When Outsourcing the focus is on Marketing Expertise
Kristjan starts by stating that his role while CEO of a Digital Marketing Agency implies the primary task of finding and enrolling the right people with required proper skills and mindset.
Although more 80% of the work is done by internal resources, there is still room for some specific tasks to be outsourced on a regular basis. Namely software creation, paid media (like Google ads), video crews and some content.
Currently between 30% and 40% of the agency’s revenue originates from abroad and the remaining part comes from local clients in Estonia. The main international markets being Sweden, Finland, and the US.
Where do you Outsource from?
Despite content being absolutely central to all marketing, which would lead to the conclusion of being all done in-house, the fact is that one part is Outsourced. The reason is explained with an example regarding copywriting and written content (like in a Blog) where in some cases the in-house resources are not the best fit towards the client’s expected speech tone or dynamic and therefore the content needs to be outsourced.
And in those cases the company outsources globally (from anywhere around the world).
When in need of Outsourcing locally, and since there are no local on-line Outsourcing marketplaces, it is done through referrals.
How to choose when Outsourcing?
Even with the referral process a good professional may not be the right one and waiting for client feedback to assess it means to have already derailed. So, it is mandatory to initially forward some test work to assess their writing style and then proceed to an interview (for personality assessment).
Besides that, all received content is then evaluated by in-house copywriters prior to be forward to a client.
If the language is a foreign one (besides English) or the topic is not common, a foreign proofreader or an additional expert will be hired to review it.
In the case of Image or Video professionals, having a portfolio is key for the Outsourcing partner to be evaluated and chosen.
In Marketing, the target is not one’s competition but one’s prospects
Some clients remark at times that the content misses a technical detail; the point is that in marketing the target is not an expert audience who will be checking if all the bits of knowledge are mirrored in the provided content. The objective is to have someone who sometimes knows nothing about the product or service or the inherent value proposition becoming a prospect. And to achieve that you need to focus on the Value Proposition and not in technical details.
A very important point made by Kristjan pertains the need to match the message with the prospect client’s given phase, meaning before being an effective client in the sense of someone who has ordered some work from you, there are three phases:
- The initial one is the Awareness Phase and here is where someone gets to be aware of the fact that your brand exists and does “X”.
- The Consideration Phase follows, and here the now prospect is interested in getting to know you and your portfolio in more detail.
- Finally, the Decision Phase where you may be elected the provider of choice.
Yet, some clients just do not accept advice; still, it is their show, so they may proceed as they consider it will better serve their purposes.
On common problems
The main referred potential problem pertains the extent up to which the produced content will match the client’s portfolio and Core Business. To mitigate this, the Outsourcing partner needs to understand the client’s business which may even involve the participation in interviews or even workshops with the client.
When speaking about the content it is most relevant to both address the traditional “Journalistic” type of content as well as the potential for having SEO booster content. < /p>
On posting frequency
So that clients do not forget about you; the minimum should be two blog posts per month.
Video content is today's’ trend and therefore clients should consider the product, brand, or support content videos amongst other to have an attractive web presence.
Although the content is vital, primarily one needs to reach the audience, therefore the investment needs to focus on Marketing and not content.
The final message that Kristjan leaves us with is to try and do a step by step approach to Outsource all your activities that in the future are likely to become “commodities”.