Marketing Outsourcing Guide: How to Outsource Your Marketing in 2024

One business aspect that requires considerable time and resources is marketing. Because it’s extensive, sometimes in-house workers struggle to produce high-quality campaigns or get advertising leads over the line. The best solution to this problem is to acquire outsourced marketing services. 

You can delegate numerous marketing services to external agencies. These third-party firms offer specialized expertise in international marketing, social media advertising, SEO optimization, and email marketing. They also use proprietary digital marketing tools not readily available elsewhere.

Related content: SEO Outsourcing Companies

 

What Does Outsource Marketing Actually Mean?

Outsourced marketing means hiring an outside company to handle all or part of your marketing needs. The third party can be an agency, a freelancer, or a marketing consultant for professional services management. The external partner is assigned both strategic and operational roles. Subcontracting is now the norm, with 71% of companies increasingly acquiring outsourced digital marketing services.

Source: https://www.semrush.com/

Outsourced digital marketing firms provide varying degrees of subcontracted work. An excellent example of a specific contracted service commonly sought is growth marketing. Not many businesses have an in-house team that focuses on this type of marketing. 

Conversely, some companies outsource their entire marketing operations to an external firm. This enables them to focus on other operations. They rely on outsourced marketing departments to map campaigns, implement them, and report on their progress. 

The Features of Marketing Services Outsourcing

Today, customers expect businesses of any size to be active online, connect with them across platforms, and provide valuable content. Contracting digital marketing services can assist your team in meeting these demands effectively. Tens of thousands of digital marketing agencies offer outsourcing services, and most provide these key features:

Specialized Expertise

Businesses often outsource services when they lack the know-how to do it themselves. Outsourced marketing agencies offer expertise in digital channels and techniques, along with access to cutting-edge tools and trends, ensuring top-notch work quality. 

For instance, an external marketer can provide AI operations as part of their digital marketing services for startups. A startup using AI needs extensive training to ensure machine learning setups are effective. Most new tech companies don’t have the workforce for sizeable data labeling efforts. Contracting these AI operations to a startup-specific digital marketing agency is the best solution. 

Market Research

If your in-house team has limited resources to do in-depth research on industry trends, target demographics, consumer behavior, and competition, outsourcing this service can fix the problem. Outsourcing marketing companies consolidate, evaluate, and test data related to your business so you can make informed decisions based on current market insights. 

For example, a B2B company can hire an external B2B digital marketing agency to work with a lead generation specialist and a sales strategist who deeply understands market dynamics and sales funnel optimization. 

Top-Quality Talent

For small businesses, the top selling point for outsourcing services is the external marketer’s ability to address business challenges with fresh and innovative solutions. A vital feature of a contracted marketing agency is its roster of professionals trained to deliver quality results. These outsourced marketers are proficient in their field and can work without constant supervision.  

For example, SEO outsourcing companies have a pool of employees who live and breathe search engine optimization. You only need to provide them with your SEO target goals; they’ll do the heavy lifting. 

Benefits of Outsourcing Marketing

Marketing is time-consuming and labor-intensive because it never stops. With the continuous changes in digital marketing, it’s best to work with an external marketing team to move your business forward. 

Expertise and Experience

Digital agencies excel in strategic, creative, and technical marketing areas. When you outsource to one, you gain access to a skilled team capable of handling all aspects of your marketing needs, from creation to management.

Apart from their in-depth knowledge of modern digital marketing techniques, marketing agencies also know the optimal times to launch campaigns, how to assess and leverage the latest trends, and how to evaluate your business’s current market traction. Digital marketing campaign from the agency is controlled at all stages. Plus, they boast specialists in various platforms and strategies, enhancing your marketing efforts. 

For instance, a Facebook marketing expert is adept at managing both paid and organic ads on the platform, while a video marketer specializes in in-video branding techniques. 

Cost-Effective

In-house marketing can be costly. A complete team typically includes a project manager, campaign strategist, web developer, content creator, graphic designer, SEO expert, email marketer, PPC specialist, and social media manager. Just hiring a social media manager can average around $6,000 per month.

Hiring an external marketing expert is more cost-effective because you only pay the agency for their work. You don’t have to compensate them for holidays, sick leave, or training. Furthermore, when you outsource digital marketing services, you reduce the risk of failed campaigns—which can put a huge dent in your budget—because marketing experts oversee them. 

