Like many companies, you start thinking you need someone to handle your marketing. It seems a straightforward decision until you come to make it. Do you want to hire someone or outsource? Hiring someone in-house seems the natural thing to do, but is it? Outsourcing is often far more practical than you think and very cost effective.
Let’s talk about it.
So, What is Outsourced Marketing?
Simply put, outsourced marketing is getting an external team to look after your marketing rather than hiring someone internally. The benefit to you is by outsourcing you have a whole team of marketing specialists on tap covering content writing, website support, design, SEO and much more. You could use outsourced marketing support for specific projects or go a step further and treat it like your own outsourced marketing manager or marketing department which gives you ready made experts in place without having to build your own team.
What Does In-House Marketing Look Like?
Most businesses start by hiring one person rather than a full marketing team and that one person will wear many different hats – for example, managing social media one minute to updating the website the next, plus everything else marketing related in between. The team may expand over time but essentially it’s usually one person in the beginning spinning plates.
The Pros and Cons of In-House Marketing
Pros:
You have that marketing person close to everything that’s going on, hears the chats, knows the business inside and out and if something is needed quickly you can just ask.
Cons:
Its not a team of experts you are tapping into, you are reliant on one person to be strong in all areas whether it is strategy, design, technical etc so there are, of course, going to be limits. Its not just salary either, you will have the cost of recruiting, software, training etc, to factor in.
The Pros and Cons of Outsourced Marketing
Pros:
You have a wider range of expertise you can access which is a huge advantage to any business. Its really flexible, you can scale up or down as required without the long drawn out hiring process or HR red tape to go through. An outsourced marketing department is doing this day in, day out so they already have a good idea of what works rather than starting from scratch or figuring it out as you go along.
Cons:
Good communication is key because the outsourced team is not physically there working in your business so it can feel a bit different. Regular catch ups are a must to ensure clarity on what you are trying to achieve which goes a long way to making it work smoothly.
Cost Comparison: In-House vs Outsourced
Hiring one person seems the simple option as its just one salary. But then add on the cost of recruiting, training, tools plus that one person has to juggle a long list of responsibilities.
With outsourced marketing you have access to numerous skillsets without the overhead of employment which is a more efficient way to cover your marketing.
Which Option is Right for Your Business?
It depends where your business is at, if its the early stages then an outsourced marketing department gives you flexibility without committing to a fixed hire before you are fully aware of what you need.
As your business grows then an outsourced marketing team can bring structure and direction. For larger businesses, a combination of an in-house person and external expertise where needed helps keep it running smoothly.
Outsourcing need not be short term either, businesses tend to stick with it as it continues to work well for them.
Why Many Businesses Choose an Outsourced Marketing Department
You get a ready made team of marketing experts who hit the ground running, can get things moving quickly because they have the processes already in place. They have tried and tested methods so you are not starting from scratch making it much easier to stay consistent. Its flexible, when you need to scale up or scale back so its far more cost effective and there’s no compromising on quality.
Key Takeaways
- Hiring in-house isn’t the only option, outsourcing is often more practical than it first seems
- One in-house hire can only cover so much, marketing now requires multiple skillsets
- Outsourced marketing gives you access to a full team without the cost and commitment of hiring
- Flexibility is a major advantage, you can scale activity up or down as your business evolves
- Cost goes beyond salary, tools, training and recruitment all add up quickly
- Many businesses find outsourcing delivers stronger, more consistent results from the start
- It’s worth exploring outsourced marketing before committing to building an in-house team
