The Benefits of Supplementing Your In-House Marketing Team 

Your in-house marketing team is your business’s version of superheroes. They do it all – initial brainstorming, content creation, project reporting, and everything in between. The workload can become overwhelming for smaller teams with limited resources. What if your team didn’t have to do everything themself? Superheroes collaborate with sidekicks too.

Getting some help for your marketing team isn’t unusual. One study found that 71% of in-house marketers and 68% of agencies outsource content marketing. At Content Journey, we work with at least 10 clients whose in-house marketing teams we support with content, half of which are mental health or wellness companies.

Read on to learn the benefits and the steps to take to supplement your in-house marketing team. Outsourced marketing experts, like those at Content Journey, can help save the day.

Why You Need to Supplement Your In-House Marketing

You’re probably familiar with the quote, “Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.” While true, in-house marketing teams face certain limitations that affect the productivity of those precious hours.

Challenges faced by in-house marketing teams include: 

• Project overload 
• Tunnel vision 
• Finite resources 
• Limited skills 
• Lack of niche industry experience 
• Small budgets
• Lengthy full-time candidate searches 
• Employee turnover 

When you bring on external help, these challenges become manageable. Outsourced marketers aren’t out to take your team’s jobs but provide support the best way you see fit. In fact, 30% of brands have implemented similar tactics to tackle their in-house limitations.

5 Benefits of Supplementing In-House Marketing

Unsure if outsourced marketing is the right move for your team? Check out these five benefits you gain – from niche expertise to budget-saving measures – when you supplement your in-house marketing.

1. Access to Specialized Skills and Expertise

Generally, an in-house marketing team’s main focus is to keep the boat afloat. There isn’t much free time to attend industry conferences or focus on learning a new marketing skill. When you bring in outside help, you can access specialized skills unavailable beforehand. Contractors have ample time to hone their marketing expertise and likely have experience working alongside diverse clientele. They know what strategy works, what doesn’t, and how to successfully implement marketing strategies according to your industry’s best practices. 

2. Enhanced Flexibility and Scalability

Another big plus to outsourcing is flexibility and scalability. External providers help your team avoid burnout, especially during busy campaign seasons. When the campaign ends, you can scale back on marketing efforts until it’s time to start again. Your internal team will thank you for not being overworked, and you’ll thank yourself for the decreased risk of employee turnover. 

3. Fresh Perspectives and Creative Ideas

It’s easy for in-house marketers to get lost in the grind and occasionally experience a lack of creativity. While your team knows the ins and outs of your brand, sometimes too much of an inward focus can affect innovation. Since outsourced experts have worked with many other clients, they bring a wealth of different perspectives and fresh ideas to liven up your marketing strategies. 

4. Extended Capacity and Faster Turnover 

Outsourcing can speed up the process if your team struggles with quick turnaround times. Outside teams work faster without sacrificing quality due to their marketing expertise. You’re not limited to hiring one external marketer — you can hire multiple people from their team to meet speedy deadlines and increase your own team’s capacity for marketing projects. While they handle the nitty gritty tasks, your team can focus on big-picture items and long-term business goals. 

5. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Optimization 

Outsourcing works on a pay-for-what-you-need basis. This approach is great if you want to avoid the hassles of hiring a full-time employee. Your business will save the time and money associated with interviewing, training, or equipment purchases and quickly gain quality help instead. Often, outsourced marketers have access to external resources and premium tools, which is one less budget item for your in-house team to request. 

Best Practices for Supplementing In-House Marketing

Ready to take the leap into outsourcing? Before contacting your first potential helper, determine your in-house marketing team’s strengths and weaknesses. Compare these to your overflowing to-do list, then decide which marketing projects require extra assistance. 

You’ll also need to gather business goals, brand style guides, SEO research, previous campaigns, and any other essential information your future assistant should know about your business’s marketing plan. Once you’re organized and ready, it’s time to determine who will help you. 

You don’t want just anyone handling your marketing. During the discovery phase, make sure to discuss the following strategies to ensure seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

Questions you need answers to before supplementing your in-house marketing:

• Do they have a portfolio of past case studies? Confirm they have a similar experience to your business’s needs and the metrics to match.
• Do our communication styles align or clash? How they communicate with your in-house team can make or break a partnership or the success of your marketing efforts.
• Do they comprehend your brand voice and goals? Consistency is key in marketing. If your campaign’s messaging sounds like the competitor’s down the street, you risk confusing your customers. Confusion can lead to a lack of trust, resulting in the loss of new or even loyal customers.
• Do they understand what deliverables are due and when? Unmet deadlines can result in consequences far greater than delayed campaign release dates. If your small business relies on outside investors, loss of funding is possible when you don’t meet expectations. 
• Are they willing to use collaboration tools like Google Drive? These tools allow your team access to immediate project statuses when you don’t share the same office space. 
• Will they graciously receive constructive criticism and feedback? At the end of the day, they are working for you – not the other way around.

Pay attention if the freelancers or agencies you talk to send up any red flags. You may be considering working with a Shadency. Want to know more about how these agencies rob you of your time and money? Read our founder, Lindsey Miller’s, e-book on Dealing With a Shadency and why it’s best to avoid them if possible.

You deserve to work with an agency partner you love — who actually helps your team thrive. Here’s our advice on how to find an agency you love.

Why Outsource Content Marketing?

Content marketing is an area ripe for outsourcing. There are many reasons to outsource this portion of your marketing, including expertise and quality content. Perhaps the biggest benefit is the time you’ll save. 

Just writing blog posts and website content takes an average of 10 hours a week. The newsletters, lead mags, social posts, and any other content marketing efforts you use to serve your audience take even more time. Gaining back that time is a strong reason to outsource content marketing.

Commonly outsourced content marketing services include:

• Strategy/planning
• Topic ideation/research
• SEO keyword research
• Writing
• Editing and proofreading
• Publishing
• Design
• Content promotion

Want to know more? Here’s our advice on how to outsource content marketing and get successful results.

Help is Within Reach Thanks to Content Journey

Now that you understand why you should supplement your in-house marketing, you’re probably excited to reap the benefits of outsourcing. Don’t wait any longer. Content Journey is here to assist your team and make your lives easier. We have a team of content marketing experts with diverse skills that is ready to tackle your overwhelming to-do list. Book a call and get started today.