How to Outsource Digital Marketing (With a 20-Point Checklist)
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Modern digital marketing is tough - if not impossible - to run in-house. There are so many channels: TikTok, email, Instagram, Google Ads, SEO… Few companies can manage all of them effectively without outside help. This is why marketing is the 3rd-most outsourced function today.
With outsourcing, you can have experts market your business online without having to hire them. You can pay less, get more done, and watch your business grow without increasing your payroll.
The question is, how do you outsource digital marketing properly? How do you get maximum value while keeping costs down?
As a company that’s helped dozens of brands outsource digital marketing, we’ve got the answers. On this page, we explore outsourcing basics, pros and cons, and more. We give you a 20-point “how-to” checklist and walk you through finding the right outsourcing provider.
What is Outsourcing?
- Outsourcing is delegating specific tasks to third-party providers.
- The term “outsourcing” was introduced in 1989, though the practice has been around much longer than that.
- According to a study by Deloitte, the outsourcing industry is poised to hit $731 billion in revenue this year.
What is outsourcing in digital marketing?
In digital marketing, outsourcing typically means entrusting your online advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and other marketing activities to a specialized agency. You hire experts to handle your online marketing efforts externally. They have the knowledge, skills, and experience to implement marketing strategies to help you achieve your business goals.
When you outsource your digital marketing needs, you partner with professionals that understand the intricacies of the ever-changing online landscape. They keep pace with industry trends and best practices, ensuring your campaigns are profitable.
Why outsource digital marketing?
According to a report by Clutch, digital marketing is the third most common outsourced function. And there are several compelling reasons why. Here are some of them:
Access globally competitive marketing experts
Outsourcing allows you to tap into the expertise of experienced marketing professionals. They understand the online landscape and can help you navigate it effectively.
Save time and resources
Outsourcing digital marketing can save you valuable time and resources. Managing online marketing campaigns requires significant effort and dedication.
By offloading this responsibility, you free up your internal teams to focus on other core business activities. You also eliminate the need to recruit and train, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Provide scalability and flexibility
Whether you are a startup or an established company, outsourcing digital marketing can help tailor services to meet your needs. They can adjust your strategy as your business evolves, ensuring continued growth and success.
Gain fresh perspectives to marketing efforts
Bring new ideas and insights to help you identify untapped opportunities and overcome challenges. Your hired experts have the skillsets and experience. They can provide a valuable perspective to enhance your marketing strategy.
Save on costs
You can save up to 60% on labor and 40-50% on operating costs when you outsource to the Philippines. This is particularly advantageous for small and medium-sized businesses with limited budgets. Outsourcing digital marketing services allows you to benefit from an agency’s existing infrastructure, tools, and technologies without significant upfront investments.
The cons of outsourcing digital marketing
Outsourcing your digital marketing can also have its potential drawbacks. Here are some areas you should look out for and how you can overcome them:
Loss of direct control over marketing activities
When you outsource, you entrust your marketing strategies to an external agency. This may result in reduced oversight and communication challenges if not managed properly.
Address this by establishing clear communication channels. Regular updates are critical to ensure alignment between your objectives and the agency's actions.
Misalignment with your brand identity
Digital marketing requires a deep understanding of your brand, values, and target audience. While your hired experts strive to comprehend your business, there may be misinterpretations.
Choose an agency that aligns with your brand and can effectively represent your values and messaging.
Dependency on external experts
While outsourcing can be beneficial in terms of expertise and resources, it also means that your business becomes reliant on the agency's availability and performance. This is why it’s critical to set clear service level agreements and have contingency plans to mitigate potential risks or disruptions.
But, with a remote staffing firm like MultiplyMii, we don't take over your business. You still hold the reins! We’ll guide you through our hiring process, collaborate, and empower your business with our strategies.
Accompanied by financial investment
The cost of outsourcing digital marketing services varies depending on your needs and the company’s pricing structure.
Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to ensure the results justify the expense. You should monitor and evaluate their services regularly to ensure you achieve your desired outcomes.
Before you decide to outsource, make sure you are fully aware of what it can bring to your business. But if you’re still undecided, there’s another alternative option you can explore: remote staffing.
Should You Outsource or Hire a Remote Staff?
Many confuse outsourcing and remote staffing as the same, but they aren’t. There are several key differences you can take into account.
