Marketing Strategy > Outsourcing Marketing FAQ

Why Outsource My Marketing?

Marketing Consulting Services

 

Most small-medium enterprises struggle with minimal resources to execute their marketing plan. Sometimes, companies won’t designate a single person responsible for marketing, or worse, burden salespeople with marketing work as well. In other cases, companies are bound due to budgetary constraints to hire a junior marketing professional that does not have all the necessary business and international experience to implement B2B marketing and lead generation campaigns.

With just a little guidance, this situation can be different. Companies with small or nonexistent marketing departments can thrive by relying on strong experience from an external source. By outsourcing some of their marketing activities to an experienced consulting firm, such as Direct Objective Consulting, companies can keep keenly focused on what they do best. Read on to hear some of the most typical questions companies raise:

Q: What is “Marketing Outsourcing”?
A: Contracting, sub-contracting, or 'externalizing' marketing activities to free up cash, personnel, time, and facilities for activities where the firm holds competitive advantage, in order to concentrate on what you do best and thus reduce average unit cost.

Q: Why should I outsource my marketing?
A: There are four primary scenarios that our clients call Direct Objective for assistance:

• When the company is too small for a marketing team, or their current employees lack specific expertise
• When a company is too busy with daily operations, and simply does not have enough time to implement a well-strategized and effective marketing campaign
• When someone is looking for a second opinion, seeking an alternate direction, or trying to analyze a campaign failure from the past
• When they realize that there are certain tasks that usually just cannot be done internally. For example, most companies will outsource market research and strategic marketing work, as these tasks require non-biased approach and fresh external outlook

Q: Do we have to outsource all of our marketing activities, or can we outsource just part of them?
A: You can outsource whatever portion of marketing activities that you feel comfortable with. Moreover, if you prefer to do most of the work in-house and just have us review your work and provide you advice on how to improve it and get better results, we are also equipped to coach you.

Q: What’s the difference between sales and marketing activities?
A: Marketing has evolved into many arenas formerly controlled by sales. Today, marketing consultant firms still help companies create marketing strategies, but can also develop branding designs, generate and nurture leads, and measure results of marketing campaigns. By offering a diverse range of services, firms like Direct Objective can get involved at almost any stage of business development. Read more in our B2B Marketing Services page.

Q: I have a salesperson, why should I outsource my marketing?
A: Though some salespeople can also do marketing jobs, they are usually not trained for the broad spectrum of marketing tasks. More importantly, they often do not have the time. Salespeople are better doing what they do best: converting qualified leads into sales.

Q: I have a marketing professional on board, why should I outsource marketing?
A: If your marketing professional has extensive experience, can keep up with the evolution of marketing, has the time to strategize, create branding, execute, nurture leads and assess the results, then outsourcing is probably not the solution for your company. On the other hand, the marketing professionals that we meet tell us that it is very difficult for them to execute everything and thus, they ask for coaching in certain areas, outsource autonomous area of expertise or assist them define the marketing ROI for certain activities.

Q: What should I look for when outsourcing my marketing?
A: Experience is key, and not just within marketing. Previous business experience outside of consulting is important; to gain perspective of business and understand the day-to-day workings of the companies they’re working for. Any outside hire should also have a proven record of consulting of at least 5 years, not just a consultant between jobs. Finally, make sure your hire has a solid understanding, or even first-hand experience, within your own area of expertise. If you’re a technology company, make sure that the consulting group fully understands the complexity of your innovation, or if you’re targeting international markets, make sure you outsource your marketing to someone with a proven track record in the international arena.

Q: What are the symptoms to look, before outsourcing your marketing?
A: Here are a few of the common symptoms that can be effectively solved through outsourcing your marketing:

• Do not know how to turn your website into a lead generation tool
• Haven’t implemented, or even considered a social media strategy
• Marketing material hasn’t been updated in over a year
• Salespeople keep on complaining that they do not have enough material, or their leads are dead ends
• You would love to engage your client with an interesting blog, but do not have the time to do it
• Your company is buried deep in page 20 on the Google Search
• You’re not sure how to handle a trade show, or if you should even show up
• A very promising lead said he might be interested in six months, and you’re not sure of the right move to keep this lead alive

If you have any questions about outsourcing your marketing, or if you have questions about your own marketing options, contact Direct Objective today. We’re not sure we have all the answers, but we will surely try to assist you!