Digital marketing gets outsourced for one of two reasons: there is not enough time to do it consistently in-house, or the work has outgrown what one generalist can cover, such as content, social, paid ads and email all pulling in different directions.
Watch for inconsistency as a signal. If your posting schedule, campaigns or email sends are irregular simply because no one owns them full-time, the function needs dedicated support.
Outsourcing does not mean losing strategic control, though. Instead, it should mean the strategy actually gets executed consistently, with clear reporting so you see what is working.
What to Look for in a Marketing Partner
Ask specifically how a partner measures success and how often you will see reporting. Vague answers are a warning sign, since consistent execution should be easy to show with real numbers, not general statements.
Start with one or two channels rather than handing over your entire marketing function at once, because that makes it much easier to judge whether the partnership works before you expand scope.
Give any new effort a fair runway before judging it, too. Most channels need a few consistent months before results become clear.
Our remote marketing support service is built around this kind of consistent, measurable execution.
Know What Success Looks Like First
Before outsourcing, be specific about what success means, whether that is more leads, more brand awareness, or more repeat customers. Different marketing functions optimize for different outcomes, so vague goals tend to lead to vague results.
Watch for a gap between the channels you know matter and the ones you actually have capacity to run well. Ask any prospective partner for an example of a past report, too, since seeing the real format tells you more than a summary does.
Revisit your goals every quarter, too, since what counted as success six months ago may not be the right target today.
Because trust in a marketing partner builds through consistent reporting, ask to see real examples before committing to a longer engagement.