8 Things to Consider Before Outsourcing Digital Marketing for your Business

August 12, 2016

Outsourcing marketing and PR can take tons of additional work off of your business.

The first question you should consider – before even thinking about choosing Jelly Marketing – is whether or not outsourcing marketing and PR is the right decision for your organization. Here are a few helpful questions to consider as you make your decision:

How permanent of a decision am I comfortable making?

In other words, if you know for sure that your marketing needs will look a certain way for a few years, in-house staff make more sense. If you’re only sure about the next few months to a year, outsourcing might make more sense.

What is my budget? and Is it guaranteed and/or consistent?

If you know for sure how much money you have to spend on marketing, and if you know that you will have those funds available for an extended period of time, then in-house is a viable option. Otherwise, outsourcing makes more sense.

Jelly Office

Will my marketing needs ebb and flow?

If so, outsourced firms can find contractors or accommodate for fluctuation. Let them take the risk! But if, for some reason, you know that you are going to have very predictable and consistent marketing needs, in-house options might serve you well.

Do the tasks I need completed require skills I can realistically find in one or two people?

While it IS possible to find a “unicorn” with graphic design skills, incredible interpersonal abilities, writing and editing skills as well as strategy and management… but it’s also rare. Agencies hire specialists in all those areas.

Would I benefit from the consulting opportunities provided by an external firm?

Working with an outsourced firm taps you into learned expertise across industries. You might find this extremely beneficial, or, if your industry is highly specialized, it might be almost irrelevant.

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What is the true cost of hiring in-house?

Every agency has an hourly rate and should be clear with you about costs up-front. Calculating costs to hire in-house is a bit more complicated and involves calculating insurance, benefits, EI, WorkSafeBC and the cost of re-hiring/turnover. Either way, finding the true cost of each decision will help you move forward with confidence.

How accountable is each party to its ROI?

Agencies should be held accountable for their ROI. Staff on the other hand, are harder to hire and fire based on organizational ROI. They are more permanent. Depending on the nature of your relationship with an agency, you can help ensure they are accountable for their ROI.

What is their track record and expected level of success?

If you were to hire in-house, you would want to ensure that the individuals have worked successfully in the past on relevant projects. The same is true of any agency you are vetting.

Still need to look into it? See our Case Studies and how we’ve produced results for multiple businesses.

by Darian Kovacs


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