Starting a business is exciting, but growing one can be overwhelming and scary. Managing a larger team, finding the right collaboration partners, and arranging for growth capital while expanding operations and serving existing customers can be too much to handle. Amidst all this, you are expected to create and execute the right marketing plan.
This brings most marketing leaders to a question: should I do everything in-house and build a team that can help me in the long run, or shall I onboard expert consultants and agencies that help me with my strategy, content, design, and analytics?
If you are facing a similar situation, this blog is just for you.
Common Problems Faced by Fintech Startups and SaaS Companies
Let’s understand where you are and what obstacles you face. Most Fintech and SaaS organisations face similar problems. Answer these questions to gauge where you currently stand.
Lack of In-House Expertise
You’re rolling out a new feature to your product, which will need a new marketing campaign. Do you have people who can plan, create content, design, track performance, and readjust the campaign based on feedback?
Limited Resources and Budgets
Suppose you are running a five-member marketing team comprising a marketing strategist, editor, writer, senior designer, and junior designer. In that case, you can estimate a combined overhead of $10,000. Do you have this budget, or would you want to pay an agency that can execute this task in a lower amount?
Difficulty in Creating Engaging Content
Are your customers happy? Are you happy with the content of the current team? Is their content driving the growth you want? Can they consistently come up with ideas to add value to your audience?
Poor Content Strategy and Planning
Does your team understand how to make a content marketing plan? (Making a posting calendar is not content marketing, TBH) Can they identify the content distribution channels? How will you bring business through content marketing?
Inconsistent Publishing Schedule
Are your plans being executed? If not, is it because you don’t have enough people? If the publishing schedule is erratic, can an intern fix it? Or do you need someone senior?
Difficulty in Measuring Content Marketing ROI
Can you establish a connection between your content marketing spending and the resulting business? Do you have internal processes/ mechanisms to measure the content marketing ROI?
All, some, or none of the above may apply to you.
Once you’ve identified where things are going wrong, you can start taking measures to correct them.
What Are the Available Options?
If you realise that you do not have in-house expertise, budget, or sufficient team to fix these problems, the answer is clear. You need external help.
But whom will you hire?
When to Hire a Freelancer?
Freelancers are cheap, flexible, and good for small-scale activities.
However, they are also not process-oriented, unreliable, and unable to handle scale.
Suppose you’re struggling with specific problems, for example, brand guidelines not being followed while posting on social media or email subject lines needing rewriting to increase open rates. In that case, you can look for a specialist.
A freelancer would be more suitable for project-based and high-impact work (for example, Logo design and brand identity) or ongoing and repetitive work (for example, optimising every published blog for keywords). It is recommended not to rely on them for consistent and high-impact work (for example, reviewing weekly performance and changing programmatic SEO plans).
When to Hire a Consultant?
Consultants play an advisory role that helps you think, plan, and document roadmaps for you.
If your sales are dipping, specialised consultants may help you identify newer target groups (TGs) to explore and guide which processes to improve. They also help you determine how to revamp your website to drive more visitors.
They may handhold you through the process; however, consultants do not execute. It is recommended to hire consultants only if you have an in-house team that can execute tasks per your expert’s recommendations.
You can also onboard a consultant to link your marketing head and an external agency, keeping them in check.
Did you know Steve Jobs disliked consultants? He believed in people taking ownership of their decisions. Still, a consultant’s role is limited to making recommendations alone, absolving them of the consequences.
When to Hire a Content Marketing Agency?
Content marketing agencies combine the best of both worlds: thinking and doing.
Being a multi-member team, a content marketing agency can help you do everything simultaneously. From content strategy to design to distribution planning to analytics, you can have a single point of contact running your entire marketing.
However, their fees are higher than both freelancers and consultants. They are more suited to businesses that are aggressive in growth yet but can wait for a few months to get results.
As long as you have one person in your business who understands marketing basics, you can outsource the remaining marketing functions to a content marketing agency.
Benefits of Hiring a Content Marketing Agency
Hiring a content marketing agency can benefit Fintech startups and SaaS companies. Here’s how hiring an agency can help you achieve your content marketing goals.
Access to a Team of Experts With Specialised Skills and Knowledge
Content marketing agencies usually have a team of experts with specialised skills and knowledge in different areas of content marketing. Hiring an agency gives you access to multiple experts who can help you create and execute a comprehensive content marketing strategy. For example, you can work with writers, editors, graphic designers, SEO specialists, and social media managers who can help you create high-quality content.
