Outsourcing is a strategy that is growing in popularity among businesses of all sizes as they realise the benefits, particularly for filling the gaps of internal knowledge and experiencing the cost savings.
Many well-known brands have used freelancers for various functions to grow their business – Google, Alibaba, Slack, and Skype just to name a few1.
But outsourcing isn’t just for the big players in the industry. A survey reported in The Economist2, found 90% of firms cited outsourcing as crucial to their growth strategies, going on to state “leaders can no longer afford to view outsourcing as a mere business tactic; it is now essential to remaining competitive on the world stage.”
What’s the value-add?
Research by IBM3 reveals that only 27% of companies outsource to cut costs, whereas 36% are innovators and 37% are growth-seekers, using outsourcing as one of their tools to optimise their business.
So, if your product developer is attempting to write the website copy and your CEO is trying their hand at SEO, maybe it’s time to consider the benefits of engaging an outsourced marketing department.
1. Fit-for-purpose marketing solutions to suit your unique business needs and budget
Clearly cost is a significant consideration. Outsourcing is undeniably more cost effective than using a full-time, in-house resource. Rather than having one marketing generalist in-house, outsourced marketing departments utilise a network of marketers who offer a comprehensive suite of services encompassing the entire marketing ecosystem, including:
- Upfront development of a marketing strategy and plan to help you achieve your goals within your budget
- Cross-channel creation to help you move fast and stand out in the field
- Advice and implementation to set up funnels and optimise for conversions, running and managing ads, data analytics, SEO, email, social and automations
- Subject matter experts who can write and distribute content and PR
2. Flexible resource
Outsourcing offers companies a way to remain flexible but still take advantage of having access to a range of skills and knowledge. A marketing solution tailored to your budget can be flexible and evolve with you. It means you’re not paying fixed overhead costs, instead paying for the resource as and when you use it, making it a cost-effective way to access top-tier marketers, specialists and suppliers. This is a great option for companies who are looking to get back to business, or increase market share post-pandemic. The agility of an outsourced marketing department means that the resources can change and flux throughout the year or month, as need arises and budgets allow.
3. Clarity
An outsourced marketing department can give you a fresh perspective on your business and bring a developed understanding of marketing and what it can achieve for your business, making the complex simple.
4. Results and progress towards your business goals
Effective marketing can deliver tangible results and a return on your marketing investment. With a cohesive marketing framework and the right people to deliver it, as and when required, an outsourced marketing department can efficiently strategise, plan, execute, monitor and report on marketing activities to drive a business’ strategic goals.
Sounds great, but how does it actually work in real life?
Objective has been set up as an outsourced marketing department that integrates into our clients’ businesses as a remote extension of their team to offer a fit-for-purpose solution. We work with successful purpose-driven medium-sized businesses, and high-growth start-ups that need long-term implementation capability and a flexible model.
Our carefully curated team of business-savvy, experienced marketers are highly skilled, qualified professionals. In our team you’ll find top-tier marketers, marketing specialists, strategists, researchers, brand managers, campaign managers, graphic designers, media specialists, content writers and supply partners. When we work with you, we are your marketing team – that means our full marketing resource is available to help drive your business goals, giving you access to the broad range of skills you need, when you need them, at a fraction of the cost.
Some marketing team examples
Our client Chelmer, a leading wealth technology company, had a strong position in the New Zealand market with ambitious plans to grow, however they hadn’t updated their brand in 30 years and a refresh was long overdue. We held an initial workshop to understand their business goals and objectives and assigned a marketing director, brand specialist and graphic designer to undertake a brand refresh and develop a marketing strategy. From there we allocated a best-fit marketing manager with specialist experience in marketing B2B engineering and technology firms to implement the plan and work with Chelmer on an ongoing basis. Together we’ve achieved amazing results. Chelmer now has a modern, credible, world-class identity and is equipped with a marketing strategy, tools and resources to grow their business.
New Zealand Coastal Seafoods (NZCS), a secondary producer of nutraceutical, seafood products and premium marine ingredients, engaged Objective to get them investor-ready and prepared to list on the ASX. To succeed NZCS needed to present their story, products and value proposition to investors, and position themselves as a profitable, credible company, with significant investment potential. Once briefed, we assembled a marketing team to develop and execute a strategy and plan. This included a marketing manager, brand specialist, copywriter, graphic designer, public and investor relations specialist, and a marketing director to oversee the project. NZCS successfully listed on the ASX and raised AUD $5 million.
Engaging an outsourced marketing department opens the door to working with highly skilled, proven marketers with a comprehensive, cohesive approach to marketing, so you know you are fully utilising that lever for your business.