Many small to mid-size businesses are uncertain about investing in marketing, however, to succeed in today’s B2B world, you must consider marketing not as an expense but rather a not-to-miss-out-on opportunity to generate revenue.
Even if you’ve drank the Kool-aid and hired yourself an in-house marketing manager, there’s a lot more to marketing than meets the eye. The fact is, there’s now a science behind the art of advertising. It’s more than a clever line or beautifully designed ad. A strong marketing plan includes strategies, analytics, audience segmentation, SEO, KPIs, email campaigns, and social media management, just for starters. If you can juggle all that, more power to you, but we’re just throwing this out there: a marketing company with seasoned pros can help you avoid the risk of dropping a ball. Here are 5 ways outsourcing can help with a manufacturing marketing manager’s potential problems:
Problem: You can’t get to everything in your plan
Maybe you’re finding it hard to keep up with your blog, or perhaps you’re having trouble building your contact list, remaining active on social accounts or staying on top of the latest SEO criteria. If you start to notice certain aspects of your marketing plan falling through the cracks, sending an S.O.S. to an outside marketing company is better than drowning in a sea of unaccomplished tactics needed to make your marketing work. Do you want to sink or swim? Outsourcing is like having a life ring tossed your way — grab it!
Problem: You don’t even have a plan
Not even sure where to start? If you don’t have a marketing plan in place, it’s like taking a shot in the dark at trying to reach your goals. Marketing experts know how to dig in, get the info they need, build a strategy around it, and develop a game plan that will get you results. In fact, a good marketing company has the capabilities and expertise to not only create the plan, but also implement it, and even measure its success to identify any adjustments to the plan that need to be made.
Problem: You can’t figure out why your plan isn’t working
You’ve got a plan, you’re able to execute it, but you’re not seeing any results. What gives? If you’re like most manufacturing marketing managers, you don’t have time to figure it out. And the more time that goes by, the more marketing dollars are being wasted on tactics that aren’t working. It’s tough enough to squeeze everything you can out of your marketing budget, but if ROI isn’t there, guess which budget’s going to get cut? It’s a downward spiral of doom! The best way to avoid this scenario is to enlist the help of marketing experts who spend their time doing everything you need for a living. Let them research, analyze, audit, and determine the best ways to spend your marketing dollars for maximum ROI. With their help, you can present solutions instead of problems which will likely keep your budget intact, and heck – maybe even increase it!
Problem: You can’t afford to staff a marketing department
With so many aspects involved in today’s B2B marketing, can you even imagine the increase in payroll if you hired specialists for everything from graphic design and content to social media, video, web development, and more? On the other hand, leaving your marketing in the hands of an amateur could be just as costly! All things considered, if you want to ensure quality work that fulfills all of your marketing needs, it makes sense to hire a company that staffs a team of experts in every facet of marketing, all in one place. Again, don’t think of it as an expense but as a revenue generator. Your ROI will pay dividends in the long run.
Problem: You’ve lost your objectivity
It’s easy to become too close to your own marketing efforts which makes it hard to maintain an objective point of view. And here’s what happens when your objectivity goes out the window: you throw money right after it! If you lose the ability to be objective, you lose the ability to make sound decisions based on facts, not opinion. That can have debilitating results in the form of marketing dollars spent in all the wrong places. A fresh perspective can help you gain valuable insight into the best way to position your company, spend your dollars, and grow your business. Plus, outsourcing your marketing needs provides a different vantage point which can often reveal overlooked issues, conjure up new ideas and improve your marketing efforts, not to mention results.
Solution: Outsourcing your marketing
If you’re experiencing any of the common manufacturing marketing problems above, outsourcing could be just what the doctor ordered. It’s a great way to ensure your marketing efforts are thorough and effective, and it allows you to focus on all the other important stuff piled on your plate. Want to learn more? Contact Revel. We have a team of marketing experts whose sole mission is to make marketing managers’ lives easier.