Remote staffing is when you hire remote professionals working solely for your company. They are an extension of your in-house team, but these experts work outside your company’s premises. With this setup, you grow your team without increasing overhead costs like rent and utilities. Research says that companies stand to save up to $10,600 per employee per year with remote options.
Getting outsourced marketing services can result in losing direct control over your marketing initiatives and so on. With remote staffing, you get to oversee it.
Need help speed up the process of finding your own remote marketing professional? You can partner with a remote staffing solutions provider like MultiplyMii. Our proven recruitment process can help you find the right person for your marketing needs.
Identify Your Digital Marketing Needs
Now that you know the difference between outsourcing digital marketing and hiring your own remote staff, how do you know what to go for? Before that, assess your needs first. This evaluation involves two key steps: assessing your current marketing efforts and defining your marketing goals.
Assess your current marketing efforts
Take the time to understand your current marketing activities and their effectiveness. Evaluate your website performance, social media presence, search engine rankings, and ongoing campaigns. Identify your areas for improvement and determine if your digital marketing strategy requires outside expertise.
Define your marketing goals
Clear, well-defined goals are the foundation of successful digital marketing campaigns.
Determine what you want to achieve. Are you targeting increased brand awareness, lead generation, customer engagement, or all of the above? Establishing clear goals allows you to communicate your expectations, ensuring your outsourcing firm can precisely understand your desired outcomes.
Prioritize marketing channels
Which specific marketing channels would you like to outsource responsibility for (and control over)? By default, these should be the channels with the highest upside - and the least in-house competency from your team.
So let’s say you have nobody who knows PPC ads but believe they can drive new sales and revenue your way. That should be one of your top digital marketing channels to outsource.
Finding the Outsourcing Partner for Your Digital Marketing Needs
Once you’ve identified your digital marketing needs, determine the company you can collaborate with to achieve your goals. Here are some things you need to consider:
Research the companies you can work with
Research is crucial when identifying an outsourcing partner for digital marketing. Note down the following information when inquiring about their services:
- Expertise and specialization: Seek out a provider with a proven track record in your industry, ensuring they bring relevant expertise to the table.
- Reputation and reviews: Read client reviews or case studies. This can provide insights into their reliability, quality of work, and ability to deliver results.
- Range of services: Evaluate their suite of services to ensure alignment with your unique digital marketing requirements.
- Technology & tools: Check if they use up-to-date technology, tools, and analytics platform.
- Cost Structure: Conduct a thorough cost-value analysis to determine whether it aligns with the anticipated results.
- Project Management: Inquire about their project management process to know how deadlines will be met and if campaigns can be executed efficiently.
- Legal and Contractual Matters: Review the terms of the contract, including termination clauses and intellectual property rights.
- References and recommendations: Get their previous client’s insights. With this, you can gain information on how they work.
Once you have this all, you can start creating a list of companies that can meet your needs.
Evaluate your outsourcing options
Before you decide to sign with an outsourcing partner, review your business goals and requirements. This will help you choose between the two different solutions.
Outsourcing is a cost-effective strategy for projects within a defined timeframe. It’s also for those not looking for more outstanding expertise and control over processes. On the other hand, remote staffing is ideal if you want to hire an extension of your in-house staff. It’s a long-term but cost-effective solution. You’ll also have a choice of qualified experts aligned with your brand’s vision and goals.
To help ease your process of outsourcing digital marketing, here’s a checklist you can also use.
By following this comprehensive 20-point checklist, you can ensure a thorough evaluation of potential outsourcing companies for digital marketing services. This evaluation process will help you identify which firm aligns with your business goals, has a proven track record, and is compatible with your organization's culture.
Outsourcing digital marketing can benefit businesses seeking to optimize their online presence. By understanding all of this information and using our 20-point checklist, confidently drive your business to online success.
Elevate Your Digital Marketing Efforts With MultiplyMii
Let’s connect you with the perfect digital marketing experts to enhance your team!
Whether you require social media mavens, content creators, SEO wizards, or PPC strategists, MultiplyMii has a wide pool of skilled individuals ready to join your ranks.
Our streamlined process ensures that we understand your specific needs, allowing us to match you with the right candidate who possesses the expertise you're looking for.
Experience the difference of having a dedicated digital marketing team that's finely tuned to your goals, all while benefiting from the cost-effectiveness and flexibility that remote staffing offers.
With MultiplyMii, achieving digital marketing success has never been easier.
Schedule a discovery call with us today to get started!
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