Are you having trouble meeting your marketing needs with the personnel you have? We recently watched a seminar about the decision to hire, outsource, or DIY for your company’s marketing needs. Here’s what you should know:
The first lesson is that you can’t always do everything yourself. Trying to juggle everything is probably not the most efficient way to operate. You need more hands to lessen your load, provide greater expertise in certain areas, or help your company grow. You should focus on your core competencies and let others cover the areas that aren’t your specialty.
Now, once you are ready to expand your marketing operations, should you hire or outsource?
You should hire when you have regular needs for some skill set and you have the cash flows to support a full or part time employee in this area. If you do hire internally, consider the following:
- If you want an expert, expect to charge the market rate and be realistic about your budget.
- When making hiring decisions, look for willingness to learn and a work-style compatible with yours. Chemistry matters.
- When onboarding, provide comprehensive training and document your policies and procedures. If you don’t have everything in writing, a new team member could have trouble giving you the work you want.
However, most small and mid-sized businesses don’t have the need or capacity for an in-house marketing team, and even large companies often supplement their staff with some outside help. Often, businesses contract with consultants who have special talents that are expensive employ. Working with freelancers is a good option if you have occasional needs for a skill set. For instance, you wouldn’t hire a web designer as a permanent employee just because you need a new website every few years.
What if you need an updated website as well as a social media strategy, graphic design materials, effective email marketing, copy for your blog, and automated marketing software (with people who know how to use it)? You probably won’t find a single person who can do all that work well, and paying for the salaries and benefits of multiple employees is expensive. Yet you may not want a bunch of different freelancers who are not be on the same page…. This is when it makes sense to hire a marketing agency. With a good agency, you are getting both senior-level marketing professionals and a wide-range of skill sets from various individuals employed by that agency who can collaborate to best serve your business.
Granted, there’s always one concern with outsourcing: you may wonder whether an outsider will understand you company’s messaging. The answer provided is communication, communication, and communication. (This is why at TTP we have a discovery period where we learn all about your business and your market.)
Finally, we learned some great advice for anyone who is delegating responsibilities: trust that your company is strengthened by having diverse skill sets and different perspectives. Whether hiring or outsourcing, you can gain considerably from giving some of your work to someone else.