Marketing one business is normally different than marketing another one. You wouldn’t market an established pet grooming business with multiple locations the same way you’d promote a bistro that just opened, would you? Of course not.
While marketing may differ from business to business and industry to industry, there is one decision that business owners competing in every market must make. Every business owner must choose between outsourcing their marketing and keeping it in-house.
Some business owners choose to outsource their marketing because they lack the physical space for a marketing team or they fear the expenses of carrying a marketing team may be too much. Other business owners decide to handle their owner marketing because they worry that outsourcing may compromise the quality of their promotional efforts or they think they’ll lose control if they outsource.
How to Decide if Outsourcing Is Right for You
If you’re struggling to choose between outsourcing and keeping your marketing in-house, it can help to ask yourself a few key questions. Here are some questions you should ask – and answer – to decide whether you should outsource your marketing or do it internally:
- How will your final decision influence your bottom line? If the expenses involved with having an internal team of marketers will outweigh the revenue you stand to gain or dedicating a portion of your team to marketing will compromise other areas of your business, outsourcing is the way to go.
- Is your marketing team overworked? Ask your marketing team members if they’re overworked. If they are, consider outsourcing at least a portion of your marketing.
- What return are you getting on your marketing? If your current marketing efforts aren’t producing the results you want, it’s time to outsource to improve your ROI.
- Do you have the right technology? In today’s connected business environment, you have to have the right technology in place for your marketing to be as successful as it can be. If you don’t have the appropriate technology, such as a CRM or campaign management software, and you can’t afford to invest in acquiring it, you should outsource your marketing.
How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency
If you’ve decided to outsource your marketing, you now have to choose a digital marketing agency to handle your marketing. When you’ve narrowed your list down to a few contenders, examine their websites using multiple devices. Review the quality of their content and look for errors or things that could have been done better. The expertise, or lack thereof, that’s demonstrated on a given agency’s website will be a good indicator of what you can expect that agency to do for you.
In addition to looking at an agency’s website, you need to discuss its business practices. Many digital marketing agencies outsource some of their work, such as designing infographics. While there’s nothing wrong with that, you need to know what tasks will be outsourced and which ones the agency will perform in-house to make sure you’re not paying too much and to ensure the work that’s done on your behalf will be consistent across the board.
Be sure the agency you choose is held in high regard by its current and former clients. Ask the agency you’re considering hiring for a list of clients you can contact. When you’re talking to the agency’s clients, ask them about the quality of the agency’s work and how communicative and transparent the agency is.
Finally, you need to ensure a prospective agency is familiar with your industry as well as your organization. In general, it’s wise to treat a prospective agency as if it were a candidate looking for a job. Just like you wouldn’t hire someone who didn’t research your company and industry, you shouldn’t hire a marketing agency that’s unfamiliar with your brand or market.
Our Digital Marketing Services
If you’re looking for outsourced marketing services, you needn’t look beyond DB Marcom. We offer a full suite of digital marketing services to businesses in a myriad of industries. We provide outsourced marketing services in affordable packages and as stand-alone services. To learn more about our services, contact DB Marcom today.
