What’s the value of interim and outsourced marketing?
Over the past few years, the demand for interim marketing has been steadily growing, along with demand for contract and freelance marketing. With Brexit and general uncertainty in the UK, increasingly businesses are starting to rely on this flexible and talented workforce. More and more, businesses are seeing real value in the flexibility they get from interim or outsourced marketing support.
Why choose interim?
The reasons for any business needing interim marketing include maternity and paternity cover, sick cover, seasonal requirements, brand or product launch or numerous other projects that need specific marketing expertise for a limited period. Often businesses simply don’t have the right mix of expertise internally, so need a knowledgeable and seasoned marketer on the team for an interim period to see them through or to help them navigate a particular challenge or project.
There might be a skillset gap in the existing team or structure for the current challenge, project or objective, which requires support and expertise, but not permanently. Thus, smart businesses favour using an interim, rather than adding permanent headcount. This approach delivers the boost or support needed and can be imbedded into the existing structure with ease.
Top six Benefits for interim marketing
There are some significant advantages to utilising interim marketing such as:
6 good reasons
- Flexibility
- Tap into more knowledge and experience than existing staff
- Boost performance – get there faster
- Hit the ground running
- Specific skills and market expertise
- Cut through office politics within the organisation
Hiring temporary staff can often seem daunting especially if your business is new to the concept, but the process can be straightforward and with it brings some real benefits. Businesses who add interim and contract resource to their marketing teams are thrilled with the flexibility and results it brings.
What value can Interim Marketing deliver to your business
Expert short-term help as a solution to cover projects or a gap in your permanent team is tremendously powerful. An Interim Marketing Director can help a business establish a strategy or assist with the implementation and execution phases. Often businesses need help with go-to-market strategies and tactics, along with new product or service launches.
The investment in new services and products can be high for any business, so you don’t want your launch to fall flat when you introduce it to the market. Engaging marketing expertise to maximise your opportunity will bring measurable results, by simply tapping into the experience you need, for the time you need it.
Another advantage of an interim marketer is that they often bring new sector experience and skills into the organisation. This brings value to your existing team and employees as they will gain greater breadth of knowledge and experience by working with the interim. This will stay with the team, long after the project is completed.
If speed is what you need, interim marketers are a great option as they are used to hitting the ground running. They are highly experienced and equipped to work at speed if you need a quick turnaround.
Interim pitfalls for businesses
Businesses take note – hiring an interim marketing professional for a permanent position runs the risk of taking on an over qualified hire. If, however you’ve had a great experience and see real value for your business from your interim, this simply highlights a gap in what your team, function or business needs. Use this as the business case for increasing your marketing capabilities rather than being a ‘try before you buy’ approach.
On the upside, you have real insight into what experienced interim marketing can contribute to your business as well as the value your business will see.
What is the catalyst for hiring an interim marketing professional?
Are you looking for the experience of a marketing professional who has ‘done it before’ to drive a new commercial venture or work on a marketing-sales initiative?
Would your business benefit from a seasoned Interim Marketing Director or Marketing Consultant to help you identify the best business model for your product launch or expansion plan?
interim and outsourced marketing
An interim marketing director or consultant is ideal for strategy creation, strategy review, business development, sales and marketing integration, lead generation, market or sector expansion, product launch and strategy on direction and execution for campaigns. Below highlight the areas where businesses typically need extra help.
- Marketing strategy review
- Marketing planning
- Marketing-to-Sales effectiveness planning
- Website, online and digital marketing
- Event planning and management
- Marketing campaign implementation
- Brand and design review and refresh
- Marketing team management and structure
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Online promotions and advertising
- Digital marketing
- Content marketing and content strategy
- Filling your sales funnel with better qualified leads
- Conference project planning and execution
How do businesses make best use of interim marketers?
When companies have needs for senior marketing assistance, it makes sense look for experienced professionals to work on an interim basis. Often this arising from resource gaps, escalated marketing activity, short-term budget constraints and organisational flux.
Interims are particularly valuable when the role is business critical, you don’t need to look for a candidate who fits the role and profile precisely, instead perhaps look to employ an interim who has more senior experience than a permanent role, who will come with a much broader skill set. This should ensure they make an immediate impact to your project or department and they can assist in other areas, relieving any pressure.
Looking ahead
It’s likely that future demand for interims will increase. Businesses managing economic uncertainty are tightening their budgets, but still have a need for specialist talent. Increasing demand for measurable results and outcomes from marketing activities. Employees are less mobile, but the need for growth and sustainable remain paramount for businesses. Thus, an interim or outsourced marketing could be just what your business needs.
If you think that interim marketing our outsourced marketing is what you need, lets have a conversation hello@intelligentmarketing.uk.com
