When it’s your business, it can feel like you’re wearing all the hats. And if you’re not skilled in a certain area, your business suffers for it.
That’s where outsourcing comes in. No time to reconcile your receipts, expenses and income? A bookkeeper will do it in half the time you can, and they may catch things you wouldn’t.
Have an event coming up but don’t know the first thing about event planning? Outsource to an event planner!
With a huge rise in the freelance community, outsourcing has never been easier – whether you’re looking to work with an agency or alongside a freelancer. But when it comes to marketing, it’s not as simple as handing it all over. It’s much more nuanced than that.
You're The Driver
The idea of delegating the entirety of your marketing might sound appealing. It’s hard to get right! But I’ve seen too many businesses lose sight of their goals and ethos because they’re not involved enough.
An outsider will only interpret their take on your industry – they’ll never get it fully – even if they specialise in your niche. It’s you that knows your business inside and out. It’s you who is more committed than anyone else. So it’s you that needs to maintain ownership of your marketing strategy.
Outsource the working parts that make up your marketing, but don’t forget to steer the ship from your place of unique understanding.
Outsource Your Graphic Design
Unless you a) have a natural eye for design or b) have graphic design training, outsourcing your graphic design is a good idea.
Creating the right design or image is a difficult task; one made even more difficult when you have the burden of the rest of your business weighing on your time and mind. I encourage business owners to hand over their graphic design reins, at least for the big jobs because…
- A professional takes less time.
- They will know the rules of design – and when to break them.
- A professional has access to decent stock imagery and/or software to enhance your own images.
Outsource Your Email Marketing
Newsletters and email marketing require a specific skill set. There are certain nuances to rolling out successful email campaigns month after month, week after week. The short of it is that if you don’t have a clear and detailed understanding of email marketing, your sales could suffer as a result.
Instead, when you take on board a freelancer or agency that knows what they’re doing, you can reap the rewards and make better use of your valuable time. Because an email expert will ensure it’s not a wasted opportunity, they keep your email list clean and won’t get blocked by spam filters.
A professional won’t miss an issue because they’re too busy or distracted, let’s be honest! Since email marketing has consistently been named the number 1 most effective marketing method, it’s worth getting an expert involved. Your customers will thank you for it when they start seeing more of the things they’re interested in and new ways to engage with your business through email.
Outsource Your Copywriting
If you’d rather be doing your work than writing about it, outsourcing your copy or content writing is worthwhile. From website pages, to blogs, to flyers, to press releases – your copywriter will ensure you say all the right words.
A professional writer ensures all your content is engaging and keeps even cool clients interested, which is no small task. They get your tone and brand voice, so all your copy is consistent and authentically you without effort.
Your writer can take your words and make them come to life, writing compelling content and copy that converts a maybe to a yes. And some can even help you climb the coveted search engine rankings. So give your digital marketing a fighting chance and consider outsourcing the writing while you focus on the big picture.
Outsource Your Social Media
Some people love doing their own social media – it’s a chance to connect with your audience. But for others, it’s a chore that takes more time than your actual job. Plus, there are so many social media outlets to keep up with now you could spend your whole week posting and still be behind on your schedule.
Outsourcing this aspect means you can continue to grow an online following while concentrating on the parts of your business you love.
Meanwhile, your social media pro knows how to engage your fans and followers, which platforms to focus on and can create a schedule that keeps you appearing in your dream customers’ feeds.
Ultimately, an outsourced professional will get you the reach you want using specialist knowledge. You may well need to appear across 5 or 6 social platforms at one time. Is that really something you want to take on alone?
Just like every other aspect of marketing, social media demands time and attention, something most busy business owners are short of.
Should You Outsource Your Marketing?
Outsourcing – or delegating – the practical aspects of your marketing will free up time for you to focus on the overarching strategy. With the benefits come responsibilities, though. Only you know your business inside out, so by maintaining strategic control, you can ensure your marketing works harmoniously.
Want to find out if outsourcing can solve your time problems? Book a call with me here.
