You're likely to have two main priorities as a founder of a startup: optimizing costs and driving revenue growth. It sounds great, except that we have been hearing about a recession in the near future and the economy has been on a rollercoaster ride for over two years.
It's likely irresponsible to consider outsourcing content creation and other marketing activities given the current circumstances. . . right?
Actually, wrong! It is false to believe that outsourcing is a poor financial investment in uncertain times. In times like these, you will need the expertise and consistency that a content agency can provide.
Research has proven that outsourcing content can have a higher ROI than doing it yourself. It leads to lower costs, faster growth, more leads, conversions and sales.
As a founder, partnering with a content agency such as ours can be one of the best and most cost-effective choices you make. It can help keep your company stable in uncertain market conditions. Great content is especially important for startups. It can give your marketing strategy an emotional beat, establish your online presence, and connect you with buyers who are looking for your solutions.
We'll be discussing the benefits of partnering with a content company in these times. We'll cover:
- The future of B2B content outsourcing: 2022
- How content strategies can drive business growth
- Outsourcing to a content agency can have a positive impact on your ROI
- How content agencies can provide stability during difficult times
Quick Take-Aways
- Nearly 90% of companies have reduced their costs by outsourcing this year.
- Bundled services offered by content agencies include what you would pay for in full time salaries (and other costly line items) when you hire an internal content team.
- A content strategy that is effective requires publishing between 4-16X per calendar month, which is equivalent to 60+ hours of writing.
- A content agency can provide a broad range of skills, including writing, editing, and graphic design.
- Regular performance reporting by content agencies is a way to prove their worth. This will give you clear insight into your strategy's ROI and help you improve.
The State of B2B Content Offsourcing
Before we get started, let's consider this: Despite the rollercoaster markets that we have dealt with over these years, 81% companies outsource writing. This is more than any other marketing-related business activity.
Other related activities, such as search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing strategy, are often outsourced frequently. Content agencies often bundle them together into one seamless service.
Image Source: Statista
In 2022, however, content marketing will continue to be a critical component for startups. B2B buyers spend most of their research online before contacting potential providers. Nearly three quarters of them (72%) consume at least 3+ pieces before making a decision.
This means that your company will likely be invisible to customers if you don't publish consistent, high-quality content online. This is a mistake that growing startups cannot afford to make, and one that a content agency can help prevent.
What makes a content marketing strategy exceptional?
A comprehensive, consistent and well-planned content marketing strategy can take as many hours as multiple full-time jobs. If you publish at the pace you should, writing can take up to 15 hours per week. This doesn't include planning, SEO research and proofreading.
Full-time salaries, benefits and equipment for a team that works in house are all part of the cost of hiring a team. It's not practical to try it in-house with just one person or a small group. This can also lead to a loss of revenue if content isn't up to your standards.
One sentence sums up the ROI of outsourcing content marketing agencies. They deliver a complete, end-to–end strategy and all the resources, time, expertise, and human capital required. All for a one-time bundled fee. Let's dive deeper into the components of a great content marketing strategy to understand how this works.
We create content that has organic reach and social share so you can add TRAFFIC and promote your products and celebrate your customers.
Customer-focused planning
Content marketing's core purpose is to reach the people who are most interested in what you have to offer. This means that every step in the content marketing process, including the creation of buyer personas and topic pillars, choosing the right content types and tone, and deciding on the best brand voice and tone, should be centered around the customer's needs.
This is why founders often worry about whether a content agency can capture their brand in a way that they are capable of.
MIG and any content marketing agency will agree that the client/agency relationship is more like a partnership. The first order of business is to get to know you, your target audience.
You can expect a content agency to guide you through a thorough briefing process. This will usually include a document resource (MIG's is shown below) that will help you to create content that resonates with your customers.
Source: Marketing Insider Group
SEO research
Without an SEO strategy, publishing content is like trying to throw spaghetti at the wall and hoping it works. SEO is the key to ensuring your content ranks well on search engines. The ranking factors Google uses for evaluating content are continually evolving and changing. There are many contributing factors to this algorithm.
SEO effectiveness today is more than just putting keywords in blog articles. This requires extensive, detailed research. It includes an audit of your content, a knowledge of the competition, the development and use of the right titles and publishing calendars to maximize results.
Calendar building
The content calendar is sacred to MIG, and we believe any agency. This includes keywords and your SEO titles. It also contains links to published content and articles.
To stay focused, we plan our content for a whole year. We allow our clients to make changes as we go. The content calendar, as you can see in the template below is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know regarding where your strategy stands from a execution standpoint. Mismanaging this type of document can result in poor performance.
MIG is a company that provides access to the document. However, it's not your responsibility to maintain it. Our team handles all of that.
