It is becoming widely accepted that content marketing is more effective and lower cost than traditional outbound marketing. However a decision needs to be made on an in house approach versus employing a content marketing agency. This article considers some of the advantages of an external marketing provider. content marketing agency
Range of skills
An outsourced content marketing agency will work for a number of clients and will therefore have the resources to employ specialists to cover all elements of the marketing process. Inbound marketing (of which content marketing is a major element) requires a wider range of skills than traditional outbound marketing.
It is difficult for most businesses to afford to employ the required range of specialists on a full time basis. Also, re-training an existing team in new skills required for inbound marketing can be a time consuming exercise.
Depth of knowledge / experience
Inbound marketing is resource intensive and it can be expensive to allow an in house team the time to gain the skills and experience required to ensure they deliver the best returns with the minimum of effort.
An external inbound marketing agency with a background working for a number of clients over an extended period of time will have the knowledge and experience to ensure an effective process is delivered that generates the highest return on investment.
Flexibility
To build a inbound marketing process can be particularly resource intensive in the early stages. An external marketing team can be switched on during this early phase then switched off again once the process is running and the in house team have been trained to take on care and maintenance on an ongoing basis.
It may be an in house department will take on the content marketing task in the medium to long term or the outsourced agency may continue to deliver but at a scaled down level of involvement.
Costs
An external team has no ongoing recruitment costs, employment costs or costs associated with personnel management. It can be hired when the need arises to be dispensed with when the task is complete to be re-hired in again when the next challenge arises.
Conclusion
An external content marketing agency therefore delivers the ultimate in flexibility and potentially lower costs. The range of skills and depth of knowledge delivered by the outsourced marketing department can supplement the skills of the in house department until they are ready to take on the task in full or at least part of the task under the guidance of the marketing agency.