Marketing outsourcing When is marketing outsourcing the best solution?
The term outsourcing is derived from English and stands for “outside”, “resource” and “using”. It refers to the transfer of functions, processes, tasks, and projects to an external company for execution. Outsourcing is applicable in various industries. One of them is marketing. What exactly is the concept of “marketing outsourcing”? What are its main advantages? When is it worth using it?
What is marketing outsourcing?
Marketing outsourcing is a method of management and organization consisting in transferring responsibility for the implementation of individual marketing activities to an external entity. The perfect cooperation of this type is based on trust and has a partnership, interactive character. Its aim is to obtain both qualitative and economic benefits.
Outsourcing services can be used, such as: market monitoring, customer expectations research, preparation of concepts of new products and services, creating a communication, advertising and promotional strategy, creating content or conducting activities in Social Media.
In the marketing outsourcing, the scope of activities is determined individually with the company and adjusted to its current needs and the goals set by it.
Among other things, we may have to deal with situations when a company is responsible for decisions, planning and subsequent implementation of marketing activities. It then has full decision-making and control, but limits its development.
The second available solution is full marketing outsourcing, which involves entrusting the external contractor with all activities related to this area. The main disadvantage of this solution is the loss of control over the company.
Most companies are trying to balance the scope of their activities and the involvement of an external company. The broadcaster’s competences are usually the decisions regarding the choice of brand positioning strategy or the message to accompany it. Many brands also decide to make their own decisions regarding the tactics of actions – the nature and scope of campaigns, the selection of channels and the content of individual messages. An external company is usually entrusted with the implementation of services related to copywriting, graphics, website development, telemarketing, or implementation of promotional campaigns.
Who should you outsource your marketing efforts to – an agency with specialists in various fields or a freelancer who specializes in a particular area? It all depends on the size of the company and the amount of funds at its disposal. Small businesses with limited budgets usually use freelancers. Large companies usually focus on professional agencies.
How does marketing outsourcing look in practice? The first step is to find the person or company to be entrusted with the activities of this sector. Particular attention should be paid to the duration of the cooperation and how everyday communication with individual specialists and reporting activities will look in practice. The second stage is the definition of the budget, objectives, and scope of services. Once a specific agency or freelancer has been selected, you can move on to creating a strategy together. During its implementation, the service provider should be in constant contact with the ordering company.
What are the benefits of internet marketing outsourcing?
Why invest in marketing outsourcing? Such a solution has many benefits, such as:
- Saving time – entrusting marketing activities to qualified, experienced professionals, the owner of the company can focus on its proper activity, thus contributing to the increase of its profits.
- Cost reduction – using the services of an external company requires much less financial effort than completing your own marketing department and creating new jobs.
- Objective view – an external company is able to take an objective look at a given company, spotting problems and shortcomings that have gone unnoticed until now, and optimally plan its marketing activities.
- The ability to develop and implement quality standards in a short time.
- Gaining skills that have not been present in the company so far thanks to cooperation with experienced, qualified experts.
- Wide possibilities – cooperation with an external entity allows you to fully freely use various forms of marketing communication.
When is it worth using marketing outsourcing?
For what kind of companies will marketing outsourcing be the best solution? This service can be used by both small and large enterprises, regardless of the industry in which they operate. It is perfect for companies that:
- They are just starting their business and have a limited budget – marketing outsourcing allows to effectively reduce the costs associated with the creation of a separate marketing department.
- They want to focus on the development of real activities and the continuous improvement of the quality of services provided.
- They are looking for a proven way to minimize operational costs and avoid creating new jobs.
- They want to take advantage of the solutions not available to them so far due to the associated costs or lack of the necessary know-how.
- They need support in marketing issues, fresh look at their company and the expertise of qualified experts.
Marketing outsourcing is a service that is used by more and more companies. It is worth deciding on such a step, among other things, when a company would like to focus on strategic goals related to its activities and use the experience of external specialists.
