5 Ways Internal Marketing Teams Benefit From External Help

 

Mention bringing in outside support to a marketing VP or creative director, and they may shudder at the thought. In the minds of many, agencies are more hindrance than help to an in-house marketing team. However, while it might make for good “horror stories” around the water cooler, it’s more myth than reality — a myth easily busted by the right agency.

Granted, finding the perfect fit can be an intimidating process. Just the idea might rub some the wrong way, viewing it as a competition rather than the partnership it should be. But for those willing to do their due diligence by hiring a proven external team, the rewards easily outweigh any perceived risks. In fact, an outside agency can be the perfect complement to your in-house team.

 

Here are five big ways it could be one of the best decisions your marketing department can make:

 

1. Greater Scalability

Every business has its ebbs and flows, making scalability essential to spending time and money as efficiently as possible. When business is booming, hiring staff means recruiting, interviewing and onboarding, additional workspace, salaries, benefits, time off, and so on. Then, when things slow down, a suddenly bloated team can cut into ROI.

With an external team at your disposal, scaling production up or down is easier and more cost-effective, avoiding the hassle and resources needed to do it internally. Seamlessly integrated and adept at meeting a variety of outsourcing needs, the right agency brings stability and peace of mind, ensuring your marketing strategy is executed timely and consistently, come what may.

 

2. Different Perspective

Working on the same brand, day in and day out, year after year, can result in tunnel vision and a cycle of repetitive messaging, internal bias, and status-quo thinking. Different, objective perspectives can help your team start seeing and doing things differently, take more calculated risks and go beyond the white noise.

Whether acting as creative consultants or brand co-managers, a great firm brings energy and encouragement your team may be desperately lacking, helping them break out of their funk. With experience in a variety of industries and solving problems for a diverse portfolio of brands, an external marketing team can provide unique insight and solutions you may never have thought of.

 

3. Fresh Ideas

If two heads are better than one, then so are two marketing teams when it comes to strategizing and creative brainstorming. Outside agencies are often brought in to spur new ideas and give your own team the chance to collaborate with marketing peers and open minds to fresh thinking. To truly work, it has to be an open-minded, collaborative partnership with no egos or agendas muddying the waters and one main goal in mind: the success of your marketing efforts.

While some companies prefer staying “inside the box” with marketing strategies that might actually fit their brand and target audience, the best agencies know how to both successfully stay in the lane and introduce new, one-of-a-kind (1.O.A.K) ideas when a company is ready for them.

 

4. Improved Efficiency

Used to delivering for multiple accounts at the same time, great marketing firms are skilled at adapting on the fly, meeting deadlines and optimizing budgets. While it’s common for in-house staff to lose focus at times or get stuck in a rut, you shouldn’t have to worry that time or effort is being squandered by external help.

Results-driven agencies support their strategies and pitches with relevant facts and figures to ensure campaigns are as successful as possible. Meanwhile, they’re experts at measuring success and proving ROI, something in-house teams often have trouble with. Great marketing firms are committed to holding themselves accountable.

 

5. Insightful Analysis

Successful businesses know the importance of monitoring their own strategies and analyzing data in order to continually grow and adapt toward better results. They put forth the effort to keep learning and turn weaknesses into strengths. Still, your team may not have enough resources and time to take a step back and dive deep into your strategies and results.

Keeping your budget, marketing goals, and expected ROI in mind, a neutral third party can perform an audit of your current marketing efforts and get to the bottom of what has and has not been working. They can help you address ongoing challenges while doing the research to identify future opportunities so you can use the latest tools, channels, and marketing trends to your advantage.

 

While it will take time to strike the perfect balance between your internal marketing team and external support, the right agency can help your marketing department flourish and your business meet and often exceed your marketing objectives.

At M:7, we work with in-house marketing teams, never against them, to achieve their marketing goals and support their future growth.

Ready to strengthen your marketing efforts by teaming up with a proven, award-winning agency? M:7 could be the perfect complement to your in-house marketing team.

For a prime example of how we can work with you to elevate your brand, check out this case study on our successful video campaign for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit: