Making the Decision to Outsource Marketing

Making the Decision to Outsource Marketing:from Greg Verdino's Marketing Blog by Greg Verdino
According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, 53% of marketing executives plan to outsource their marketing to partners.
Now before going further I should point out that any survey of corporate marketing executives is bound to miss one question I believe is critical: Should a company outsource not only its marketing execution but also the role of the chief marketer. And of course I’m biased in favor of outsourcing; especially for smaller companies who can benefit from access to top tier marketing talent but don’t have room in the budget to make the right hire (the wrong hire is worse than no hire at all); or are operating in a complex, competitive environment and need to differentiate big time if they want to win big time.
This said, a few months ago a company called Mavenlink published a helpful infographic that aims to ease executives’ decision about hiring vs outsourcing for marketing excellence. I like the way the decision-tree highlights a number of key characteristics that naturally support the choice to outsource. Limited budget? Complexity inside and outside the organization? Urgency and the need for speed? Lack of internal resources (or desire) to manage the team? The need for deep specialization (e.g., expertise in digital, social, mobile or just about any specialized form of communications)? All point toward outsourcing as the smart choice.
Check out the graphic. Think through the choices. Hope it helps you weigh the pros and cons of outsourcing the marketing function at your organization.
I’d love to hear your thoughts (leave a comment).
Or hear from you directly if you think a virtual marketing executive might be right for you.