Image source: Marketing Insider Group
Writing
Research shows that publishing frequently (4-16X per year) is more profitable than publishing less often. When you consider that a blog article takes on average 3-4 hours to write, it's equivalent to 60+ hours of writing time per month.
You don't have the time or resources to write at such a high volume if you are managing a business. Working with an agency means you have access to a full time writer (or more) who can create content that meets both the quantity and quality standards required by your strategy.
Multichannel publishing
Today's customers can easily interact with brands via multiple channels, including search engines, email, social media and email. Customers use at least three channels to make purchases and/or resolve questions and concerns.
Brands have to ensure seamless content across channels. On multiple devices, including voice and traditional search. This can be automated and streamlined by a content agency so that you can implement a multichannel strategy with minimal time and effort.
Outsourcing to a Content Agency: The Return on Investment
Save time and money
Outsourcing is a costly decision that can be a barrier to brands. However, industry research has shown that outsourcing can actually reduce costs. 88% of the companies that were surveyed by Deloitte in its Services and Outsourcing Survey said that outsourcing had helped them to lower their costs.
This makes sense if you think about it. A CMO average earns six figures and requires executional support. To get your content strategy up and running, or to level it up to the required level to make an impact, expect to earn at least 3-5 salary.
A content marketing agency can help you scale up or down as you need (which is something you cannot do with just a few full-time employees).
Expertise
The content agency teams can draw on a variety of skills to execute a great content strategy, including SEO research, writing and editing, graphic design, project management and reporting.
You don't have to worry about whether the people contributing to your strategy will be able to meet your expectations when you outsource to a content agency. The best agencies make sure that every member of your team has the knowledge and experience necessary to make your strategy stand out.
Bundled services
The best content agencies are more than just content creators. They guide and help you execute every aspect of your strategy from SEO research to calendar design to content creation to publishing and reporting.
A content agency will help you put together a comprehensive strategy. You get it all, at one price, and with no gaps in execution.
Performance reporting
This is how content agencies show their clients the value they bring to clients through performance reporting. This means that when you outsource, expect regular and high-quality reports to show you how your efforts have paid off (and what you can do to improve).
Many agencies report results on a monthly, quarterly and/or annual basis. KPI-focused reports provide key insights that will help you improve your strategy and get buy-in from senior executives to expand your efforts.
Semrush Visibility tracking is used to show our clients the results of our content strategy. Here's an example we sent to one our clients.
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It's pretty amazing, right?
Business growth
Every content strategy aims to increase company growth. After more than a decade in research, it has been proven that content marketing drives 6X as many leads and 3X as many conversions than other digital marketing strategies.
Content marketing is also aligned with buyer behavior. They are more likely to conduct research on brands and then engage with relevant content that will help them make the right buying decision.
Although the results may not be immediately apparent, once you have established an online presence and continue to provide high-quality content, the effects are long-lasting. You will be able to overcome temporary setbacks and challenges that are beyond your control (like recessions).
Why?
Your content is valuable even if there's no purchase. It shows your target audience you are an expert in your field and can provide real value.
Traffic grows by 10% per month on average for our clients, with leads soon to follow.
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Level Up Your Content Strategy Today
Startup founders and small business owners are not strangers to difficulties. MIG can help you implement a content strategy that will drive growth, even in times of economic turmoil. MIG's SEO Blog Writing Service delivers optimized, customer-focused content every week that is ready to be published. This results in real growth.
To learn more about my services, or to schedule a consultation with me for a free consultation, click here. You can also send sunscreen to see how I look after a week at beach. ):
Marketing Insider Group's first post, The ROI of Outsourcing in Tough Economic Times: A Founder's guide appeared first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the four types marketing?
Marketing is broken down into four main categories: Direct Mail Marketing and Traditional Advertising. Public Relations is also included. Digital Marketing falls under the umbrella of digital marketing. Each goal has a different purpose and should each be used for its intended purpose. You can combine them to achieve your goals.
How does marketing fit into business strategy?
Marketing is an essential part to any business strategy. Without marketing, no one will know what your company has to offer. Marketing would be meaningless without sales. Therefore, marketing is crucial to any business strategy.
But not everyone understands the importance of marketing. Marketing is often viewed as just spending money on advertisements. Marketing goes beyond that. Marketing is everything you do to promote your company's brand and position in the market.
When you think about your business, ask these questions: What image am I trying convey? How will my customers perceive me? How should my world perceive me?
If you can't answer these questions, then you aren't thinking about marketing.
What are the primary types of marketing you use?
Marketing is about communicating ideas, values, or messages to consumers. Marketing is often used interchangeably with advertising. But in reality, marketing involves more than just advertising. Marketing can include all communication methods that promote or market a product, service, or idea.
