5 Keys Ways The Smartest CEOs Use Outside Contractors
Sales Prospecting Perspectives is pleased to bring you a guest post from Helen Nesterenko, founder of Writtent.com.
One of the biggest reasons that companies fail is that entrepreneurs don’t ask for help. This concept is so well-known, it inspired the best-selling book The E-Myth. CEOs shouldn’t spend their days acting as a “technician,” when they need to focus on innovation and orchestration. If you’re spending your days immersed in the nitty-gritty of deliverables it’s time to take a few steps back and learn how to ask for help:
1. Content Creation
It’s become clear in the past months that custom content creation is critical to a marketing strategy. However, it’s no secret that it’s time-consuming to create high-quality material, and 64% of marketers cite producing enough as their biggest challenge. In an era where 96% of first-time visitors to a website aren’t ready to buy, branded content can be key to turning organic search visitors into leads. The Content Marketing Institute has found that 44% of B2B marketers are outsourcing at least some of their content creation, and 65% of large companies are using outside contractors.
2. Social Media
A presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can be capably managed without a social media manager or outside help, right? Actually, the latest research indicates the opposite. Studies show that it takes 32 hours a month to manage one platform correctly. 83% of Twitter followers and 71% of Facebook fans expect a response to social media customer service queries within 24 hours. If you can’t afford to continuously monitor your social presence, it’s likely time to call in help. 
3. Lead Data and Qualifying
Having comprehensive data on your marketing leads is critical to set your sales team up for success. Gleanster Research has found that only 25% of leads are legitimate, and should progress to sales. Only 56% of B2B organizations are currently verifying their leads. Unless your organization has a successful approach for capturing prospect data and qualifying leads, your sales team could be suffering. Getting help with your sales pipeline might be one of the best ways to improve organizational efficiency and revenue flow.
4. Closed Loop Analysis
If your eyes are starting to glaze over and you’re considering skipping to the next item on this list, stop. 77% of CEOs have officially had it with “talk of brand equity,” that can’t be linked with ROI. There’s no shortage of data on prospect behavior on the internet, and the businesses who succeed are those who know how to analyze and apply big data. Closed-loop analysis tracks the behavior of prospects who become customers, to determine which marketing campaigns are actually leading to success. In the fast-changing world of technology, continual analysis is key to maintaining an edge.
5. Competitive Analysis
Your company can’t gain an edge in your niche if you exist in an informational vacuum. Even if you ignore your competition, your prospects don’t have to. A simple Google search can reveal everything they want to know about your competitors’ products and services, pricing, and value proposition. If you don’t have time to regularly assess their websites and social media to determine unique opportunities, it could be wise to hire a virtual CMO who can perform the legwork on your behalf.
Best Practices for Hiring Contractors:
For many of us, the thought of outsourcing has negative connotations, but it doesn’t have to lead to lower-quality, or a loss of control. The following best-practices are recommended for success:
- Provide as Much Information as Possible: The better your lines of communication with contractors, the more likely they’ll deliver a product that’s consistent with your vision, brand and voice.
- Hire Quality and Expertise: There’s no shortage of opportunities online to hire workers for pennies, but quality could be a gamble. Engage with marketing providers who you can train and improve over time, and have direct experience and quality references.
- Check Facts: In the beginning, it’s wise to stay engaged with your contractors to ensure their quality is up-to-par. BlinkSEO recommends hiring a fact-checker if you’re worried about accuracy and image.
If you’re struggling to produce enough custom content or apply data, asking for help could be critical to gaining an edge in a competitive market.
How do you use outside contractors? Is it successful? Please share your personal experience in comments.
Author’s Bio: Helen Nesterenko is the founder of Writtent.com. She enjoys helping businesses create content their customers and prospects will love.