Time-Efficient

There are only a few hours in a day to tick off all marketing tasks. In SMM, you must dedicate at least an hour to each platform. You need to make the content relevant for each platform and optimize it to reach your target market. That’s a lot of daily work for just social media. Contracting means delegating time-consuming work to experts. 

Advanced Tools

Using a dependable MarTech stack is necessary to create solid marketing campaigns. For example, you need email automation, an analytics dashboard, a drag-and-drop editor, contact management, and personalization features in email marketing. The costs for each tool can quickly add up. Some marketing tools have a steep learning curve, so you must invest time to master them. If you opt for free tools, most have limited features. 

However, external agencies use high-quality tools and software like AI-powered analytics, content generation aids, and CRM integration to do their work. You also get the data and insights from these advanced tools.

Project Flexibility

The marketing services you need vary. Long-term projects like promoting a new product will require different marketing services than short-term projects like website redesign. External digital marketing agencies offer flexibility in the services they offer. They can quickly adapt and adjust the project based on your requirements and changing circumstances, such as algorithm updates. They can revise and refine the services on a per-need basis. They can also make considerable changes in the scope and strategy of the campaign when necessary. Contracting marketing services allows for greater flexibility in adapting to market trends, competition, and consumer behavior changes. 

Fresh Outlook

Sometimes, it takes an outside perspective to see what works and what doesn’t in your marketing campaigns. Internal team members can have biases that can hurt your marketing efforts. External partners offer a fresh, unbiased outlook on your business. Office politics or hierarchy don’t hinder them, so their feedback is clear and objective. They do a thorough audit of your marketing campaigns to see which areas excel and which need improvement. They can also strategize and implement new ways to achieve your goals. Furthermore, contracted marketing teams work with various clients in different industries. They can apply industry-specific knowledge to your digital marketing campaigns. 

What Kind of Marketing Services Should You Outsource?

You can outsource your entire digital marketing to an external agency or choose specific services depending on your business needs. Below are some of the most common services contracted to an agency or a freelancer. 

Outsourcing Marketing Strategy

A marketing strategy is a long-term plan for achieving the company’s goals. A business without an outlined strategy risks wasting resources like time, workforce, and money. There’s also no concrete roadmap to promote products and services. Hiring a marketing consultant means bringing on board an expert responsible for staying updated on new marketing techniques and creative methods to boost your campaigns.

Source: https://coschedule.com/marketing-strategy

Delegating marketing strategy to a marketing consultant means you’re recruiting the help of an expert whose responsibility is to keep abreast of new marketing techniques and creative methods to help propel your campaigns. Contracting lets you stay in sync with your customer base and effectively communicate your products through various channels. 

Your external partner uses high-level elements to assess and determine your company’s current value position. They‘ll make a detailed plan for future marketing direction based on the audit results. Your external marketing team will do significant groundwork, including:

• Outlining your marketing strategy goals
• Conducting internal and external reviews to check your company’s SWOT
• Developing your buyers’ persona
• Performing marketing budget audits.
• Mapping out advertising initiatives
• Creating a comprehensive marketing strategy with timeline, tracking, and reporting

Outsourcing Content Marketing

Informative content can position your business as an authority in your field. High-quality content can also do wonders for your bottom line. However, producing high-quality content is time- and labor-intensive. Outsourcing content marketing can free up your time. It also becomes easier to scale content when someone else does the legwork.

When working with an external content marketing team, it’s essential to give a detailed brief, including your content goal, content type and format, target audience, main topics to cover, length, and keywords to use (if necessary). It’s also important to outline your expectations regarding speed and deliverables. 

A reputable outsourced marketing firm that specializes in content marketing provides top-notch services, including:

• Content Strategy
• Content Development
• Content Creation
• Content Optimization
• Content Distribution
• Content Reporting
• Video Production and Management

Outsourcing SEO

A reliable external SEO marketing team takes the time to understand your target audience and the people behind every search and click. Through this in-depth research, they can create an SEO strategy tailored to your business and target market. Contracting SEO services also provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure your sites and channels are SEO-optimized. 

Contracted SEO services generally include local, organic, and technical SEO. Other SEO-specific agencies offer niche-based services including, but not limited to:

• eCommerce SEO
• Startups SEO
• SMB SEO
• Fintech SEO
• Crypto SEO

When you outsource digital marketing SEO to experts, you get access to resources to help you and your in-house team learn the latest SEO updates. 

