When embarking on a digital marketing campaign different business owners will view the project from a variety of perspectives. Some will love digital marketing and will relish carrying out all the necessary takes themselves. Others will dread the idea, have no clue how to start, and even if they did, will want no part in its implementation, meaning they will have to find a suitable digital agency to take on the task.
We are not here to state that either of these viewpoints is right or wrong. However, the fact that they exist means that many business owners need help with their digital marketing and that includes carrying out the planning and implementation of it. Invariably that will mean turning to outside sources.
Outsourcing can be done for a multitude of business tasks, and that includes digital marketing. There are also different ways in which it can be done, however, to keep matters as simple as possible we are going to explain just three options, each of which has its pros and cons, as you will discover.
Digital Marketing Consultant
Using a digital marketing consultant is where you hire someone for their expertise, knowledge, and experience to advise you on and create your digital marketing campaign, however, it is you who have the role of implementing that campaign.
A digital marketing consultant will provide ideas and advice on marketing opportunities, where and how to advertise, the sorts of content you should be creating and how to determine your target audience, for example. They will take all that and produce a road map for your online marketing.
Once you have the marketing plan, the next step you have is coming up with the resources, including the personnel, to carry out each necessary task. This could be yourself, your staff, or you may wish to outsource to others.
Whilst marketing consultants are experts in their field, that expertise does cost if you wish to use them, plus you also have to budget for the individuals who are going to carry out the work your digital marketing consultant has recommended.
Digital Marketing Freelancers
This is hiring one or more freelancers who have the skills and knowledge to carry out the digital marketing tasks you need fulfilling. Specific examples include content creation, backlink generation, PPC ads creation, social media management, and SEO.
A benefit of using freelancers is that they are great value for money, have specialised skills and knowledge, and you can hire them as and when required, rather than taking on permanent employees. However, if you hire several freelancers one possible issue will be ensuring you manage the campaign effectively so that each task is coordinated and completed when necessary.
Digital Marketing Agency
If you wish to have the best of both worlds, in terms of digital marketing expertise, and implementation of your digital marketing campaign, then a digital marketing agency is often the ideal solution. Not only can they advise you on your digital marketing campaign to use, but they will have all the necessary resources for its fulfilment.
In addition, a digital marketing agency will have a broader range of services on offer, than a freelancer who, despite being highly skilled and knowledgeable, will likely only be able to apply these to one or two tasks. Conversely, a digital marketing agency will have experts across a wide range of digital marketing specifics.
You will require a budget, however, some digital marketing agencies offer payment options to make it more affordable for smaller businesses to benefit from having a professional digital marketing campaign.