The benefits of outsourced marketing for a small business

There was a time when marketing was simpler.

There were fewer channels, smaller communities and less companies to compete with. It felt like small business owners could manage things on their own. Truthfully, that time is long gone.

With modern consumers accessible on more channels than ever before, it takes a whole team to keep up. To help you find your footing, we’re exploring the benefits of outsourcing your marketing. We’ll answer common questions, from what is outsourced marketing to in-house vs outsourcing – which to pick?

What is outsourced marketing?

Good news! Outsourced marketing is a fairly simple concept. It involves any marketing that is run by a person or team outside of your business. This could mean freelancers, a boutique marketing service or a large marketing agency.

There are pros and cons to each option. For example, larger agencies tend to offer the most services but they come at a higher cost. Freelancers are often affordable, but they tend to have expertise in a single area. For a small business, boutique agencies are usually a good fit as their range of services and the size of their business complements yours.

In-house marketing vs outsourced marketing

Many small business owners understand that successful marketing requires long-term investment. So, they wonder if an in-house team is the right choice. While in-house marketing gives you greater control over your team, it comes with extra responsibilities.

With in-house employees, you have to factor in the cost of their entitlements; like annual leave and sick leave. You also need to keep on top of their superannuation and tax. Plus, there’s the costs associated with recruitment – from posting job ads to taking time away from the business to conduct interviews.

None of these are deal breakers, but they do require a significant time investment. The bigger your team is, the more effort it will take to maintain as well. In comparison, outsourcing offers convenience – with a single touchpoint for all your marketing needs.

Top 3 benefits to outsourcing your marketing

It’s not just convenience that draws businesses of any size to outsourced marketing. There are a range of benefits to consider:

Save time

Small, medium and large business owners share one thing in common; they’re all busy. When marketing is not one of your personal skills, it quickly becomes the lowest priority. Outsourcing takes marketing tasks off your plate – saving you time and allowing you to focus on the things you’re best at.

Don’t get us wrong – there will be some time investment. You will need to keep on top of approvals and occasional meetings to ensure your marketing is aligned with your business. But, the better your outsourced marketing team is – the smaller the time required becomes.

Tap into years of experience

Marketing may not be hard, but it is highly-skilled. When you partner with an agency like Ebony and Salt, you’re also tapping into years of professional experience. We’ve already been through the trial and error of different channels and strategies. We understand what works and what doesn’t. This experience allows us to guide your marketing strategy to success; helping you achieve results sooner.

Cost-effective

We mentioned before that taking on an in-house marketing team means added cost, but one thing we didn’t discuss was salaries. Marketing is a growing industry and competitive salaries for senior staff run high. Small businesses can struggle to afford the most experienced marketing teams. But with outsourcing – you can engage senior-level marketers at a much more competitive rate.

How small businesses benefit from outsourcing

The smaller the business, the fewer resources at your disposal. Outsourcing your marketing comes with some extra benefits for small business owners.

Access to the latest tech

There are lots of great marketing tools and platforms available, which can be a blessing and a curse. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones are best. When you do decide – you may be surprised by the ongoing costs. With an outsourced marketing service, you can rely on their tools. It won’t cost you extra and you won’t have to worry about how to use them or which ones are most effective.

Scale up and down

Business can be unpredictable with profit margins that ebb and flow. Unlike an in-house employee, where the job description and salary are fixed; outsourced marketing tends to be flexible. While it’s not recommended to change your strategy too often, you can review and adjust more easily than with an in-house team. You can also engage outsourced services for one-off projects; like a website build or new product launch.

Keep up with trends

You’re an expert in your industry, we’re an expert in ours. Marketing companies remain at the forefront of trends and can advise you on which ones are worth pursuing. They can also help to prepare you for big changes in the industry; like when a social platform or search engine goes through updates.

Outsource your marketing with Ebony & Salt

Ebony and Salt is a professional marketing agency for SMEs. We make marketing simpler, so that you can enjoy running your business. Our mission is to bring high-level marketing within reach for small-medium businesses. To learn more about what we do, visit our services page. When you’re ready to outsource – get in touch for an introductory chat.