Back in time, very few people were familiar with the internet and used it for one or other reasons. But now as you see, the number of internet users has gone up. Recent statistics reveal that at present, there are 4,333 internet users across the globe.
It is with the rise of internet users that digital marketing evolved. Do you know what matters the most in the digital marketing industry? It is none other than the strategy you make for your business. When it comes to making a strategy, the top goal of every business is to increase brand awareness and improve brand health.
With the rise in digital marketing and also the number of digital marketing executives, there has been a debate on setting up offshore teams and outsourcing digital marketing. But the major struggle is setting up and managing remote teams effectively.
If you are also wondering about the right way to set up offshore teams, then this post is meant for you.
The Rise in Offshore Digital Marketing
The majority of the companies prefer to set-up offshore teams and outsource digital marketing. If you do not own expertise in digital marketing or cannot devote the specified number of hours to the work, then having a digital marketing team becomes obvious.
Some of the benefits of outsourcing the digital marketing work include:
- Access to professionals who have the expertise and can bring better results than an in-house team.
- Usage of the latest technology and software to promote your marketing efforts.
- Developing marketing strategies and also looking after their implementation.
Setting Up a Digital Marketing Team
Once you have decided to outsource the digital marketing, it’s time to manage and set up your offshore digital marketing team. While setting up your team, there are a few things to bear in mind which include the roles the team members play, ways of structuring digital marketing departments, and best practices to follow while setting up offshore teams.
Let’s learn in-depth about setting up offshore digital marketing teams in the sections mentioned below.
Digital Marketing Team Members
As there are diverse consumers who resort to different ways of interacting with search engines, and websites, digital marketers also make use of diverse channels to reach their desired audience.
The tasks of the digital marketing team often center around data analysis, designing messages, and also monitoring new ways to reach out to the target audience. Consequently, here are some of the essential roles to bear in mind when outsourcing digital marketing.
Strategist- The basis of digital marketing is the strategist. The strategist is often entrusted with the responsibility of preparing relevant strategies for marketing purposes and understanding consumer behavior. By doing extensive research, the strategist figures out if the final campaign will work for the market or not.
Content writer- The digital marketing team would be incomplete without an experienced content writer. Depending on the projects and workload, the companies can decide if they need one or multiple content writers in their team. The content writer should be an expert in writing blogs, websites, and social media content.
Graphic designer- The next comes the graphic designer. Graphic designers are the ones that tend to make graphics relevant to the content and make the message clear to the target audience. In addition to this, some other visual elements and infographics make it easy for the users to condense information.
SEO specialist- The job of an SEO specialist is to figure out what the consumer is searching for online on diverse search engines and make the website rank. For this, they also use the widely available tools and carry on research to bring about the desired results.
Digital Marketing Team Models
Working with an outsourcing team is not that easy. But by working your way out with some of the digital marketing models, it will be easy for you to work. Usually, there are three digital marketing models which include:
Freelancer model- It is the most popular business model for a variety of companies. As a freelancer, there are wide options from which you can select the best talent for your team. Moreover, it is also economical.
Project-based model- The next comes the project-based model. Some companies also regard it as a shared team model. Like the freelancer model discussed above, the project-based model is also advantageous in terms of cost.
Dedicated team model- When it comes to outsourcing, the model which works best is the dedicated team model. Working with dedicated team members is like having an in-house team. Along with the understanding, the degree of control is also high.
Take into consideration your requirements and the scope of the project to decide which model would work best for you.
Practices For Setting Up Offshore Teams
Outsourcing your digital marketing work and setting up an offshore team means that the employees can range from different locations. Consequently, some of the best practices to resort to when setting up offshore digital marketing teams includes:
Time zone barriers- There might be some differences in time zones but what you need to do is overcome those time zones. The best way to deal with the same is to overlap some hours for video meetings, face-to-face calls, and any other communication. Another great way not to hamper your tasks due to the difference in time zones is by prioritizing requirements and allocating specific tasks on time.
Experience- Before selecting the candidate for a particular role and signing the contract with them, it is best to ensure that they are capable of meeting your needs or not. Ask them questions about their previous agency, automated tools they used, and portfolio to see the kind of work they have been doing.
Know your requirements- Knowing your requirements prior is another major practice to know on your part to ensure you are selecting the best candidate for your project. It is by knowing the needs at the outset that the right combinations of skills can be chosen over other things. The clearer you are regarding your requirements, the more you’ll have the specialists.
Use of tools- Using the right communication tools is also a key element in setting up offshore digital marketing teams. As far as it is about discussions, schedules, active points, and so on, an email will be the best. Videoconferencing is ideal for group meetings and live chat for instant clarifications. Besides this, slack is also the best fit for connecting with employees.
Feedback systems- Setting up a proper feedback system is crucial to check the progress and carry out the course corrections for a project. The feedback should be specific and timely. The feedback assists you in clarifying goals, and standards, encouraging self-esteem and also providing relevant information.
Progress parameters- The next best practice is to lay down the parameters of tracking progress. No matter how large a task is, you can always break it down into smaller ones to ensure it is on track and successful.
Digital Marketing Tasks
In addition to the ones mentioned above, other digital marketing tasks need attention. Some of the crucial tasks include cost management, risk management, knowledge transfer management, and relationship management.
Cost management as the name itself indicates reveals whether the project is within the parameters which were laid down earlier or not. Risk management ensures to identify potential risks to minimize their impact. Knowledge transfer means sharing information among your colleagues for future use.
Lastly, there is relationship management for fruitful and win-win situations.
Final Thoughts
You can set up the best offshore digital marketing team by employing the practices discussed above. It is offshore outsourcing with which you can gain the strategic advantage of an available specialized team. You can always make use of new strategies to reach out to new customers. Connect with our professionals to set up your digital marketing team.