Marketing your tours and activities is one of the top ways to be successful. It leads to more visibility online and new and retained business. 

Whether your goals are lofty (like starting a blog and committing to four posts a month) or more readily attainable (like boosting a Facebook post to drive holiday bookings), refining your marketing strategy can often feel like a compromise between time and money. 

This is why outsourcing your marketing is a popular solution that can help you reach your goals and see real returns on your efforts. Options like freelance content creators or full-fledged marketing agencies make outsourcing a possibility for businesses on any budget.

If you find yourself struggling with time constraints or just don’t know where to start, this guide will help you determine if outsourcing some (or all!) of your marketing is right for your business – and how to do so successfully. 

Benefits of Outsourcing Marketing

You can let someone else do the heavy lifting

In addition to saving time, outsourcing marketing is perfect for business owners who might not feel comfortable creating content on their own. Whether you operate with a very small team and limited resources or just don’t enjoy creating your own social posts, an outsourced marketing strategy can be as flexible as you need it to be. 

You’ll get a fresh take on your business

As an added bonus, working with a marketing agency or freelance professional gives you an outside perspective on your business. While you likely have an idea of what you want to promote (and how), an outside party will bring fresh ideas to the table, in keeping with the newest and best marketing strategies. 

Outsourcing can be done on any budget

Finally, there’s no need to go all out and work with a top marketing agency (though you can if that’s what you’re looking for). 

Freelance writers and content creators can give you the lift you need, whether they’re writing a blog post a month or managing your social media schedule. 

Potential Downsides of Outsourcing Marketing

Ultimately, you are in control of your marketing strategy, and you’ll get out of it what you put into it. If you are not prepared to inform the strategy as you work with agencies or freelancers, you might experience a loss of control of the marketing process. You should always know what is going on with your business.

Another potential downside is working with the wrong people. It’s important to do your research upfront and communicate your needs and expectations to avoid hidden costs and misunderstandings. Below, we share some questions you can ask agencies to help decide if they’re the right fit. 

Working with Agencies and Freelancers

If outsourcing your marketing sounds like it would take a weight off your shoulders, start researching your options to determine what is best for your business.

To begin, it’s important to always prioritize your time and your money. Although working with an outside party will help you, you will still be involved in your marketing. 

You’ll want to go into the relationship with established goals and some semblance of a plan for your business. If you’re looking for assistance in setting achievable goals and a marketing strategy, agencies can help you create a plan.

It’s also a good idea to think about what you want to outsource and what you plan to do yourself. If you’re comfortable with posting on social media but you don’t know where to start with pay-per-click advertising, that will inform your outsourcing strategy (and potentially save you money). 

Own Your Strategy

Even though a third party will actually be creating your content, you should own your strategy throughout the relationship. Not only will you need to collaborate on the plan for various channels, but you’ll also need to give feedback on the execution and final products.

Here are some questions to ask marketing agencies as you determine whether or not outsourcing marketing will work for your business.

• What platforms do they use and why?
• Do they use customer personas? How do they research your target audience?
• How do they localize their marketing efforts?
• Do they have your long-term business strategy in mind?
• Do they frequently communicate metrics, including wins and losses?
• Do they lose when you lose and win when you win?
• Do they build strategy overall or just execute part of your strategy? Does that align with your expectations?
• Do they work in your area or with similar types of businesses?

Going into the process armed with expectations and questions to inform your search will start you off on the right foot.

If you want to learn more about outsourcing marketing, be on the lookout for new Compass guides covering how to choose a freelancer or agency to work with. In the meantime, view the latest content in our digital marketing section.