Marketing and sales are critical to your business. So what happens when you just don't have the time or resources to sustain effective marketing and sales campaigns? You fail to generate what we all want - more business.
According to HubSpot over half (56 per cent) of organisations are exceeding their revenue goals thanks to effective qualified lead generation.
There are very few industries which have been left unaffected by the pandemic, but failing to keep up the race to win new business could see some companies fall by the wayside.
Even in this challenging environment, there are new opportunities out there, so a slick inbound lead generation and nurturing machine is essential to engaging with potential customers.
You don't always have to look for 'the power within'. Luckily, there are inbound marketing specialists who you can outsource to be your marketing arm, working alongside your in-house sales team seamlessly, and fuelling business growth.
In this blog, we offer some food for thought to those who are considering outsourcing their marketing.
Give yourself the best tools for the job
It might be said that marketing and sales campaigns are only as effective as the platform which they are run from. But getting access to time-saving software which can help you to refine the lead generation and nurturing process takes investment - both of money and time.
When you outsource to a trusted lead generation and nurturing specialist, you can count on them to possess all the right technology which can really make a difference to the organisation and penetration of marketing activities.
The best marketing and sales automation software - such as SharpSpring and HubSpot - allow leads and related actions to be tracked every step of the way, meaning your company can make the right marketing and sales moves, at the right time.
And it's not just about software - your marketing and sales personnel need the best possible hardware, too. That goes for everything from phones to computers. Could the superior tools offered by outsourcing give your business a better chance of success?
Realise the benefits of remote
We have become more accustomed to working remotely over the course of the COVID-19 lockdown, as many employees have been forced to stay indoors. For some businesses, this has become a struggle to adapt to a new structure of working.
When you outsource marketing tasks to a lead generation and nurturing specialist, you can expect them to be fully accustomed to remote working, using a platform which allows you to consolidate activities together in one single location.
External providers can be more attuned to working remotely, typically serving clients spread over a large geographical area. In the current climate, which has seen a higher level of risk attached to the workplace, the ability to work seamlessly while out of the office means that there is less disruption.
In this respect, working with a remote partner for marketing can allow even small businesses' lead generation drives to continue full steam ahead, even in these challenging circumstances.
Give the 'engine room' of your business undivided attention
Does marketing feel increasingly like an unwanted chore? That might be because as we focus on recovery following a rocky 2020, the core functions of your business will feel even more essential to keeping afloat.
Managing the day-to-day operations of your business has never been more vital - so why not prioritise these critical tasks and take some of the non-core tasks off your plate. Outsourcing marketing can be the perfect opportunity to do this.
Focus on your company's strengths, and let the specialists do what they do best - remember, you might not wish to shift your entire marketing operation to an external agency, but taking pressure away from your in-house team in some areas can pay off in the long term.
This focus on core competencies was highlighted in a recent study by PWC into 'Post-COVID-19 Customer Strategy Implications'. The study anticipates that "competition in some industries could increase with companies suffering from financial losses shrinking certain operations and concentrating on high margin businesses in order to make them their core competence."
Consolidate your existing customer base
Following on from the point above, there has never been a more important time to focus on your existing customer relationships. A 'CEO's Guide to COVID-19' from leading management consultants McKinsey & Company suggests that in many cases, the challenge posed by the crisis has actually strengthened customer and stakeholder relations and that maintaining these partnerships are vital to battling through this period.
The guide says: "In many situations, the crisis has been an opportunity to strengthen relationships with large customers and solidify the supplier ecosystem. Having navigated through this collective ordeal, many companies can strengthen partnership relations with all the stakeholders in their environment."
Outsourcing your marketing can give you the breathing space you need to give your existing customers the undivided attention that they deserve, leaving the task of generating and nurturing leads into new customers to a specialist.
You don't need to ditch in-house
Finally, don't be under the impression that outsourcing marketing means that you need to ditch in-house entirely. There are many segments of your marketing and sales strategy which can be effectively outsourced, taking pressure off your in-house team while bringing in the specialists to help in areas where you are weakest in terms of - experience, knowledge or resources.
Among the activities which you partner with an external provider for are; content marketing, digital marketing, social media, marketing analytics and email marketing.
As you can see, there are many ways in which outsourcing can help improve a business's efficiency, reduce labour costs and overheads, and ensure future growth.
Could you benefit from an expert marketing and sales strategy which allows you to rebound quicker from COVID-19?
Arrange a free online consultation today and discover how we can help you at a time that suits you...