Increased Efficiency and Productivity
Outsourcing your content marketing to an agency can help you free up your internal resources and focus on other important business areas. Your marketing team can focus on speaking to consumers, obtaining insights, and assisting with product development instead of executing menial tasks like social media copywriting or scheduling drip campaigns for emails. This can help you increase efficiency and productivity.
Consistent and High-Quality Content Creation
Using their expertise to develop a content strategy tailored to your business needs and goals, you can ensure that your content is of the highest quality. Large team size can help deliver more marketing collaterals (for example, 100 blogs in one month) consistently, which in-house teams find practically impossible.
Improved Content Strategy and Planning
Content marketing agencies conduct a thorough analysis of your target audience, market trends, and competitors to create a content plan and use their experience of working with similar businesses to tell you what works vs what doesn’t. As a result, their content is strategic, targeted, and effective.
Better Measurement and Optimisation of Content Marketing Efforts
Most businesses don’t understand how their content is performing and end up repeating the same mistakes. Content marketing agencies have access to sophisticated analytics tools that can help you measure effectiveness without additional investment. They can help you track key metrics such as website traffic, engagement, and conversions and optimise your content strategy accordingly.
These collectively work towards better business outcomes like higher ROI and revenue growth.
How to Choose the Right Content Marketing Agency
Since content marketing agency partnerships are long-term relationships, choosing the right content marketing agency is critical to the success of your content marketing efforts. Use this checklist to select a content marketing agency:
Identify Your Goals and Objectives
What do you want to achieve with your content marketing efforts? Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, improve engagement, or boost sales? Once you have identified your goals and objectives, you can look for an agency that specialises in helping you achieve them.
Consider the Agency’s Experience and Expertise
Look for an agency that has experience working with Fintech startups and SaaS companies, as they will be familiar with your industry and target audience. Consider their expertise in different areas of content marketing, such as content creation, SEO, social media, and analytics.
If your goal is to increase website traffic through SEO, look for an agency with a proven track record of improving search engine rankings for its clients.
Check Their Portfolio and Client Testimonials
A good way to check their expertise is through case studies. Look for examples of their work with other Fintech startups and SaaS companies and assess the quality of their content. Reach out to their previous clients to see what others say about their experience working with the agency.
Look for a Good Cultural Fit
Domain expertise is useless if the agency is not a good cultural fit with your company. Are they invested in your growth, or are you just another source of income for them? Look for an agency that understands your brand voice, tone, and style and can create content that reflects your brand identity. Can they work well with your team? Consider their attitude, communication style, responsiveness, etc.
Evaluate Their Pricing and Services
Look for an agency that offers transparent pricing and a clear scope of work. Practically, there will always be minor changes in the scope. How well can they accommodate your requests? Ensure that they can provide the level of support you need. Higher prices don’t always necessarily mean good.
Ask Your Content Marketing Agency the Right Questions
- Can you provide examples of your previous work with Fintech startups and SaaS companies?
- How do you approach content strategy and planning for our brand?
- What types of content do you specialise in? What are you not good at?
- How do you measure the success of content marketing campaigns? What tools, metrics, and reporting mechanisms do you use?
- What would be your process to collaborate and communicate with us?
- How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in content marketing?
- How do you engage with clients: on a project basis, retainer, or both?
- What questions do you have for us? What information do you need to share a proposal?
Are You Ready to Hire Content Marketing Experts?
In conclusion, content marketing is a critical component of the success of any business, especially for Fintech startups and SaaS companies. However, creating and executing a successful content marketing strategy can be challenging, particularly when faced with limited resources, budget, and expertise.
There are several options for businesses seeking help with their content marketing strategy, including hiring freelancers, consultants, or content marketing agencies. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks, depending on your business needs and goals.
Hiring a content marketing agency is the best option if you’re looking for a comprehensive solution offering expert advice, high-quality content, and measurable results. They can provide access to a team of experts with specialised skills and knowledge, improved content strategy and planning, and better measurement and optimisation of content marketing efforts.
The Wise Idiot can help you, too. But do remember to consider factors like experience, expertise, cultural fit, portfolio, client testimonials, pricing, and scope of services. Asking the right questions can help you evaluate their capabilities and determine if they fit your business.
By taking the time to understand your content marketing needs and goals and selecting the right agency to partner with, you can ensure that your content marketing efforts are effective, efficient, and aligned with your business objectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is a content marketing agency?
Ans: A content marketing agency is a team of experts that helps businesses create and manage content (like blog posts, videos, or social media content) to attract customers and grow their business.
Q2. How do content agencies work?
Ans: Content agencies work by partnering with you to understand your target audience and goals. Then, they develop a strategy and create high-quality content that resonates with your audience. They can also help publish and promote your content across different channels.
