Outsourcing Marketing: A Good Move for Your Company? Part 2 of 2

The customer is always right… or not

Traditional agencies will usually do as they are told. For example, if they are asked to produce a brochure, they are unlikely to counsel using Social Media Marketing instead – or the reverse, if that’s what good strategy dictates.

Neither the client nor agency is really to blame. It’s just that neither is likely to examine the client’s ultimate objectives and then suggest how to proceed. The work tends to be more reactive and project-based. Suggesting a less expensive option with higher ROI at that juncture would be working against their own best interests – assuming they even take the time to strategize and come to that conclusion.

One additional drawback exists where the client is outsourcing B2B marketing, which is a specialized subset of marketing: traditional agencies are experienced with and knowledgeable about consumer marketing. Their expertise lies in assisting B2C clients. At best, B2B marketing may be a sideline for them, and often that means they will be relying all the more heavily on the client to provide them with a guiding strategy instead of the other way around.

So where does that leave the harried B2B executive? Outsourcing to a fully integrated B2B marketing firm, on that practices not just B2B marketing but integrated sales and marketing, is clearly the #1 choice. This option presents a number of distinct advantages to the client seeking to outsource, including:

• Immediate relief from the trap of too little time to handle B2B marketing functions with the care they deserve
• Specialized expertise that goes way beyond what can be found in-house at SMBs – strategic planning, market analysis, sales force management, and even social media marketing expertise
• Improved results in terms of lead generation and sales, especially when costs are factored in
• The ability to purchase a package of services and thus fix costs for at least an annual time period, which can help with financial forecasting
• The ability to take advantage of “new” avenues of communication, such as Social Media, or techniques such as SEO, for example. These may be concepts the executive has been intrigued by but has not had time for previously

Of course, outsourcing marketing is not always the right choice for every situation. But, especially for small- to medium-size B2B companies, it is very often both the wisest and most expedient solution.

What do you think? We invite you to post your comments and questions below.