Nearly every company has wrestled with this decision at one time or another: Should we build our own in-house marketing department, outsource our marketing, or do a combination of the two?
You would think that as a marketing firm, we would always be trying to steer our clients toward outsourcing their marketing, but that's not the case. Why? The main reason is because outsourcing isn't always the best option. Here are a couple of examples:
- For many larger companies with full benefits programs in place and the budget to hire both senior level and support level marketing personnel, it makes sense to build an in-house marketing team. For these companies, they may outsource only for specific expertise such as web design or SEO.
- Sometimes a growing company has the budget for a marketing team, but hasn't yet really created a marketing plan or considered the strategic aspects of marketing. We recently worked with a software company to act as their outsourced marketing director. We worked with their senior team to create their marketing plan and get their marketing foundation in place. At that time, we determined that they would benefit from an internal mid-level marketing resource to manage their day-to-day marketing. So we helped source and hire a resource. It's a win-win situation, as we're still available for help and guidance on senior level decisions, but they have the in-house marketing expertise and support they need to execute campaigns and maintain their marketing systems
The second reason we don't always recommend outsourcing is simply because unless business owners approach outsourcing from the right perspective, the relationship will never work (and nobody wants to waste valuable time and effort!). Here are three key factors we look at when evaluating whether a business owner has the right mindset for a successful outsourcing or consulting relationship:
- An inherent belief in hiring professionals and specialists to provide guidance and support in areas of the business where the owner lacks expertise. This would be the same as hiring any professional, like an accountant or recruiter.
- A positive and collaborative approach to outsourcing. We see the most success when a business owner approaches outsourcing as a partnership that will help them achieve their business goals. What doesn't work is when owners view outsourcing as an adversarial relationship, and believe they if they don't question every step an agency takes, they won't give their best efforts. Finding the right firm to outsource your marketing to should be the same as hiring an employee. You conduct your due diligence while hiring and then trust that your hire will get the job done. You give them every chance to succeed, and if they don't live up to expectations, then you take action.
- Looking for strategic guidance as well as execution. If a business owner already believes he or she is the best person to act as the marketing director and simply wants to hire someone to complete their tasks, then we usually recommend they hire an in-house marketing coordinator, or go directly to a graphic designer or web developer. The benefit in outsourcing to a marketing agency is gaining that senior level expertise you don't have in-house. There's no point in paying for this expertise if you're already taking it on yourself (either because you are qualified, or simply can't let go of control).
Here's an interesting infographic that may help you decide on whether you should outsource your marketing or hire internally:
