Digital marketing is a critical component of any modern business strategy, but it requires expertise, time, and frequent updates in order to stay competitive. This is why many companies choose to outsource digital marketing to specialized agencies or professionals. Below, we share the marketing tasks you may not want to manage internally, provide examples for each, and discuss how one of our Fractional Chief Marketing Officers can assist you with all of them.
The Importance of Digital Marketing
The digital world is where many of your leads spend their time, which means your business needs a strong online presence. Digital marketing encompasses all online efforts that promote your brand, attract customers, and drive sales. It includes activities like search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, and social media management, among others.
Managing digital marketing in-house can become overwhelming, especially for small- to medium-sized businesses that have limited staff and resources. This is why we recommend outsourcing the following services.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the backbone of any successful digital marketing strategy. It involves optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results, driving organic traffic, and increasing brand visibility. It’s also a complex and ongoing process that requires a deep understanding of search engine algorithms, keyword research, on-page and off-page optimization, and — depending on how advanced you want to get — a good bit of coding.
Example: Imagine a small e-commerce business that sells handmade jewelry. To compete with larger brands, they need to rank high on Google for keywords like “handmade jewelry,” “artisan necklaces,” and “custom rings.” Outsourcing SEO to a specialized agency can help them achieve this by conducting thorough keyword research, optimizing product pages, building backlinks, and continuously monitoring performance to make any needed adjustments.
Why Outsource? SEO is highly specialized and time-consuming. By outsourcing it, your business can leverage the expertise of professionals who stay up to date on the latest algorithm changes so that they know the best practices for keeping your website competitive in search engine rankings.
2. Content Creation
Content is still king in the digital marketing world. High-quality content not only engages your audience but also improves SEO, builds brand authority, and drives more online conversions. Content creation includes blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, social media updates, and more.
Example: A software company wants to establish itself as a thought leader in its industry. This requires its team to regularly publish insightful blog posts, create how-to videos, and share infographics on social media.
Why Outsource? Creating high-quality content requires creativity, writing skills, and design expertise. Outsourcing content creation to skilled writers, designers, and videographers ensures that the material they produce is professional, engaging, and aligned with your brand’s voice.
3. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising involves placing ads on platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn, and Facebook, where a business pays each time someone clicks on their ad. PPC campaigns have the capability to drive a lot of targeted traffic to a company’s website quickly, but they also require careful planning, keyword bidding, ad creation, and performance analysis.
Example: A local restaurant wants to attract more customers during the holiday season. They decide to run a Google Ads campaign targeting keywords like “holiday dinner reservations” and “Christmas catering.” However, they aren’t sure how to craft their messaging so that it will target the right audience for a maximum return on their ad spend.
Why Outsource? PPC management is a technical and data-driven service. Outsourcing it to experts who understand the nuances of bidding strategies, ad placements, and conversion tracking can result in more-effective campaigns and better use of advertising budgets.
4. Social Media Management
Social media is a powerful tool for brand building, customer engagement, and inbound website traffic. However, managing multiple social media platforms requires strategy, creativity, and responsiveness. You’ll also need one or more people to oversee its content creation, scheduling, engagement, and analytics.
Example: A fashion retailer wants to increase its presence on Instagram and Facebook. It needs to post regularly, respond to customer inquiries, and analyze which types of posts are generating the most engagement. This workload requires a dedicated team that can maintain an active and engaging presence.
Why Outsource? Social media management requires time and a deep understanding of each platform’s algorithms and trends. Outsourcing allows your business to maintain a consistent and effective presence while your internal team focuses on core operations.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for reaching and engaging customers. It involves designing and executing email campaigns, including newsletters, promotional offers, and other automated sequences. Successful email marketing requires an understanding of list segmentation, automation tools like customer relationship management (CRM) software, and performance tracking.
Example: An online retailer wants to send personalized product recommendations to its customers based on their browsing histories. To ensure that its campaigns are well-targeted, visually appealing, and effective in driving more sales, the retailer needs to segment its email list, create compelling email designs, and understand how to use automation correctly.
