Does your job title include any combination of Founder, Managing Director, Finance Director, Chief Operating Officer, HR Manager, AND Marketing Director? The reality is that many small businesses struggle to justify bringing in a dedicated marketing team within their budget, but they’re also struggling to grow the business. There comes a time when DIY just won’t do it, and stretched business owners realize that they need help developing and executing a marketing strategy. That’s where the services of an outsourced marketing director come in.
What is an outsourced marketing director?
An outsourced marketing director fulfills a senior strategic marketing role in a company without being on the organization’s payroll. The specifics of what she actually does depends on the needs of the client, but she will typically create and manage the marketing strategy and oversee various marketing projects. Basically, she’ll take care of everything you’d expect from your own in-house senior team member.
Working with an outsourced marketing director gives you access to the brain of an experienced senior marketer on your terms, and within your budget.
Here are 5 benefits of using an outsourced marketing director:
1. Strategize for success
Many small and mid-sized businesses make the mistake of prioritizing tactics and execution over strategy. Even with the best execution in play, it’s unlikely that these surface-level marketing activities will succeed in the long-term.
One of the primary roles of an outsourced marketing director is to create a strategic marketing plan, execute the marketing strategy, review marketing performance data, and look forward to the next iteration in regular planning meetings. The strategy is by no means a one-and-done activity—an experienced marketing director will analyze the results of multiple marketing activities, dig into the data, and refine the strategy over time.
2. Realize ROI on marketing spend
You may have heard the phrase: “Half my advertising spend is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”
So often, we see business owners throwing advertising dollars and marketing spend into the ether, without a clear understanding of whether or not they are getting a good return on investment.
Any good outsourced marketing director will ensure that all marketing activities are tracked and measured. Part of the marketing strategy includes setting metrics for success, regularly updating you on progress, and recommending changes based on marketing performance. By identifying activities that are revenue drivers, you will know how to make the most out of your budget.
3. Focus on your core business
While you should be intimately involved in your marketing, you should also partner with someone who can lead the charge to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Even if you already have an employee in a junior marketing executive role, using an outsourced marketing director provides the strategic experience to make tough decisions. When we engage with burdened business owners and managers, they often express a sense of relief to have an expert taking care of their marketing. They’re free to focus their energies on their core strengths and business activities.
Let’s be honest: a task that takes an inexperienced marketer or business owner an hour to do will probably take an experienced marketing director significantly less time. We want you to have the time, freedom, and mental energy to focus on what you do best!
4. Balance business growth and cost savings
One of the biggest reasons that companies are outsourcing marketing roles is to contain costs while moving forward and ensuring growth. It’s a classic Catch 22—you need your marketing department to bolster your promotional and marketing activities, but how do you balance your business ambitions with a budget under strain? The answer: hire the most flexible and highly skilled workers you can afford. Namely, an outsourced marketing director or another relevant marketing specialist.
According to Salary.com, the average salary for a marketing director is $151,031, bearing in mind that this excludes benefits and payroll taxes. Hiring an outsourced marketing manager or fractional CMO gives you the flexibility of an on-demand service, saving you from the financial burden of a full-time hire. For many small businesses, this is a win-win solution—the benefits of a professional when you need them without the permanent employee price tag.
5. New perspectives and ideas
Outsourced marketing directors work with multiple companies, giving them a broad range of experience to pull from when approaching your marketing. They can assimilate what they have learned in other industries and use their expertise to tailor a strategy to your business requirements.
An outsourced marketing director also brings fresh eyes and out-of-the-box thinking to your marketing efforts—not only from her own experience, but also from her network of vendors and contractors. This new outlook can invigorate your approach to marketing and help you feel excited about showcasing your offering to your target market in a way that will resonate with them.
Could your business benefit from an outsourced marketing director?
Do you need a partner who can lead the charge? A partner who can deliver on strategy and execute the marketing activities to grow your business?
Contact Brighter Messaging to learn more about outsourcing the marketing director role at your company.