Outsourcing PPC Campaigns

Many businesses outsource their PPC campaigns because they can leverage specialized advertising knowledge that they often lack in-house. A PPC marketing agency offers a complete suite of services customized to help your business achieve its growth goals. 

Outsourced PPC marketing teams are proficient in various platforms, such as:

• Google Ads
• Facebook Ads
• Google Shopping Ads
• YouTube Ads
• LinkedIn Ads
• X (Twitter) Ads
• Amazon Ads
• Yahoo Ads
• Bing Ads

A PPC digital marketing agency provides key services, including account setup and management, strategy development and execution, and audience targeting. They also conduct split testing, campaign scaling, and detailed reporting.

Outsourcing Social Media

Social media marketing is one of the most extensive types of digital marketing and requires thorough expert work. You can outsource social media services full-time or partially. If you have an in-house team, they can handle most of the work and subcontract specialized services like community management to a social media digital agency or a freelance manager. 

An experienced SMM agency has a team of specialists who are constantly aware of social media changes. They can provide an objective outlook on your social media initiatives without losing sight of the big picture. They can also run organic and paid social campaigns using advanced tools like social listening. 

Contracting social media services is particularly beneficial for large to enterprise-sized companies or those with an international market. About 50% of Facebook users are non-English speakers. Contracting a social media specialist who can translate your promotions into other languages can help you reach a broader audience and build a multilingual social presence. 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/montreal/ 

You can also hire an external social media marketer for a specific platform. Suppose your in-house team already handles multiple channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. In that case, you can look for a social manager who can handle TikTok or other social platforms. A good social media marketing firm provides vital services, including:

• Platform Selection
• Profile Optimization
• Organic Social Content Creation
• Paid Social Content Creation
• Community Management
• Reputation Management

Outsourcing Email Marketing

Beyond a captivating headline or impressive content, mounting an email marketing campaign requires tons of behind-the-scenes work. Successful email marketing initiatives use advanced tools like automation and personalization. Workflows like lead nurturing require regular monitoring. Outsourcing email marketing services transfers a lot of manual labor to the pros. 

When you outsource email marketing services from a professional email marketing firm, you can expect key services, including:

• Campaign Creation
• Content Creation
• Personalization
• List Setup and Management
• A/B Testing and Optimization
• Automation
• Analytics and Reporting

Outsourcing Influencer Marketing

As one of the leading strategies for driving ROI, influencer marketing requires industry knowledge and adept networking. This is why most brands work with an influencer marketing agency rather than handle the service in-house. An external marketing team can help you choose the best influencers that align with your brand’s values. They have the resources and tools to determine whether your campaign is best suited for a nano, micro, macro, or mega influencer. 

A proficient influencer marketing agency has a vast database of influencers in every niche sector. They’ll work closely with your team and the chosen influencers to create a data-driven roadmap for the campaign. This ensures a smooth partnership that showcases brand cohesiveness and the influencer’s unique touch. 

To optimize their services, work with an influencer marketing agency that provides:

• Influencer Matchmaking
• Influencer Management
• Influencer Contracts

Outsourcing Marketing Analytics

Marketing analytics involves consolidating, measuring, analyzing, and interpreting campaign-specific data. It’s a specialized service where a data scientist uses advanced software and tools to receive and decode data accurately. Most businesses, particularly SMBs and startups, don’t have this expertise in their wheelhouse. An external digital agency can extract insights from data that can be used to create or revamp marketing campaigns. A specialized agency in marketing analytics can also audit and interpret your company’s existing data to see if they’re still relevant and practical. From their insights, you can develop a new product or upgrade an old one to cater to a broader audience. 

A good marketing analytics agency provides data-driven services, including:

• Data Integration and Tracking Optimization
• Marketing Performance Tracking (web, paid, social, SEO, and referral)
• Search-Based Marketing Intelligence
• Customer Segmentation

How to Choose the Right Partner for Outsourcing Your Marketing

Outsourcing marketing tasks has pros and cons. In addition to the abovementioned benefits, outsourcing enables your business to network with premier digital marketing agencies and proficient freelancers. Conversely, there can be a real risk of losing executive control when you outsource multiple services. To mitigate the risk, it’s essential to choose the right external partner:

Set Clear Objectives

Conduct your own audit to see which marketing aspects your company can genuinely handle and which areas require expert work. The services you can outsource will largely depend on your business objective and budget, so it’s better to have a clear picture of your current marketing status. Outline your marketing issues to identify which service can fix the problem. 

