Let’s face it, the world is changing quicker than Apple can reveal the newest iPhone. This isn’t just because of COVID-19, though. People ignore calls from unknown numbers and nobody wants your snail-mail ads anymore. We’re immersed in a world of technology – anything and everything is accessible at the touch of a finger (literally).
When I say the world is changing, I don’t just mean the glaciers are melting and airplanes are running at 50% capacity. I’m really talking about how to capture an audience’s attention and rise above the digital noise (yes, especially B2B audience) and then actually hold it for more than five seconds. Trust me when I say “that ain’t easy”.
Did you know on-demand webinars are up 1,104% since 2019?! Getting yourself heard in the chaotic digital world is even harder these days, especially with the option of tradeshows and face-to-face meetings being off the table. Sure, another webinar is great, but how are you going to get butts in those seats to convert into leads when there’s such a crowded digital landscape?
For some people, this is actually really easy. There are grandmasters of all things related to B2B start-up marketing out there – you just need to find them. Wanna know the secret to finding the best marketing tradesman and mastering your company’s brand awareness? Look for a B2B marketing agency.
You can hire an in-house marketer but, it’s not necessarily the right move. Here’s why.
The In-House Marketing Team Challenges
Usually, a start-up will be able to afford one marketing person. One person might sound better for your payroll (not true, I’ll get to that soon) but it’s certainly not better for your marketing efforts.
One person means:
- Specific experience
- Limited resources
- Restricted time
You might find a jack of all trades, but a master of none – why compromise?
This one person’s experience is limited only to what they’ve worked on in the past. Maybe he or she was a marketing genius for a cruise line, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all of that knowledge applies to the ins and outs of brand management for a B2B/ SaaS company like yours.
One person also means one project or campaign at a time… which is not a lot for a dynamic startup that needs to “run” fast and time to market is of the essence. Let me tell you a secret – marketing is all about the mix with many touchpoints. You need multiple marketing efforts going on to really hit the ground running and start meeting those sales goals, even more so if you’re aiming for the global market.
You might find your “perfect” marketing guru but if they work at a snail-like pace, well, your company will grow just as slowly. To get any type of ranking with Google, you’ll need at least four blogs published a month.
This might not sound like a lot, but with a one-person team, they’ll also be managing your social media calendar, PPC, SEO, e-books, whitepapers, podcasts, webinars, and SO much more. Trust me, it’s just not feasible for quality brand awareness.
Another important thing to consider: some marketers are more strategic in their character while others are more tactical. Some specialize in content and design while others specialize in analysis and data. Your company needs all of these skills. You can’t compromise. You need a team that can look at your overall business goals, analyze the market, the competition, the messaging, and generate a unique value proposition. You’ll also need them to pull up their sleeves and do the day-to-day work and bring the best results that will impact the business.
So, what’s the solution?
You Need a Team, You Need Experts With Different Skills, You Need to Outsource Your Marketing
If this sounds like an expensive and time-consuming project, you’re about 99% wrong.
As mentioned before, while an in-house marketing team might sound like the friendliest option for your brand awareness efforts, this is not the reality.
When you hire a marketing agency, you have the power to adjust your budget to the ever-changing needs and constraints of your company.
You also pay one fee to have an entire TEAM focusing on your company’s success. While you might only be working with one account manager, there are usually 4-5 sets of eyes reviewing each and every piece of marketing activity that’s released for your brand.
You gain a strategic, CMO-level expert and a tactical team to manage and execute it all. You work according to a predefined plan with KPIs, so at any given moment, you can measure the results vs. costs.
All of this means years of experience working at multiple companies, at different stages, with different strategies helping you grow your marketing efforts. You won’t be the first to test a specific tactic or campaign – the agency tried it before with other clients, just like you, so they know best practices. No need to invent the wheel. What does this mean for you? Ultra-success. Score!
Think of a B2B startup marketing agency as outsourced CMO services. Early-stage B2B start-up marketing is unique (like a unicorn?) and should be treated as such.
Marketing agencies have the knowledge to grow a start-up from any stage. This is because they have the experience and the team members for it. They also have top-notch specialists for your PPC, SEO, social media, and graphic design needs. That’s not all they have easy access to but trust me, their networks are more established than Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook
So, Now What?
Remember earlier when I told you you’re 99% wrong about this being an expensive and time-consuming project? This is actually about 1% true because you have to find this sent-from-heaven agency.
They exist (hello from SAGE Marketing!) but you need to do the right research to be sure you’re investing in the right company. Make sure their team members have ample experience working with start-ups in all stages. Marketing a large, well-established company is much different than marketing a B2B start-up. If a marketer tells you otherwise, RUN FOR THE HILLS!
What’s Really My Point?
Your B2B needs TLC (tender loving care <3) at every stage from the right people. With an in-house marketing team, your experience, resources, and time are very limited. When you choose to go with an outsourced marketing agency, you’re getting the full package. You’ll participate in a comprehensive marketing approach that can really create business impact and push your startup forward to the global market.
You can focus on what you are good at and why you established your startup from the beginning – to create impact and improve your audience’s lives with a technological solution. While you’re doing your thing, we’ll identify the market, generate the messages, create your thought leadership, develop brand awareness, and bring quality leads to generate sales, so you can meet your business goals.
