An estimated 62% of businesses outsource their content marketing because they understand that it is a cheaper yet more effective way to do things. Not every company has marketing experts on its staff so it makes sense to outsource in order to receive top notch content.
This is crucial because using a marketing expert should yield custom content which consumers respond better to:
- 61% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase goods/services from a company that delivers custom content.
- 78% of consumers believe businesses that deliver custom content are interested in building good relationships.
- 90% of consumers find custom content useful.
Most of the world’s top brands such as Google, Microsoft and Apple outsource their content but if you’re among the 38% of businesses that don’t, you’re making a massive mistake. Below are some dumb reasons given for this oversight.
1 – It Goes Against Your Core Values/Principles
This makes no sense unless your company’s core values include ‘being a huge failure and going bankrupt at some point in the future.’ Apparently, it is ‘unethical’ to outsource marketing because… Well, there isn’t actually a definitive ending to that sentence.
If you were a cynic you could argue that marketing at its very core is unethical. How often have you seen marketing campaigns by companies selling health and fitness products that claim you’ll get a 6 pack in 6 weeks? Unless you are already in decent shape, that’s a crock of shit. You could say the same about a myriad of marketing ‘promises’ that make Ponzi Schemes seem on the level.
There is no point in having a professional website and accompanying WebPages if they don’t deliver sales. Frankly, most CEOs don’t care how they get results as long as they get them and don’t end up in jail. If you have a marketing department, hire some marketers on a short-term basis, you’ll be surprised and delighted at the results.
2 – Lack of Knowledge of the Market
Once upon a time, you didn’t know how to go to the bathroom without soiling your diaper but you learned. In some ways, the outsourcing world can be as messy as the contents of that diaper as most freelancers will jump ship once they receive a better offer.
Finding competent marketers is easy, keeping them happy is another matter entirely. First and foremost, you need to learn where to find freelancers; fortunately, there are a ton of websites including Upwork (formerly Odesk) and Freelancer.
Your next step is to manage expectations. Many companies have ridiculously fanciful notions; for example, they expect their marketing ninjas to increase ROI by 100% within a couple of weeks. In reality, the results of a marketing campaign don’t become known for a significant period of time. Only then will you understand if your outsourcing venture was a success.
In simple terms, the best way to overcome your lack of knowledge of outsourcing is to research. I recommend sticking with outsourcing sites that offer a detailed look at the profiles of freelancers and their past performance. Most sites of this nature have a review system which enables you to find the best performers.
3 – You Don’t Need It
Another dumb reason not to outsource is because you’re happy with what you have. Okay, you might be getting an ROI of 32% and are perfectly content with it. Guess what? Your rivals are enjoying ROIs of 60%+; still happy?
Personally, I find the modern ‘greed is good’ way of doing things to be repugnant and if you are truly happy at how things are going, then by all means don’t rock the boat. However, you could be underperforming and if this is the case, all it takes is a poor couple of quarters for things to transform from ‘stable’ to ‘crisis’.
Unfortunately, capitalism dictates that you need to get the best out of what you have for as long as possible because every boom is typically followed by ‘bust’.
Unbeknownst to you, your rivals are trying out new and exciting marketing techniques thanks to their outsourced experts and their efforts will quickly leave you in the shade. When you outsource you can get the world’s foremost experts on your side; you will pay for their expertise but the end result is usually well worth it.
Conclusion
Your reluctance to outsource is probably impeding your company’s performance. As well as improving your existing campaigns, outsourcing could also help your in-house team learn a few tricks. If you’re unsure as to whether or not outsourcing marketing is a good idea for your next project, try this Computan outsourcing calculator to see if it is worth your while.
Sources
http://oursocialtimes.com/62-of-companies-now-outsource-their-content-marketing/
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/ponzischeme.asp
http://digitalmarketing.computan.com/marketing-in-house-vs-outsourced-calculator