Why Outsource? Outsourcing allows you to leverage the expertise of professionals who have technical skills and understanding for creating and automating emails, and who can optimize your campaigns for better engagement.
6. Web Design and Development
A well-designed website is crucial for digital marketing success. It’s often the first impression people have of your brand, so it needs to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and designed to convert new customers. Web design and development involves creating a professional website, ensuring it’s mobile-friendly, and implementing features like e-commerce, contact forms, and more.
Example: A tech startup needs a sleek, modern website to showcase its innovative products through features like a blog, product pages, and a contact form. Not only do they want their website to be visually stunning, but also functional and easy for users to understand how to get in touch with them to make purchases and learn more.
Why Outsource? Web design and development requires specialized skills in coding, visuals, and user experience. Outsourcing this task means your business will have a professional and effective website without needing to hire in-house developers.
7. Analytics and Reporting
Analyzing data is essential for understanding how your marketing campaigns are performing and what needs to be improved. This can include tracking website traffic, conversion rates, social media engagement, and more.
Example: A healthcare provider wants to understand which marketing channels are driving the most patient inquiries. Its team needs to analyze data from their website, social media, and email campaigns. By outsourcing analytics and reporting, they can receive detailed reports and insights that help them refine their marketing strategy.
Why Outsource? This level of reporting involves the review of complex data and using tools like Google Analytics. Outsourcing lets you benefit from the expertise of professionals who can interpret that data accurately, and provide you with actionable insights.
8. Online Reputation Management
Managing a brand’s online reputation involves monitoring and responding to reviews, addressing negative feedback, and promoting positive content in order to build trust with your customers.
Example: A hospitality company receives both positive and negative reviews online. They need to respond promptly and professionally to all feedback to maintain their reputation and demonstrate their responsiveness. Outsourcing this service ensures that reviews are handled using best practices, and that the company’s brand image remains both strong and consistent.
Why Outsource? Online reputation management requires constant monitoring and a strategic approach to handling a wide range of feedback. Outsourcing allows your business to maintain a positive digital presence without distracting or stressing your internal team.
The Benefits of Hiring a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
While we highly encourage businesses to outsource the digital marketing tasks that they find difficult, you may also gain additional benefits from hiring a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer from Marketing Armor. A Fractional CMO is a part-time executive who provides strategic leadership and expertise in digital marketing that are specifically tailored to your company’s needs and budget.
Strategic Vision
A Fractional CMO brings a high-level perspective to your marketing outreach. Instead of partnering with a full-service agency and only taking advantage of one or two of their offerings, a Fractional CMO can identify which of the services above you really need to focus on, and quarterback them through a network of marketing professionals. This CMO will then put together a comprehensive digital marketing plan based on your business goals that outlines how each included service will be a) used to its full potential, and b) work with all other services cohesively.
Cost-Effective Leadership
Hiring an internal, full-time CMO can be expensive, especially for small businesses. A Fractional CMO provides the same level of expertise at a fraction of the cost, making them an affordable alternative for companies that need to operate within a specific budget.
Flexibility
A Fractional CMO offers flexibility in terms of time commitment and scope of work. Whether you need ongoing support or help with specific projects, they can adapt to your needs.
Access to a Network of Experts
As mentioned earlier, Marketing Armor’s Fractional CMOs often have a network of trusted partners and agencies they collaborate with. This means you gain access to top-tier talent for all aspects of your digital marketing strategy, from SEO and content creation to PPC and web development.
Measurable Results
Because you have a one-on-one relationship, a Fractional CMO is invested in the success of your partnership. They’ll work with you to set goals and track the performance of your campaigns so that everyone understands what’s working, what needs to be improved, and how to get the results you’re looking for.
Outsource Your Digital Marketing to Marketing Armor
Outsourcing digital marketing is a smart move for companies that want to stay competitive but can’t handle all of the work in-house. Let Marketing Armor quarterback your SEO, content creation, PPC advertising, and social media management, so that you and your team can focus on developing those leads and growing your business.
If you’d like to learn more about what a partnership like this could look like, click the link below to schedule a free consultation!
