The Evolution of Work
Today we will explore the changing landscape of work and why outsourcing your marketing work to an entire fractional marketing team (not just a single freelancer) might just be the smartest move you make for your business. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let's take a step back and see how work has evolved over the years.
Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past (like literally 5 years ago), the traditional 9-to-5 job was the gold standard. Employees punched in at the office, worked their way up the corporate ladder, and looked forward to retiring with a gold watch. But oh, how times have changed! Today, work is more dynamic, flexible, and interconnected than ever before thanks to advances in technology and the disruption of a pandemic.
The Perks of Outsourcing
Now that we've set the stage, if you're still clinging to the idea that hiring marketing team members as employees is the only way to go, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Let's talk about the perks of outsourcing your marketing strategy and general tasks to a fractional, digital marketing team.
Perk 1: A Smorgasbord of Talent
When you hire marketing employees or creatives, you're limited to the talent pool willing to live or move to your geographical area for the level of compensation you can afford. But when you outsource, you create access to a deeper bench of talent with a greater amount of flexibility that often costs much less. For example, Clever can provide a whole graphic design team for around the employer cost of a single full-time graphic designer. That’s a lot more creative ideas for a lot less cost.
Perk 2: Cost Savings
Let's talk turkey—outsourcing can save you some serious moolah. When you hire employees, you're not just paying their salaries. You're also shelling out for payroll taxes, benefits, office space, equipment, sick leave, paid time off, and more. Additionally, they have to attend meetings, respond to emails and do projects – all of which are distracting them from being productive and focused on the things they were hired to do.
In-house employees typically have a utilization rate of around 40-60%. Our utilization formula is simple: total time in the office divided by total time productive. At Clever, our utilization rate is 100% as we only bill our time when we are working on our clients’ projects.
With outsourcing, you pay for the specific services you need, and that's it. Another plus? Remote teams like Clever operate online with lower overhead, which translates to cost savings for you.
Lastly, it can be very expensive to design and maintain a healthy professional culture in your organization. At Clever, we’ve got a healthy culture … happy team included.
Perk 3: Flexibility and Scalability
Businesses are like roller coasters: Sometimes they're up, and sometimes they're down. When you hire employees, you're committed to paying them whether you have a boom or a bust. With outsourcing, you can scale your services up or down as needed. Need extra hands during a big project? No problem. Scaling down during slow times? Easy peasy.
Access to Cutting-Edge Tools and Tech
In today's fast-paced world, staying ahead of the curve is essential. But keeping up with the latest tools and technology can be a real headache and cost a fortune. That's where outsourcing to a fractional marketing team shines as everyone comes to the table already knowing how to do what needs to be done; they just need you to tell them what the goals and priorities are.
Perk 4: Tech Geeks Galore
Outsourcing to a marketing and creative team is like inheriting a treasure trove of marketers, strategists, and tech geeks. They're always on the lookout for the latest and greatest tools to make their work more efficient. When you partner with an outsourced team like ours, you gain access to cutting-edge tech without having to become a tech wizard yourself.
Perk 5: Cheaper Software
Monthly software subscriptions can be a hefty expense. When you outsource, you're not on the hook for these monthly costs. The agency takes care of it, and you get to enjoy the benefits. It's like having a top-of-the-line sports car without having to pay for the car payment, gas, insurance, and maintenance.
Perk 6: Focus on What You Do Best
Why spend your valuable time and energy figuring out complex social media algorithms, strategic marketing moves, or consistent audits to keep you ahead of the curve when you could be focusing on your core business activities? Outsourcing lets you leave the technical stuff to the experts while you concentrate on what only you can do.
The Power of Specialization
In the world of business, specialization is the name of the game. Outsourced marketing teams are often composed of a large group of specialists, each an expert in their field. Why would you hire one specialist as an employee when you could get a whole team of specialists for less?
Perk 7: The Dream Team
Think of outsourcing to a marketing team as assembling your very own Avengers. Need a web designer, content writer, and social media guru? We've got 'em. These specialists eat, sleep, and breathe their respective fields, which means you're getting top-notch expertise for a fraction of the cost – but only when you need them.
Perk 8: Reduced Learning Curve
When you hire an employee, there's usually a learning curve involved as they get up to speed with the culture and rhythms of your organization. But agencies are already in the know. They can hit the ground running, saving you time and headache. Instead of you needing to onboard them, they will onboard you.
Perk 9: Versatility and Adaptability
Specialists in outsourced marketing teams are often exposed to a wide range of projects and industries, making them adaptable and versatile. They can bring fresh ideas and insights to your business, helping you stay ahead of the curve.
Your Time, Your Way
Time is precious, and as a leader, you want to make the most of it. Outsourcing can free up your schedule and give you more control over your time.
Perk 10: Strategic Focus
With the day-to-day execution of marketing tasks outsourced, you can focus on strategic planning, growth initiatives, and big-picture thinking.
Perk 11: Reduced Stress
Less work on your plate means less stress on your shoulders. When you're not bogged down by minutiae, you can approach your work with renewed energy, focus, and creativity.
So there you have it — 11 practical and tactical reasons why outsourcing your marketing needs to a fractional marketing team might be the smartest move for your organization.
In summary, we might be biased here, but we have learned first-hand the flexibility, freedom, and benefits gained by outsourcing your marketing or creative needs to a fractional marketing team like Clever. If this is something you are interested in learning more about, we’d love to hear from you and see if we are a good fit. Just click here to schedule a time to connect with our team.