Suppose your business needed a new storefront developed. Would you try and secure the plot of land, source the building materials, execute the design and construction, and decorate all on your own? Or would you outsource these services to a real estate agent, a general contractor, a construction crew, and a decorator?
Unless your business just so happens to already specialize in all these services, chances are you’d go for the second option. You should think of your marketing efforts in the same way.?
You wouldn’t try to construct a building from the ground up without any experience or guidance from a professional because it increases the potential for something to go wrong. Plus, it would be extremely time-consuming to have to figure everything out on your own as you go along. So why should your business’s marketing strategy be any different? And while I’m asking rhetorical questions, what is outsourced marketing anyway?
What is Outsourced Marketing?
Outsourced marketing is exactly what it sounds like, outsourcing your business’s marketing needs to a trusted third party. An outsourced team can work in conjunction with an in-house team, or it could relieve your need for an in-house team entirely.
Best practices recognized by digital marketing experts are changing by the day. Without the guidance of a qualified team, keeping up with new developments and breaking through the digital noise can feel impossible. Instead of shoveling time and money into acquiring the tools and techniques necessary to attract qualified leads, many companies are opting to outsource these tasks to a trusted marketing agency.
How Outsourced Marketing Can Benefit You
The benefits of outsourcing your marketing services are seemingly endless for overworked business owners, but aside from saving you time, there are three main perks of hiring an outsourced marketing agency:
Cost-Effectiveness
Hiring an in-house team of marketing professionals (a full-time SEO expert, paid search analyst, social media expert, web developer, copywriter, graphic designer, etc.) would be a pricey enough investment on its own, but the costs only continue to add up after the team has been established. These marketing experts also need tools and technology to help you reach your marketing goals, and those tools aren’t cheap! By outsourcing your marketing needs, you’ll save money on both your team and their technological needs!
Access to Industry Experts
Vetting candidates during the hiring process is time-consuming, especially if you’re looking for a marketing specialist who really has that WOW! factor. Hiring your marketing needs out is an easy solution to this problem because you’re guaranteed to have an entire team with a demonstrated history of marketing success on your side. The best agencies will showcase their past marketing campaigns on their website so you can get a feel for the talent you’ll be hiring.
Objectivity
Killing off your darlings is something that writers say when we have to scrap a line we were really proud of. It’s hard, but sometimes, it’s necessary. Successful marketing campaigns are defined by the consumer’s response to them, and your team’s proximity and familiarity to a product or service may be clouding their ability to look at it from the customer’s perspective. Bringing in an outsourced team’s objective, unbiased perspective is the best way to look at your marketing campaign through the customer’s eyes and ensure it’s creating the impact you need to achieve your marketing goals.
Capabilities of an Outsourced Marketing Agency
When beginning your search for an agency to help your company achieve its marketing goals, you should include the following marketing “must-haves” on your shopping list:
Strategy
Strategy is all about utilizing a powerful and specific plan to reach prospective clients and help your business grow. Key elements of a successful strategy plan include:
- Brand Positioning
- Campaign Development
- Research, Measurement, & Analytics
Creative
A well-executed original idea can be the difference between an ad that fades into the background and an ad that generates buzz for years to come. Strong ads rely on a balanced mix of creative services, such as:
- Copywriting
- Graphic Design
- Photography & Videography
Web
Building and maintaining a beautiful, user-friendly website is a great way to attract new clients and keep them on your page and in your virtual storefront. A successful web presence depends on:
- Design
- Development
Digital
The digital age demands that businesses have an online presence that adapts to the constantly evolving landscape of the World Wide Web. Engaging with customers across a variety of platforms relies on businesses staying up-to-date with the ever-changing practices of digital marketing:
- Email Advertising
- Per-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Social Media Advertising
Traditional Media Buying
Traditional media has been shaping the global media market for hundreds of years and continues to have a strong influence on the public’s perception of a brand, and the rise of digital media hasn’t changed that yet. Reaching your widest possible audience is easy with traditional media channels:
- Direct Mail
- Outdoor Advertising
- Print Advertising
- TV/Radio Advertising
Common Misconceptions about Marketing Agencies
Still, caught up in the watercooler talk you’ve heard about what it’s like to work with an outsourced marketing agency? No worries! In addition to helping you generate leads and boost conversions, we’re also in the business of setting the facts straight:
MYTH: Marketing is too expensive
The age-old saying You have to spend money to make money is true for a reason, but that doesn’t mean it has to break the bank! The right marketing agency will work with you to find solutions that fit within the scope of your company’s goals and budget.
MYTH: Content marketing is just a fad
Despite the belief that our collective attention span is decreasing by the day, the educational, possibly longer-form content we consume from our favorite brands is seeing higher engagement than traditional digital ads. Why? Because customers are smart, and while they don’t need another disembodied voice telling them to BUY! BUY! BUY!, relevant and timely information is always an easy sell.
MYTH: Agencies are one-dimensional
While it’s true that some agencies might swear up and down that all you have to do to grow your brand is to get more Twitter followers, it’s also true that not all agencies are created equally. The agency you choose to work with should tailor their strategy, content, and delivery to your specific campaign goals.
MYTH: My business is too small to hire an agency
Sure, your company may be small right now, but you don’t want it to stay that way forever, do you? Marketing is critical for growth, and partnering with a trusted outsourced team is the results-driven way to help your business reach its full potential.
MYTH: Marketing is the same as advertising
So, this isn’t a total myth, but the distinction between the two is still important to make. In its most simple terms, marketing is the process of identifying customers? needs and determining how to best fulfill those needs through an actionable, integrated strategy plan. Advertising is the exercise of promoting a company or its products through paid channels. And remember what I said about customers hearing BUY! BUY! BUY! all the time. It’s just not enough anymore.
Versa Creative “Your Trusted Outsourced Marketing Agency”
At Versa Creative, our team of strategists, illustrators, designers, IT experts, and wordsmiths is ready to help your brand tell its story. If you’re looking to build brand awareness, generate quality leads, and convert those leads into loyal customers, the time to upgrade your marketing efforts by hiring an outsourced team is now!
You may have started out asking yourself, What is outsourced marketing anyway? But now there’s only one question that should be left on your mind: Where do I sign up?
To learn more about our services, check out our recently updated website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
