I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked in marketing to see both agency and client side.

A life in advertising is manic, and exciting too – you’re amongst a wealth of clients, working on projects that need delivering on budget, and to deadline (normally down to the wire!)

Working on so many different campaigns brings skills and knowledge from all areas, proving vital for the next project.

And when you switch seats and become the Marketing Manager for a company, you have a dedication and focus on one thing – the business you’re in and only that.

So when I talk to clients now, as an independent marketing consultant, I can blend both experiences and truly appreciate why outsourcing marketing can bring many benefits.

Whatever size of company, hiring an outside marketing specialist to handle your marketing, be it a one-off project or long-term contract can be a positive experience.

So if you’re a start-up, SME or global brand, I’ve put together the reasons why outsourcing can be the best move you’ve ever made.

Start-up: 

When you’re starting a company from scratch, the money side is no doubt tight, so spending on marketing personnel seems a distant dream. But acting as an entrepreneur, you know marketing is vital for short and long term growth, particularity if you’re trying to compete with more established brands.

This is where outsourcing excels.

Hiring a professional to handle your early marketing can prove crucial. Not only do they have experience you would not normally be able to afford, they can pull together your marketing efforts from the very beginning. From a strong brand and web presence to overall marketing strategy, you’ll have a clear, confident and competitive start to your business.

Once the strategy is in place, you can then start to handle the marketing on your own, as there’s a guide in place. And when budgets allow, you can then think about outsourcing again or permanent marketing people.

SME:

You may be an SME that’s been operating for many years and steadily built up a great bottom line. In fact, things are going so well that you’re too busy. But when this happens, things can slip. Does this sound like you?

We’ve all heard it in business – focus. If you lose sight of the goal, things go astray and you lose competitiveness. So if you’re finding that your marketing is starting to slide because of other business pressures, look to outsource.

Taking the strain off certain, or all, of your marketing efforts, allows you to re-focus, play to your strengths and plan for the future. By giving the marketing to a third-party, you know it’ll be done professionally and given the time it deserves.

Multi-national:

It’s not just start-ups and SMEs that can benefit from looking outside the company for marketing. The biggest players out there can also reap the rewards.

Take a large marketing function at a global company. They’ve been working on various marketing channels for years, and consistently look at what works for them – and this of course is a great way to work.

But let’s say there’s a one-off project that has never been done before. No doubt in-house can handle it – but what about outsourcing it? If they did, they’d get a different perspective on the project, a fresh pair of eyes, seen through someone who’s not so closely associated with the business.

That way the company will get a unique, professional piece of marketing, and perhaps make the team think differently when they look at future marketing.

Ten benefits of outsourcing your marketing: