Outsourcing industrial marketing – yes or no?
Understandably, as a marketing and advertising agency owner, I vote yes on outsourcing industrial marketing. However, I realize all our clients weigh the advantages and disadvantages of hiring an outside agency versus an inside marketing person or team. Let’s look at factors to consider in that decision.
The cons
Being fair-minded, I’ll start with the downside of hiring an outside firm. These are the main negative factors I see;
- Slower turnaround time
- Deferred communication
- Lack of industry knowledge
When reviewing these points, needing quick results, an in-house marketing and design person or team can offer in-depth industry knowledge and close access that may be challenging to find in an outside marketing vendor.
The pros
As I review the upside of outsourcing industrial marketing, I will try not to make it a sales pitch. Here are the positives:
- Broad experience
- More capabilities
- Lower costs
An outsourced firm brings a wide range of experience in sales and marketing tactics, sometimes offering strategies from other industries that can benefit your program. The firm can bring a team with expertise in various aspects of marketing, such as social media, websites, lead generation, and sales tools. Generally, outsourcing industrial marketing is less costly than an in-house staff when considering salary, benefits, and taxes.
To or not to outsource industrial marketing
If, after weighing the factors above, an owner decides on outsourcing industrial marketing, there are criteria it needs to meet. First, they should have experience in industrial marketing and an understanding of its strategies. The agency needs a thorough onboarding process to help them learn the unique details of your business and market. Its team should offer a single source for all your marketing, lead generation, and sales support needs. Finally, be sure they provide guaranteed fees to avoid hidden or surprise costs.
Pappy
About the Author
Paul Kowalski (or Pappy as he is called around the office) spent over two decades working at other agencies before opening Conach Marketing Group in 2008. The early part of his career was working with Fortune 500 clients at different agencies. However, working with smaller clients was his preference. This choice was because of the impact on a client’s business growth and forming closer, personal relationships.
About Conach
When he was creating Conach, his goal was to bring those Fortune 500 strategies along with years of B2B marketing experience to small business marketing clients. As a result of focusing on business-to-business marketing, Conach specializes in construction marketing, financial marketing, and industrial marketing. Even though we are in Mid-Michigan, Conach provides marketing services to clients across the country.