Three key components of marketing are branding, promotion and distribution. A company's branding is the way it represents itself to its target market. Promotion refers to attracting attention for your brand through paid advertising, promotions and other public relations activities. Distribution is the delivery of your message to your target audiences. Although distribution can be done using traditional methods like television, radio or print, it is now easier with the advent of new technologies.
Are there any risks associated with digital marketing?
Yes, digital marketing comes with risks.
To protect your online reputation, it is important to be cautious with what you post on social networking sites.
You must also ensure that your content is original and doesn't infringe upon any other intellectual property rights.
You could also lose control of the brand image you project if you fail to monitor your online presence.
If someone uses your information without permission, you could be at risk of identity theft.
How to Protect your Online Reputation
- Take Care of What You Share on Social Networks
- Make Sure All Content Is Original and Doesn't Infringe Any Other Person's Intellectual Property Rights
- Monitor Your Brand Image
- Use strong passwords
- Use personal details only with permission
- Report Unauthorized Activities Immediately
- Don't Post Photos Of Yourself Or Others In A Disturbing Way
- Never divulge your social security number
- Keep up to date with the most recent news
- Avoid Scams
- Secure Password
- Always keep an eye out for new updates
- Don't share too many details
- You should be vigilant when giving out credit card numbers
- Avoid sending money by E-Mail
- Look out for fake websites
- Negative reviews can hurt your business.
- Check Your Credit Reports Regularly
- Pay attention to your privacy settings
- Ask someone you know before sharing anything
What are 7 steps in an internet marketing strategy plan?
Internet marketing strategies are used for achieving business goals using online media. These steps include research, planning, implementation, monitoring and analysis. Each step is vital for successful internet marketing and should all be completed regularly.
- Planning – This involves identifying your target audience, and creating a plan to reach them. You'll also consider what product or service you offer and who might buy it.
- You can use research to understand the needs and interests of your customers so that you can choose the products or services that best meet their needs. It provides valuable insight into consumer behavior, trends, and other information.
- The first step in implementing your campaign is to select a platform (e.g. Facebook), and then determine where to place your ads. Once you have chosen your platforms, it's important to ensure that they are correctly configured. Decide whether to spend money on advertising or pay per-click.
- Monitoring – Monitoring lets you see how your efforts are performing. Google Analytics is an analytics tool that tracks traffic flows, conversion rates, customer demographics, and other metrics.
- This allows you compare results to benchmarks as well as previous performance levels. This step will guide you on how to improve if there are areas that are not performing well.
- Optimization – Optimizing your site means making changes to increase its efficiency in attracting visitors. You can add new features or alter how users navigate through your site.
- Evaluation – You can evaluate the progress of your campaign to determine how it's performing. Are there opportunities to improve? If not, then you may have reached your goal. If you still have issues to resolve, you will need another evaluation.
Social Media Marketing is an excellent way to market your business online. It is an excellent tool to spread brand awareness and generate leads and sales. Here are five methods to leverage social media marketing to increase your business.
- A Facebook Fan Page allows you to interact with customers via Facebook. You can also upload images, videos, or other files.
- Twitter: Promote your business – Twitter is another great place for information sharing and connecting with people. Increase visibility by using hashtags
- Upload Videos to YouTube – It is very popular to upload videos because people enjoy them. If someone likes what they see, they may click to visit your website.
- Host Live Events. Organizing live events allows potential clients to meet face-toface. They can ask questions about your products and services.
- React to Customer Reviews – Positive reviews build trust and encourage repeat purchases. Negative comments should be addressed quickly.
Statistics
- 81% of brands employ affiliate marketing, and eCommerce sites are particularly good candidates. (blog.hubspot.com)
- This allows us to deliver CPCs that are 80% less than average and CTRs 4-5 times higher than average. (marketinginsidergroup.com)
- Today, 81% of brands around the world have affiliate programs. (influencermarketinghub.com)
- From 2020 to 2022, eMarketer predicts that digital marketing will grow by 36% and take up 54% of marketing budgets! (marketinginsidergroup.com)
- According to statistics, 60% of online shoppers worldwide actively search for coupons before purchasing from a virtual shop. (influencermarketinghub.com)
External Links
youtube.com
neilpatel.com
blog.hubspot.com
influencermarketinghub.com
How To
Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Strategies for 2022
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular online advertising methods marketers use today.
It allows companies without any upfront expenses to promote their products. Instead, affiliates receive a commission each time users purchase advertised products.
There are two types principally of affiliate programs. They are performance-based and cost per sale. A performance-based affiliate program is one that pays an affiliate after a specific number of sales are made. An affiliate earns a fixed amount per sale regardless of whether or not he sells any product.
We will cover the top ten affiliate marketing strategies of 2022 in this article. Each strategy will be discussed and examples of successful campaigns provided.
#1. #1.
eCommerce websites are increasingly adopting brand loyalty programs. They allow customers to accumulate points when they visit a website and shop.
