When you’re running a business, especially a Small and Medium Enterprise, time is the last thing that you would want to lose.
Having said that, digital marketing is one activity that eats up a lot of time, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Outsourcing your Online Marketing to a Digital Agency is a trend that has been picking up steam lately, mainly due to the many benefits it allows your business to enjoy.
Here are some reasons why you should consider this option.
1. Digital Agencies Are Way More Accountable than In House Teams
Most SMEs have small Marketing teams of 3-5 people, who handle All aspects of marketing, both online and offline.
The team leader will be responsible for delivering the KPIs set by, most of the time, themselves.
Let’s do a quick comparison, dollar for dollar.
By paying $4000 a month for agency consulting, you’re going to get access to a team of digital marketing experts, who are doing digital marketing for a living, almost every day of the year.
Yes, we’re a bunch of Geek Workaholics with no social lives.
Due to their access to multiple online marketing campaigns, they are generally more exposed to what’s working, and what’s not in the digital marketing world.
They also have access to hundreds of thousands of dollars of ad spend, and most importantly, the data that comes with it.
On the contrary, for $4000 a month, what can you get with an in house team?
At best, you’ll be able to get a marketing manager who’s been in the industry for 2-3 years.
Remember this, digital marketing is a highly sought after profession, and the best ones are already either taken by the digital agencies, demand a really high salary package, or working in some hot shot tech startup that’s flush with cash.
You’ll save money and time on the hiring process, placing job ads, interviewing the right people etc.
The best people for the job are always not actively looking for a job.
As most agencies build their businesses around a solid reputation, they are held highly accountable for the results they deliver to you.
2. Access to a Team of Seasoned Experts
One of the most obvious advantages of outsourcing your digital marketing is that you’ll receive a strategy that has been crafted by a team of seasoned experts.
Most top rated digital marketing agencies will have specialists in multiple areas such as analytics, search traffic, social media marketing strategies, email marketing, SEO and content marketing.
Getting that kind of expertise in an in-house team is probably going to cost you $25 – $30k per month.
For example, if you were to do your Website Design in Singapore, it would cost you a minimum of $7000 – $25,000.
Since you’re working with a bunch of experts, you can expect to start seeing ROI real fast, if you have a good testing budget.
3. You’ll Get An “Outsider” View Of Your Business, and Industry
Sometimes, when we’re caught up in the day to day running of the business, it’s easy to lose sight of our long term goals and strategies.
For instance, most businesses are stuck on Google Adwords, have no idea who’s visiting their website, have no analytics tracking etc.
Getting a fresh perspective from a digital marketing expert is almost always a good idea, provided you don’t buy too much into their “million dollar sales pitches”
Take it slow with agencies, manage your expectations, and most importantly, Remember that it’s a process.
Sometimes, the first agency that you work with may not be the right fit, but don’t give up, there are a handful of really high performing digital agencies out there, it’s the more vigilant companies that are able to work with these top agencies.
Always ask for ROI measured campaigns, set strict KPIs from Day 1, and be sure that you’re getting frequent updates on your campaigns.
You need to know where your money is going, ALWAYS.
5. (Almost) Guaranteed Leads, Sales & Positive ROI
This may sound ridiculous, but it’s true if you choose the right agency.
A top performing agency will NEVER confirm a deal with you on the first meeting.
If they do, run for the door.
The process should look like this:
- Consultation Session
- 1-2 Weeks of Research by the Agency
- “The Pitch”
- Setting of desired KPIs and campaign Outcomes
- “Sign The Deal”
- Testing Phase of Campaigns
Any digital marketer worth his salt will know that he/she needs time to do a full competitive analysis, assess if he can meet the client’s expectations, and if the client’s offer(value proposition) is good enough to get a solid ROI.
The Top 20% of Agencies frequently reject projects or campaigns that they’re not 90% sure they can deliver, mostly due to the “word of mouth” nature of the industry, and the need to preserve their credibility.
6. You Will Have Access To High Level Digital Marketing Technology.
Landing page creation software, Email Marketing Automation Software, Advanced Analytics Tools – these are some of the “tools of the trade” that a digital marketer uses.
These tools don’t come cheap, but as a typical agency takes on about 15-25 clients at a time, it’s more cost effective for them to subscribe to digital marketing SAAS products, which can costs thousands of dollars per month.
7. You Don’t Need To Onboard, Train, or Manage an Agency
Training, inducting new employees into your company culture.
Making sure they’re the right fit for your existing team, all these processes take time and energy.
Once all that is done, you still have to manage the employee, and there is ALWAYS the human element when dealing with employees.
Save your time and money by dealing with a well trained, professional team of digital marketing experts who are held accountable every step of the way.
8. You Don’t Have To Pay For Perks, Employee Taxes and Benefits
You’ll save tons of money here. Trust me.
You don’t have to pay a Digital Agency CPF contributions.
You can get Government Grants for certain aspects of Digital Marketing.
You don’t have to pay for annual leave.
And you save ALOT of money on salaries.
Here’s the latest salaries for Key Marketing Roles in 2016:
- Marketing Manager – $120,000 Per Year
- Social Media Manager – $50, 000 Per Year
- SEO Manager – $60, 000 Per Year
- PPC Specialist – $50k – $120, 000 Per Year
On the other hand, getting a Top Rated Online Marketing Agency will probably cost you about $60k per year, and you get the benefits of All Those Positions Combined.
Let’s Wrap This Up..
Ok, so after reading this long sales pitch disguised as an article, you’re finally considering speaking to a Digital Agency.
Do your due diligence, and make sure you know what questions to ask and what to look for in a digital marketing agency.
Find the right fit, and your business will skyrocket.
