Demand on small businesses to add digital marketing into the mix has meant in the last decade many have turned to outsourcing the entire function. If you don’t currently have a marketing specialist in your team then outsourcing could be for you.
However we urge people to proceed with caution, some businesses recruit graduates or even students to look after their social media marketing as a cost-effective solution. Whilst they are au fait with the platforms, they often lack commercial experience or an appreciation of this channel’s role within the wider marketing mix and so, this can lead to disjointed or limited results.
Sometimes just pursuing tactical tasks without a strategic approach can have a negative effect on your growth and whist you could read and Google answers, seek training or fly by the seat of your pants, nothing replaces years of experience.
Why you WANT to outsource
- You can’t afford to take on more staff
- Your team doesn’t have the skills and experience
- You’re seeking advice, training and guidance
- You need a fresh new approach
Why you NEED to outsource
Working with an agile marketing/comms agency like us, means you can access an entire team of marketing experts with a broad skill-set that one person is unlikely to possess. At Colley Raine each of our associates have 20 years plus experience in specific areas including marketing strategy planning, social media management, brand storytelling and event management and this is all part of our service available from day one, without the hefty price tag.
You only commit on a month by month basis and have the flexibility to pay only for what you need, which usually works out a lot less than the cost of one full-time employee.
This options saves time, leaving you to focus on your business, plus it saves the added cost of managing staff, ongoing professional development, and implementation of the latest tools and technology.
Is size of business a factor?
We work with a variety of businesses, of different sizes and sectors. The decision could be based on where you are in terms of growth, whether you have physical offices and if you like managing people. According to data from YouGov, seven in ten companies in the UK outsource services to third parties and the trend is for this to increase.
How does it work?
We work with you and your team as if we were part of your business but without the need to manage us on a daily basis. It all starts with an exploration meeting, where we meet the team and you meet the people you’ll be working with. We discuss your business, where you are now and what you want to achieve. We then go away and work on a Marketing strategy for you, branding guidelines and tone of voice. We research your competitors and benchmark your business against them.
The downsides of outsourcing
Outsourcing is not for everyone, and you’ll have to think carefully about how much control you want, if you want to be involved in every post, hashtag or press release then you are probably going to end up spending far too much of your working week on marcomms, and not focusing on what you do best: running your business . You’ll also have to feel comfortable working with a new team, it’s part of the reason we don’t ask for a lengthy commitment and when things need to ramp up or down, we can flex with you too.
About us
We can step up our support or reduce our commitment, depending on your project and your budget. We only charge for the hours we work, no retainers – just fair and transparent pricing.
Our services;
- Strategy analysis and Marketing planning
- Social Media Management
- Market research
- Bid writing
- Design
- Email campaigns
- Blogging and Copywriting
- E newsletters
- Creative photo, audio and video services
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Web design
- PR including crisis PR
- Marketing Communications
- Brand & storytelling
- Fundraising
- Business Development
- Events
- Ethical giving
- CRM
Ask the experts
Colley Raine & Associates, Office 4, 8a London Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1DA
Email: hello@colleyraine.co.uk
Phone: 07976 399579