These points can later be redeemed for discounts, rewards, or special offers.
Amazon Prime is one example. It gives members access exclusive deals or perks.
Amazon also runs a referral program called Associates. Amazon offers a referral program that allows merchants and customers to refer others to Amazon.
#2. Use Social Media to Promote Products
It's easy to advertise products via social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Potential buyers can be targeted directly by companies through ad campaigns. Facebook, for example, allows advertisers to target certain groups of people based upon their interests and demographics.
They can also target people who live within a certain distance of a store location.
Twitter is another platform that companies can use to quickly reach their target audiences. Companies can send followers tweets, answer questions, and share their content.
Instagram is similar in concept to Twitter, as it allows brands to interact directly with consumers. Instagram does not allow businesses to send direct messages like Twitter.
Instead, followers see the posts in their feeds automatically.
Pinterest is another social network that allows companies to connect with their customers. These connections may include sharing images, answering customer queries, and asking questions.
#3. #3.
Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool to increase brand awareness. Brands have the option to partner with influencers and offer them incentives to post promotional material about products.
This partnership may include giving influencers free products to try or review.
These partnerships can go beyond reviewing products. Brand ambassadors can also be made of influencers.
Brands may hire influencers to host giveaways or answer questions.
#4. 4. Create video ads
Video ads are becoming more popular. People love watching videos online, especially since smartphones and tablets became mainstream.
Advertisers might use video ads in order to attract attention and persuade viewers, click on links or purchase products.
YouTube is a major website where advertisers may place video advertisements. YouTube allows advertisers upload 60 second clips.
Google AdWords can also be used to place video ads. Google uses keywords to match ads to relevant searches.
#5. Run Mobile Campaigns
Mobile apps have become increasingly popular. Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular as they allow users to download games, view movies, read books, and listen or play music.
People spend hours reading books, playing video games, listening or watching movies on their smartphones.
Mobile apps are a great way for businesses to get more visitors to their websites.
Apps can also be downloaded to Android phones, iPhones, iPads, Android phones, tablets, and other smart devices.
App stores are available for Apple iOS, Google Play, Windows Phone, Blackberry OS, and Kindle Fire.
#6. #6.
A shopping cart is an efficient way to sell physical products.
Customers can add items and then checkout to complete their purchases.
Online shopping carts are growing in popularity. Some online retailers like eBay allow customers to create accounts and browse product listings.
Amazon and other online retailers integrate shopping carts into their websites. Customers can pick the items that they wish to purchase and order them immediately.
#7. #7.
A great way to get new customers is through product lines
The company usually issues press releases to announce the launch of new products.
The release may contain information about the new line's features, pricing, availability, and more.
Once the launch is completed, the company can market the product.
#8. Develop Cross-Channel Marketing Programs
Cross-channel advertising refers to marketing efforts in multiple channels.
Cross-channel marketing can include, for instance, sending emails to subscribers via email, promoting products on social media, and running banner advertising on search engines.
Some companies combine multiple channels to increase exposure.
For example, some companies sell products at brick-and-mortar locations. In addition, they also sell products online.
Sometimes, companies use both channels simultaneously to increase their sales.
#9. #9.
Data analytics is a tool that companies use to improve their business operations and increase profits. Data analytics involves the analysis of data collected from multiple sources in order to discover patterns and trends.
Analytics can detect problems, assess current practices and predict future needs.
Analytics tools can collect data from many sources, including web servers, databases, and applications.
These tools can help companies learn about their customers, and to better understand their behavior.
#10. #10.
Customer satisfaction is essential for every business. Satisfied customers are more likely to return for more services.
A satisfied customer is also more likely to recommend your products to others.
Satisfied customers are also less likely to complain about poor service.
Therefore, increasing customer satisfaction is critical for all businesses.
By providing exceptional customer support, you can achieve this.
Employees must respond quickly to customer inquiries and address issues promptly.
Fast shipping options are available so that customers don't have too much time before they receive their orders.
You should also ensure that your website is easy for users to navigate.
Your site should load quickly and display clear instructions.
Be aware that not all customers are the same.
Some customers may need additional assistance while others don't.
You should therefore tailor your customer service policies to meet individual needs.
This ensures that everyone receives outstanding service.
You can find our guide here to learn how you can start an affiliate marketing program.
We've covered everything that you need to know about affiliate marketing.
You now know how to create an affiliate marketing campaign that works. Now you can start building relationships with bloggers and publishers.
This will give you experience and credibility.
You can then leverage this expertise to earn
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By: Michael Brenner
Title: The ROI of Outsourcing During Tough Economic Times: A Founder’s Guide
Sourced From: marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/the-founders-guide-to-outsourcing-content-creation-while-maximizing-roi/
Published Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:00:08 +0000