As a business owner, it seems as if there is not enough time in the day to do everything. You are not only the owner or manager - but the plumber, IT, therapist, accountant, and marketing decision maker all in a day’s work. To help with your time and overall business success, one thing to consider is outsourcing some of those services. According to Business Insider, 37% of small businesses outsource at least one business process.
There are numerous benefits to outsourcing certain business processes such as IT, accounting, and marketing. One of the biggest ones is you can save money. Instead of paying an employee salary and benefits to handle your marketing, you can pay an outside company a fraction of the cost. Some other benefits of outsourcing include:
Working with an expert. Hire a company that is an expert in the field, one that knows what works to attract new customers or knows how to build relationships within the industry. The company should know marketing, just like you know your business. Additionally, they will be familiar with new marketing trends in general (such as using video) and can share helpful information with you. When working with an outside company on your website for example, the company should be up to date on the latest SEO requirements and make changes to your website when Google decides to change their algorithm.
New ideas and perspectives. When working with an outside marketing company, the first thing they should do is get to know what marketing you’ve done in the past that may or may not have worked. This allows them to get an overall picture of what can be done moving forward. By bringing in “fresh eyes”, they can look at your business objectively, giving you new ideas you might never have thought of.
Bring consistency. One of the key things with marketing is you must do it consistently to get results. One post on your Facebook page is not going to cut it. By using an outside marketing company, they can make sure this happens on your behalf. They can plan out the next 3 or 6 months to make sure your message is always out there.
Get more accomplished. By taking the burden off you to do all the marketing, it allows you to get more done. It may also inspire you to try new things you always hoped to get to, but never had the time.
Regular communication and support. Marketing agencies will provide you with multiple communication avenues such as phone or video calls, and emails. They can provide constant updates on the status of campaigns, along with results and analytics.
Access to the right tools. Agencies invest in specialized tools and technologies in order to provide expert services. These technologies can be expensive and require qualified personnel to use them, so your company can take advantage of great cost savings by not buying them yourselves.
Before starting any new relationship with an outside company, it is important to do your homework first. What are your goals for using this company? What do you hope to accomplish by hiring them? Knowing these answers before speaking to potential candidates will help you pick the company that is best for your business’s needs.
When speaking to a rep from the outside company, consider asking these questions:
What is your experience? In this industry in particular?
What will the communication process be like between us?
What is the overall process in working together?
What reporting will be provided?
Having a clear understanding of the relationship before starting will help avoid any frustrations down the line, and give way to a more fruitful, long-term partnership. Using an outside marketing company can be very beneficial, take the stress off you and your employees, and help improve your overall bottom line. It can also free up a few minutes out of your day to focus on the thousand other things you need to do.
If you think your business would benefit from partnering with Finch Marketing, contact us today!