For many enterprises with regional sales offices and Global or EMEA Marketing Teams, a common concern is whether it’s possible to effectively support that sales team without ‘on the ground’ Marketers. Geographical requirements, from language to culture to business norms vary hugely and it is generally accepted that a one-size-fits-all approach is not going to cut it.
When you’re looking for local Marketing support, the big question is, should you employ an individual to work with your sales team, or outsource to an agency?
There are clearly pros and cons to weigh up for both sides of the in-house / outsourcing debate, but whilst we might be a little bias, we think you get considerably more for your investment when you outsource to an agency and here’s why.
Firstly, rather than one person, you get access to a team of exceptionally talented marketing pros experienced in a wide range of marketing disciplines, all of whom can start making an impact immediately. Consultants are used to getting to know and care about your business objectives quickly and putting campaigns into place that will bring results. Conversely, you can typically expect a new employee to need a 3-6-month settling in period for training and onboarding before you can tell if they will be the success you hoped for.
Additionally, finding the right person to hire for an in-house role isn’t always easy these days and can take a considerable amount of time and effort. When you outsource to an agency, you have experienced Marketing Managers with references and testimonials to vouch for their capabilities who are ready to jump into action. An agency can make sure that you get someone who fits your culture and delivers what you need.
Another factor to think about is the range of skills and industry expertise an individual can bring compared to a team of people with specialisms in different areas, such as strategy, design, copywriting, web development and other niche aspects of marketing which an agency can either cover between the team or quickly access through a set of partners they work with.
From a financial perspective, hiring someone full time can be a costly overhead, particularly when you need to take into consideration visas, medical insurance and other regionally specific expected or required benefits.
There are other ways in which outsourcing to an agency can benefit from a financial and return on investment perspective too. For example, an agency will tend to have multiple partnerships with companies who help deliver successful campaigns and events as well as relationships with vendors, publishers and printer who not only give you more for your money but will also deliver at short notice when needed because those relationships have been nurtured over a long period of time and the agency brings them lots of business from multiple clients.
Whether you want to outsource your entire marketing operation, provide an extra pair of hands to an existing team or you’re looking for maternity cover, an agency like FLUME can adapt quickly to your requirements – upscaling and downsizing as your business demands without long term commitments. As your needs change, so can the way we work together.
We have the resources to cover most regions, short or long term. We understand the struggles and challenges you can be faced with and it’s for this reason that we measure our success on how successful we can make you.
The question is, what are the disadvantages of outsourcing? If you choose the right fit for your business, we don’t think there are many at all.