The benefits of outsourcing business functions today, are generally well understood and accepted. Especially when it comes to outsourcing responsibilities such as accounting, IT, network security, and legal services. Outsourcing gives organizations access to much needed skilled resources quickly, allowing an enterprise to focus on core activities, all while managing risk and increasing efficiency in-house. Not only that, these services meet vital business functions, and in many cases, it’s much more cost-effective than hiring, training and employing full-time employees. However, when it comes to outsourcing other responsibilities such as digital/inbound marketing activities, the conversation is more complicated. That’s because digital marketing is critical to revenue production and, in many ways, it’s more personal and multi-dimensional, than say accounting functions.
However, the mood around digital marketing is shifting and so are its hiring practices. Companies are seeing digital marketing as a strategic effort, which requires specialized knowledge, continuous attention, and planning and execution. To meet these needs, companies of all sizes demand a more flexible and nimble workforce. In fact, a study by Ad Age tells us that while 80% of companies are planning to increase their digital marketing budgets looking ahead, finding skilled talent is tough. The skills gap is particularly real when it comes to finding those with expertise in social media, content, and big data. The idea is that an ‘elastic’ workforce made up of the right mix of permanent workers and outsourcers, can help companies develop a strategic marketing framework while keeping pace with digital platforms of the future, including those will drive customer engagement, such as mobile, video, and social. (Source: Ad Age). Let’s look at some innovative ways companies are working with outside specialists to supercharge their digital marketing activities.
- A single campaign or coordinated effort- better with specialized resources- By working with outside specialists, instead of paying individual salaries, organizations are paying for results from a team of experts. Together they have the collective ability to research, create and implement proven marketing strategies that are targeted and productive. With a variety of outsourcing services available, depending on the company’s specific goals they can hire outsourcers for single campaigns, specialized services, or even complete digital marketing functions. Specialists agents can provide support across all digital marketing operations, such as gathering customer insights, producing customer content, applying KPIs and measurements to track customers across their journey, and applying automation to support efficiency. Finally, consultants can help produce guidelines and procedures that help with decision making. (McKinsey & Company).
- Marketing automation and coordinated content distribution- Effective digital marketing means much more than having a smart writer and a graphic designer on call to execute projects. Companies need processes in place to run digital marketing efforts. Marketing automation technology, in the right hands, can help automate, streamline, and measure marketing workflows at every level. Leading companies are using outside marketing specialists and marketing automation technology to organize content calendars and to set up a synchronized content marketing distribution engines. Services might include sourcing images and the coordinated distribution of all content (blogs, video, webinars, bylines, etc.) through the corporate website as well as for distribution on Twitter and LinkedIn, for example. This is also important because customers expect cohesion and a consistent experience across channels and platforms. An online presence that enables companies to connect with their audience in innovative and cohesive ways will build a brand that customers will continuously want to engage.
- Measuring ROI- Today, like almost every business function, there’s increased pressure on marketers to demonstrate the value of their efforts and investments. Another benefit of working with a specialist is that the best partners have analytics tools in place to measure marketing ROI and determine the effectiveness of campaigns. This information can be used to optimize initiatives and their impact on revenue. These added analytics capabilities can also help marketing teams show how they’ve helped meet overall business objectives, bringing digital marketing efforts full circle.
Smart marketers can help deliver the right message at the right time across the sales funnel, whether it’s driving traffic, improving customer engagement, raising the brand’s awareness, or converting sales. Innovative outsourcers can provide an integrated approach to digital marketing that can help companies achieve their goals much faster and at a lower price point. When highly qualified specialists serve as an extension of the internal marketing team, all parties can work together to meet company goals. Talk to Outsourcive today about how we can help you effectively manage your digital marketing and other business functions, so you can focus on growing your business.