What Does ‘Outsourced Marketing’ Actually Mean?

If you own a business, you’ll have likely been contemplating the best way in which to have your marketing done. There are many options available that all, seemingly, offer the same things, but when you look a little closer, not all is as it seems. 

We’ll be going through what outsourced marketing means, together with how it compares to the alternative – in-house marketing. So what is outsourced marketing, exactly, how does it differ from in-house marketing and why should you opt for the former? Let’s take a closer look:

What is ‘outsourced’ marketing?

When marketing services are ‘outsourced’, it essentially means that you’re passing on the marketing responsibilities to a group of marketing professionals who are independent from your own business. Usually, companies will enlist the help of marketing agencies or small marketing teams, rather than go in-house with their marketing. 

Generally, only very large companies will have in-house marketing departments, and for good reason. In-house marketing can be very costly and difficult to manage, especially if you’re running your own business and have other responsibilities and duties to take care of. So what’s the difference between outsourced marketing and in-house marketing? 

What is the difference between in-house marketing & outsourced marketing?

As we’ve already discussed, outsourced marketing is when the marketing services are done by an independent company for another business, otherwise known as offering B2B services. On the contrary, in-house marketing refers to when the marketing team is housed within the same business as the one that’s being marketed for. This is usually the case with large companies and organisations. 

For instance, Tesco and Sainsbury’s will have their own digital marketing departments, as will other companies like Boots and John Lewis. Smaller businesses, on the other hand, don’t always have the space or the budget for their own in-house marketing department, which is why outsourced marketing is the way forward for them. 

To summarise, outsourced marketing refers to marking services that is carried out by a separate business, while in-house marketing is a department within one company that will do its own marketing.

What are the benefits of outsourced marketing?

Now that we’ve delved deeper in the world of outsourced marketing, together with the ins and outs of why in-house might not be for you, let’s see how outsourced marketing can help, in further detail.

From being goal-driven and being able to use specialist tools and software, to offering new perspectives and being more cost-effective, here are all of the things that you’ll be able to benefit from when hiring an outsourced marketing agency to manage your business:

A marketing team is goal & KPI-driven

One of the main advantages of choosing outsourced marketing services is that the marketing team will have their own goals and KPIs to meet. This gives them the drive they need to make sure jobs and tasks are completed to the best of their ability and to a high standard. 

If they don’t deliver, they won’t receive any benefits themselves, such as bonus payments and other rewards. Couple this with a good amount of healthy competition among employees, such as battling for Employee of the Month, for example, you can rest assured that you’ll be in good hands.

They have access to the latest industry tools

An outsourced marketing agency will have all of the access to the most high-tech, advanced tools and resources in the industry. This will include everything from ranking and analytical tools right through to carrying out keyword research and more. They will have all of the tools needed to successfully look after everything ‘marketing’ for your business, so you’ll be in excellent hands with an outsourced marketing agency, rather than one that sits in-house.

A wealth of creative insights & expertise is drawn upon

With a number of experts on hand, each with their own specialism at hand, you’re guaranteed to have aspects of your business scrutinised from more than one professional angle. Everyone has something different to bring to the table, with some offering perspectives that cannot be fathomed by other marketing departments. 

For example, a content creator will look at things from a more creative standpoint, when compared to how a PPC expert would see something, and vice-a-versa. You need a range of specialisms to be able to benefit from it fully, and that’s exactly what an outsourced marketing team will be able to do for you.

It’s more cost-effective than having an in-house marketing team

One of the major benefits of having an outsourced marketing team is that it’s far more cost-effective than having an in-house marketing department. While this might seem hard to believe, a digital marketing agency that’s outsourced will charge you for their time and services, and that monthly fee can range depending on what they’re managing and doing for you. 

However, if you put together an in-house team, you have to buy all of the equipment, pay licence fees on a monthly basis, pay your employees for their time and have to find the space from somewhere for your new department. 

When you add up all of the aforementioned, and compare it against what a digital marketing agency would charge you, then you instantly come to the realisation that hiring an outsourced marketing team is far more cost-effective than doing it all yourself, in-house. This is often why you will only find large, established companies with their own in-house marketing team, because it can be a costly addition.

What to look for in an outsourced digital marketing agency

If you’ve been swayed to opt for outsourced marketing services over going in-house, then there are some things that you should be considering, and keeping in mind, when it comes to employing a digital marketing agency to gain traction in the world of the internet. So what should you be looking out for? Let’s take a closer look:

They’re transparent & communicate clearly

A digital marketing agency needs to be as transparent and as trustworthy as possible. This is so that their client can have complete peace of mind that they’re in the best possible hands when it comes to gaining exposure and visibility online. There’s nothing that can’t be done when choosing outsourced marketing. 

But, in the unlikely event that there is something an outsourced marketing agency can’t do, they should make that clear to their client. Not only does this help you, the customer, but it also means that the marketing agency themselves aren’t over-promising on the results they can deliver and the services they offer.

They offer a diverse range of services

The secret to an outsourced digital marketing agency that is worth their weight in gold is when numerous marketing services are offered to you. This could range anywhere from PPC and SEO to content writing, website design, graphic design and so much more. 

There’s no marketing job that should be too big or small for a digital marketing agency, and that should be reflected in the number of services they have to offer their clients. If the range is good, and if you feel as though they’re a great fit for your business, then give outsourced marketing a chance.

They give you an initial proposal

A digital marketing agency who provides you with a proposal before you’re onboarded is clearly dedicated to transparency and flexibility with you. They want to tell you what needs doing, based on factual data and evidence, and they will tell you how they plan on making a difference for you. It’s a great start, when initially making an inquiry, if that agency sends you an in-depth proposal. It’s another clear demonstration of their trustworthiness and their willingness to genuinely set your company apart from your competitors.

They have a team who vary in specialisms

A marketing team that is full of just copywriters or just SEO experts might prove to be a bit of a problem further down the line. The idea is that a marketing team is made up of a variety of experts, each one with their own specialism in the marketing field. 

For example, there needs to be a team member on hand, all the times, who is an SEO expert, and then another who knows everything there is to know about PPC, and then a dedicated content writer to produce website copy and, finally, you have another person who does the website design and development side of things. 

If you have a marketing team who, while separate, do their own thing, they will come together once the work is done to ensure a good job is executed. If you have an ongoing arrangement with them, on a monthly basis, for example, then you can expect this level of commitment from each specialist consistently. 

If you enlist the help of one person who claims to do and knows everything there is to know about marketing, almost like a one-man-band, then it’s not always the best choice if you’re looking for commitment and quality results month-after-month. 

Even a team that is made up of four or five people can make all the difference when it comes to gaining exposure online and boosting leads and sales in the process – don’t always head straight to those large marketing agencies as they can often be rushed off their feet.

Kumo is a dedicated digital marketing agency in the heart of the East Midlands, providing customers throughout the UK with sterling marketing services, including SEO, PPC, content writing, website design and more, regardless of the industry you work in. If you would like further information about how we can propel your business into the spotlight, then get in touch with a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.