Why outsourcing makes sense in today’s economy.
Reaching, connecting and communicating with your target audience in today’s environment is harder than ever. You’re probably facing lots of challenges — limited internal resources, a small staff, a lack of social media expertise and management, a reduced budget — but at the same time lots of expectations from within your association.
Meeting your audience’s needs
In 2009, how are you going to be able to focus on creating and improving the array of your customer media and content that will ensure your success in building a stronger relationship with your audience? If you are in this position, outsourcing your media is a solution your association should consider.
To start, here are some of the audience needs you must successfully meet to develop compelling marketing-oriented media:
- Access to the information necessary to realize the maximum value of being a member or customer of your organization.
- Desire to join in a conversation with you and with others whose passions and interests have led them to become your customer or member.
- Need to be up-to-speed on the latest news and trends related to that same passion.
- Outlet to express the passion they have related to your product, service or organization.
Where do you turn for creative, management and technical talent?
Chances are, you have one or more people on your staff who are responsible for managing the array of media you have developed online, in print or video. But if you are like a lot of other clients we work with, especially in this economic climate, you’ve determined they have too much on their plates already.
Or perhaps their responsibilities and talents, especially as they relate to your organization, need to be complemented with others experienced in other skills — perhaps design, web development, online community building, video production or any number of creative services necessary to produce the quality media that will enhance your brand while serving the needs of your members or customers.
At times like these, when costs matter most
And then there’s the matter of cost. Perhaps your budget dictates a strategy that prevents you from adding full-time staff members to carryout specialized responsibilities.
For that reason and more, you’re potentially beginning to look for outsourced solutions for helping your staff handle the development and management of recurring media designed to engage your customers or members.
So here are your options if adding new staff positions is not:
- Create a network of independent freelance writers, editors, designers, project managers, photographers, videographers, illustrators, producers, web developers, programmers, sales-managers, etc.
- Retain the services of an organization that can serve as an agency to provide specific services related to your organization’s specific custom media development and management needs.
As an alternative to developing your own network of freelancers, why would you select a custom media “one-stop shop”?
Depending on the size or your organization and your customer or member base, utilizing a pick-up team of freelancers and developers may be a great way to go. However, at a certain size, your association or company may be in need of a more turnkey solution provider.
Wouldn’t it be be great if there were a place you could get all of these services from one agency-like company?
Why not go with an “agency” or company that specializes in developing and managing customer and member media and that has an 18-year track record of successfully partnering with large organizations? OK. That was a rather leading way in which to ask the question, “Why go with a company like Hammock?”
Here are some of the reasons why:
- Your outsource media team needs to provide consistency and depth. A company like Hammock has the in-house editorial, design, production, project management, circulation, advertising, website, digital, video and social media expertise to put together a team who can work with you.
- Your staff can focus on what they do best and be complemented by a team of seasoned professionals who specialize in supporting organizations just like yours.
- An editorial or production team that is employed or organized by a customer or member media services agency is experienced in a tested, streamlined project management process and will likely be able to get the project up and running more efficiently that an ad hoc group.
That’s just a brief of overview of some how’s and why’s of outsourcing a member or customer media project. But there’s more, much more. And we’d be happy to provide you more detailed answers and advice after learning about your specific needs and the people who are your customers or members.
We can help
For more information, call (615-690-3427) or email: Steve Sullivan, Director of National Sales.