With marketing trends and tactics constantly evolving, it can be difficult to stay in the know whilst dealing with the day to day activities that running a company entails. However, the business world never stops and you need to decide the best way to move forward and grow. For most B2B businesses, an outsourced marketing partnership is the obvious way forward.
Before you even start looking for an outsourced marketing partnership, there are a few things to consider first! You need to think whether you would like your partnership to be in-house or not? An operating team-type agency could support your growth, or you could investigate the possibility of a hybrid outsourced partner with additional in-house employees. You could even fully outsource so that you don’t need to worry about the expense of a full time in-house team.
If you do decide to fully outsource, which most growing firms do, you should focus on these 5 key traits when choosing a marketing partnership:
They must have a proven track record of growth. This one is non-negotiable. Growth is the main reason you are even considering an outsourced marketing partnership, so look at how they plan to work to scale. Although it may be tempting to simply choose the cheapest offer, it is important to investigate how they have handled past projects and clients. Examine their client base and understand who exited and when, as well as what their clients original starting points were to understand the progress they have achieved.
Are they up to date and experienced within your industry? Surely you wouldn’t choose an outsourced marketing partner who has never worked with B2B technology companies... if you are a B2B technology company! Check out the portfolios and testimonials on their website to determine if they have sufficient knowledge and expertise within your market.
Ask yourself, ‘Will this outsourced marketing partner fit in well with my team?’ ‘Do they seem trustworthy?’ ‘Will I value their advice?’ As an extension to your team it is fundamental that they speak your language and generally get on well with your company. Ask every question, meet every team member, and make sure that the partnership is the right fit. Partnership is a two-way street, so a similar set of marketing beliefs and values goes a long way to ensure that your business will thrive.
On the same note as the above point, your new partner also needs to be flexible to business' structure, schedule and processes’. At the end of the day, the goal is to complement your company and make marketing a smoother and easier undertaking for you. Research the different outsourcing models, consider both yours and their commutability and locations, to consider how your partnership can fit together.
Make sure your outsourced partner has the right talent to fit your requirements. As an example, if you need a new website design compatible with HubSpot, make sure the developers involved are design certified by HubSpot and have relative experience. This will improve efficiency and put you on the right foot from the get go.
Keep these 5 qualities in mind when searching for an outsourced marketing partner. If they don’t meet your requirements or answer questions to your level of satisfaction, they are not the team for you. Good Luck!
Here at Resourceful Marketing, a high growth outsourced marketing in winchester, we can serve as an innovative extension to your team. If you would like to learn more about how we can support your business grow and succeed, don’t hesitate to request a free consultation. We can discuss your aspirations in depth to make sure we are the right fit for you.