are getting for the price, don’t allow your company to be hit with hidden charges when the invoice arrives.
Outsource part of your digital marketing activities first, once you are happy with the service you receive you can outsource more responsibilities to the agency.
Have shorter-term contracts if you are unsure if outsourcing is right for you.
At The Link Marketing we have found the main reasons businesses get in touch is due to a:
· Lack of resources
· Lack of knowledge
· Lack of time
· The desire to work with experienced professionals
If you are considering outsourcing your companies digital marketing don’t hesitate to get in touch with The Link Marketing today, we will give your company a full digital assessment free of charge.