| In today's environment many businesses are | | | | experience of working with many businesses all of |
| downsizing, re-prioritising their focus or expanding whilst | | | | whom will have had different marketing requirements |
| trying to keep costs to a minimum. Outsourcing is a | | | | - Improve your focus. Outsourcing helps you to focus |
| cost effective way to fulfil certain business functions. | | | | on the core competencies of your business. You can |
| Outsourcing has become an essential aspect of | | | | get on with running your business; selling, product |
| business strategies and this includes the marketing | | | | development and looking after your customers, leaving |
| department. | | | | your marketing to experts in their field |
| Outsourcing allows a business to put more focus on | | | | - Jump-start your marketing instantly. Outsourcing gives |
| product development, operations and sales, usually | | | | you access to experienced marketing professionals |
| where the business is strongest in. It eliminates the | | | | who can quickly develop plans and campaigns on the |
| delay in needing to hire full-time staff and avoids | | | | tightest of schedules The alternatives to |
| tasking overworked staff. | | | | outsourcingThere are of course alternatives to |
| So, why outsource your marketing? | | | | outsourcing your marketing: |
| - Get the skill set you want. An alternative to | | | | - You could hire a dedicated marketing person. This |
| outsourcing your marketing is hiring a dedicated | | | | person would look after the marketing on a day to |
| marketing person. This person would look after the | | | | day basis and ensure there is a constant focus, |
| marketing on a day to day basis and ensure there is a | | | | however as mentioned above one person is unlikely to |
| constant focus. However as marketing today is so | | | | have a full marketing skill-set |
| diverse finding someone that is an expert in all | | | | - You could hire a dedicated marketing team. You |
| marketing disciplines, someone who can understand | | | | would have constant marketing but at a substantial |
| code to write a website, write copy, design your | | | | price Outsourcing optionsThere are three ways to |
| adverts, optimise your SEO and write a strategy is | | | | outsource your marketing: |
| very rare, if not impossible to find. By outsourcing your | | | | - Hire a dedicated contractor: They can bring a fresh |
| marketing to freelancers or an agency you can get | | | | viewpoint to your marketing and only work when you |
| the combined minds of experts | | | | need them. However they are unlikely to have a full |
| - Reduce overheads. By outsourcing to experts you | | | | marketing skillset and may need additional resource or |
| don't need to hire an individual or team for a specific | | | | you may choose to not implement the full marketing |
| project or ongoing marketing activity. That way you | | | | mix |
| don't bear the hidden costs of recruiting, training, | | | | - Hire specialist freelancers: Hire specialist freelancers |
| furnishing an office, holiday pay, sick pay and | | | | as and when you need them to look after separate |
| employee benefits. Salary is just a fraction of | | | | parts of your marketing. An SEO specialist, web |
| employment costs | | | | designer, copywriter, graphic designer etc. This way |
| - Only pay for what you need. If one month you | | | | you get a full skill-set but can end up spending all your |
| require an advertising campaign, the next month an | | | | time managing these freelancers, educating them |
| email marketing campaign and the next month nothing | | | | about the business and trying to get them to work |
| you only need to pay for what you use. In addition, with | | | | together when they could all be pulling in different |
| a mound of employer legislation, it is easier to terminate | | | | directions. Furthermore would you know what to look |
| an outsourced agreement than it is fire an employee | | | | for when you're hiring? Do you know what makes a |
| - Get an expert view without bias. Whilst an | | | | good SEO consultant compared to the best graphic |
| outsourced agency should be a partner, they will come | | | | designer for your business? |
| with their own perspectives and fresh ideas without | | | | - Partner with a marketing agency: (like Xander |
| the baggage of internal politics or 'we've always done | | | | Marketing ). |
| it this way' mentality. They bring with them the | | | | |