Small businesses constantly face the challenge of staying on top of trends, mastering new platforms, and producing compelling, engaging content. Having an in-house digital marketing team can be a significant asset for larger companies, but often times outsourcing is a more advantageous choice for smaller operations with tight resources.
This guide aims to help identify the critical signs you should outsource digital marketing. Recognizing these signs can allow small businesses to strategically allocate limited resources, streamline their operations, and focus on core operations, leaving the complexities of digital marketing to seasoned professionals.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Digital Marketing
Outsourcing digital marketing can provide several advantages for small businesses. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Expertise: When you outsource, you’re hiring a team of seasoned professionals. These digital marketing experts are always up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, helping your business stay ahead of the curve.
- Cost-Efficiency: Building an in-house team can be pricey when you add up salaries, benefits, training, and software costs. With outsourcing, you gain access to high-level expertise at a fraction of the cost, making your budget go further.
- Fresh Perspective: An external team brings a fresh set of eyes to your business. This can reveal new opportunities and innovative strategies that might have been overlooked from the inside.
- Focus on Core Business: With a team handling your digital marketing, you can dedicate more time to what you do best: running your business, improving products or services, and fostering customer relationships.
- Scalability: As your business grows, so do your marketing needs. Outsourcing offers the flexibility to easily scale your marketing efforts up or down based on your current situation and future goals.
Signs to Outsource Digital Marketing
Understanding when to outsource your digital marketing can be as crucial as the decision to outsource. Here, we delve into some of the most common signs that outsourcing might be the best next step for your small business.
1. You’re Overwhelmed by Growing Marketing Demands
As a small business grows, it’s quite common for the marketing demands to increase proportionally. This growth can manifest in various ways. Maybe you’ve expanded into new markets, necessitating a more complex marketing strategy, or perhaps your customer base has grown, requiring more intensive community management and engagement.
You may find yourself trying to keep up with various social media platforms, email marketing, content creation, and SEO best practices simultaneously. If these tasks start to feel overwhelming and begin to interfere with other crucial aspects of your company, it’s a clear sign you need outside help.
An outsourced digital marketing team can competently manage these growing demands. They will be able to strategize, execute, monitor, and adjust digital marketing tactics based on current trends and your business’s unique needs. Outsourcing can relieve the pressure and provide more efficient, effective, and targeted marketing to support your growth.
2. Marketing Isn’t Your Strength
While some small business owners may be natural marketers, it’s not everyone’s strength– and that’s perfectly fine. Digital marketing is a complex field with its own language, best practices, and rapidly changing trends. If terms like “SEO,” “conversion rate optimization,” or “social media algorithm” sound like a foreign language to you, it’s probably time to consider outsourcing.
There’s a point where a steep learning curve can become a time drain, taking you away from other areas of your business that require your attention. If you find that learning and executing digital marketing strategies is consuming your time without delivering expected results, outsourcing can be the solution.
Outsourcing allows you to tap into the expertise of professionals who live and breathe digital marketing. They will be up-to-date with the latest trends and tools and can devise and implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy tailored to your business needs, allowing you to focus on your areas of strength.
3. Your Marketing Efforts Aren’t Leading to More Customers
Ultimately, the goal of any marketing effort is to drive results, be that new customers, increased sales, or more website traffic. But what if your analytics indicate that your marketing efforts aren’t translating into increased customer acquisition or sales?
If you’re posting on social media, sending out emails, or publishing blog posts but aren’t seeing a notable increase in leads or conversions, it might be a sign that your digital marketing strategies are not hitting the mark.
Outsourcing your digital marketing can help turn this around. Professional digital marketers can conduct a comprehensive audit of your existing strategies, identify gaps, and implement an effective plan of action. They understand how to craft compelling messages, target the right audience, and optimize strategies to improve conversions. If your marketing efforts aren’t bolstering your bottom line, it’s time to consider outsourcing.
4. Your Marketing Budget Is Stretching Thin
In a perfect world, every dollar you put into your marketing would yield a high return. However, this isn’t always the case. If you find that you’re stretching your marketing budget thin with unclear returns, it might be a sign that it’s time to consider outsourcing.
Research has shown that firms with fewer than 100 employees allocate 46% of their budget to marketing. That’s a significant chunk of your budget that should be working hard for your business. But marketing costs can escalate quickly, especially when you’re trying to manage various channels or campaigns.
An outsourced marketing team can often provide better value for your money. They have the know-how to strategize and execute more efficient campaigns, ensuring every dollar you spend on marketing drives the best possible returns. With their specialized knowledge and resources, they can stretch your marketing budget further and maximize your ROI.
5. You’re Struggling to Juggle Marketing and Running Your Business
Running a small business involves wearing many hats. If you find yourself spending hours crafting social media posts when you should be working on product development or customer relations, it could indicate that you need help.
Consider, for example, the time and energy required to create a successful marketing campaign. From market research and content creation to campaign execution and performance tracking—each step demands focus and expertise. And every moment spent in the marketing sphere is a moment away from core business activities, like product development, customer service, or strategic planning.
Outsourcing your digital marketing allows you to delegate these tasks to professionals, freeing up your time to focus on core business operations. It’s a smart way to balance the demands of running a successful business without sacrificing your marketing efforts.
6. Keeping Up with Online Marketing Trends Is Overwhelming
The world of online marketing is always changing, with new trends and technologies appearing at a fast pace. If keeping up with these changes feels like trying to catch a speeding train, it might be a sign that outsourcing is the right move for you.
Professional digital marketers are dedicated to staying ahead of the curve. It’s their job to understand the latest algorithm updates, explore emerging social platforms, and master new advertising tools. By outsourcing, you’re gaining access to their up-to-date expertise, ensuring your marketing stays relevant and effective.
7. You’re Unsure If Your Marketing Is Actually Working
Understanding whether your marketing is actually driving results can be a complex task. With so many metrics to track and data to interpret, it can be overwhelming. If you’re unsure whether your marketing efforts are successful, it might be time to bring in the professionals.
It’s worth noting that 2022 saw a 37% increase in the number of companies investing in data analytics. This investment underscores the importance of understanding marketing performance and making data-driven decisions. An outsourced team can provide valuable insights into your marketing efforts, from interpreting metrics to identifying trends and opportunities. They can help you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your efforts for maximum impact.
Partner for Success with Vervology
At Vervology, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities small businesses face. Our team is committed to providing tailored digital marketing solutions designed to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re overwhelmed by the growing demands of marketing, struggling to stay updated with evolving trends, or just unsure if your current marketing efforts are actually working, we’re here to help.
Our digital marketing services are designed to alleviate these pressures, allowing you to focus on what you do best: running your business. We stay ahead of the marketing curve, so you don’t have to. And with our data-driven approach, you’ll clearly understand how your marketing is performing and where it’s driving value for your business.
Connect with Vervology today to learn more about how our digital marketing services can help your business thrive. Your journey toward a stronger digital presence and greater business success starts here.