Should you outsource lead generation or keep it in house? It’s question as old as marketing itself.
We think that outsourced B2B lead generation is a good decision more often than not. Here we outline 9 benefits of outsourcing.
Expertise
Focus on core competencies
A successful lead generation company will be built on experience, and will have refined its systems and processes after years of results. They will have learned from their mistakes, and this will be reflected in the leads they deliver.
They will also be aware of (and hopefully up to date with) industry trends and best practices. This means the latest strategies, software, and tools will be used.
Bringing lead generation in house would require your organisation to start this process from scratch: the mistakes, the learning curves, the costs. By outsourcing, you free up internal resource and let your team focus on refining and expanding the skill-set(s) most relevant to your offering.
Less time wasted
Some avenues are not worth exploring: an agency will know where to look for leads, and where it’s not worth bothering. If they learned this lesson on a previous client, it means less wasted time on your campaign as they will prioritise areas that are likely to yield results.
Higher quality of leads
The experience and refinement we mentioned previously will equate to leads that are higher quality and more targeted than would perhaps be found by an internal team. Each lead will be held to higher levels of scrutiny, because the agency / client relationship depends on satisfaction with results.
Personnel
No need to hire staff
Recruiting and training an in-house lead generation team would have huge costs associated with it. While it can be the right choice for some organisations, often outsourcing is a more cost effective and efficient way of achieving the same results. An agency takes on these costs - and the associated hassle - internally.
Avoid other staff costs
On top of recruitment and salary costs, outsourcing allows you to avoid costs like holiday pay, sickness, annual bonuses, tax, and more. This means a less busy balance sheet, and a firmer idea of ROI on lead generation spend.
Access to a dedicated team
With an agency your spend will be allocated out amongst their staff as required, meaning that you have access to a wider range of expertise than if you were paying one or two members of staff internally. The account manager will decide the best allocation of hours to achieve your campaign goals.
Logistics
Flexibility and easier scaling
An agency will have the staff and systems in place to scale with demand, both upward and downward. By reviewing and adjusting your retainer you can ensure the amount of work they are completing matches the current position of your business.
In the same vein, you are able to discontinue lead generation services completely if you decide it is no longer a priority, or if you decide to bring it in house later. When working with an agency, cancellation is just a case of giving the required amount of notice. You don’t need to worry about making any staff redundant, or retraining them for other internal roles.
More predictable
If a member of staff at an agency takes time off, there will be cover and the client work will still get done. This means you are ensured results regardless of the staff situation: a luxury you cannot necessarily expect with internal employees.
Client projects are priority within agencies, meaning that your campaign and results are less likely to slip than they might internally.
Fewer operational costs
Software licenses and industry memberships are expensive. An agency will have access to the required software, and will be able to spread the high cost of licenses among their entire client base. This means you gain access to the results offered by such software, without having to pay for it yourself.
Lead generation marketing is an art form, and outsourcing to the right agency will allow you to focus on results and progress rather than the internal nitty-gritty. It’s a big decision and one worth spending time on: the right partnership can be the source of success, good ROI and, ultimately, healthy profits. If you’re looking to outsource your lead generation you may be interested in another of our articles, which outlines the questions to ask prospective agencies to ensure results.