Marketing usually doesn’t follow a linear formula, so you must dive deep to see the best option. For example, if your goal is brand awareness, a social media campaign is a better option than PPC ads. Make sure to outline SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.

Pick a Partner

There are two main routes to outsource: via an agency or a freelancer. Both routes have pros and cons, so determine which external partner fits your budget and needs. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

 

	Outsourced Digital Agency	Outsourced Freelance Marketer
Cost	Billed monthly	Billed hourly
Availability	Offers options beyond regular working hours	Often available during standard business hours
People Involved	Often a team of professionals with specific roles	One person proficient in multitasking
Expertise	High; may have specializations	High; may have specializations

 

Establish a Budget

And don’t hesitate to communicate it upfront. Cost should be a priority because pricing varies depending on agency standards, your industry, current trends and economic status, and extra features like trademarked tools. If you expect superior work, you can also expect a price range that’s more than the average. Before you contact an outsource partner, finalize how much money you can invest in the service you need—factor in the project’s size, scope, and timeline.

Seek Proficient Partners

You’re outsourcing work to let the pros handle tasks you’re not skilled in. Once you have a shortlist of potential external digital teams based on your goals and budget, evaluate them based on their technical expertise, skill sets, access to advanced tech, and experience in handling complex problems. Ask for case studies or proof of their previous work to gauge if they’re the right fit. Make sure to check their market reputation, too. Platforms like Clutch or referral sites usually have review sections on digital agencies and freelancers. Take the time to read and assess reviews to see their work ethics.

Furthermore, evaluate their communication skills. A lot of outsourced projects fail because of miscommunication. Ask them what channel and form of communication they use and see if that works for your end, too.

Protect Your Data

One of the risks of outsourcing services is sharing sensitive information with an external agency. Data privacy and security are often an afterthought in the process. Make them a priority because damage control can only do so much if there’s a security breach or leak of sensitive information. Speak with your chosen external partner and see if they conduct network and security audits regularly. Ask about the tools they use to guarantee that your data and Intellectual Property are fully protected. If possible, ask for a non-disclosure agreement. 

Tips for Effective Monitoring and Control of Marketing Services Outsourcing Process

Finding the right outsourced digital team is just the start of collaborating with your chosen partner. To protect your business and interests, you need to monitor and control the process:

Set up regular communications

Establish communication channels and checkpoints to ensure you and your external team are always on the same page. Open communication enables regular feedback that minimizes costly misunderstandings and disagreements.

Establish an SOP upfront

You and your contracted partner must have a mutually agreed Standard Operating Procedure document with a step-by-step project guide. An SOP ensures quality, safety, and compliance. Both you and your outsourced partner can periodically revisit the SOP for reference, instructions, and guidelines.  

Implement a quality assurance process

Having the final say on all external work is a must, even if you’re working with a credible digital marketing agency. Remember, it’s your business name on the line, so take the time to review the work and ask for revisions, if necessary, before giving the green light. 

Use collaborative tools

Utilize management tools where you can communicate with your external digital team, track their progress, and monitor their performance. Using these tools contributes to a more streamlined workflow and better organizational setup.

Review and reward performance

Do a performance review every now and then to see if your investment works and if you’re working with the right partner. Don’t hesitate to give incentives or rewards when they hit performance milestones. This fosters a positive collaborative environment and can motivate them to deliver more high-quality work. 

Free Up Time for Your Business: Marketing Outsourcing Services by NinjaPromo

Outsourcing digital marketing services is not an easy decision to make. More than the financial factor, relying on total strangers to deliver top-notch work for your business can be overwhelming. What eases the process is working with an experienced and reputable external digital marketing team like NinjaPromo. We’re an award-winning digital marketing agency that has worked with brands worldwide. Our outsourced assistance encompasses primary digital marketing services, including social media, PPC, video marketing, PR, web design and development, mobile app development, branding, and more. We cater to various industries, such as SaaS, eCommerce, FinTech, startups, SMBs, mobile, eSports, gaming, and more. Our hands-on, holistic approach will be a valuable asset to your business. 

Conclusion

As your business grows, so does the demand for quality marketing campaigns. Outsourcing digital marketing services can help you scale your business. You can outsource your business’s entire digital marketing activities with an external digital team or partner your in-house team with an external freelance marketer. Both scenarios will help tick off your goals. Just find an outsourced marketing team suited to your business goals.