DIGITAL MARKETING
NEWS
DIGITAL MARKETING
NEWS
6th Oct, 2021
The massive growth in internet usage in South Africa is driving the need for businesses to transform entire operational procedures and processes to digital solutions, and marketing and sales is near the top of the list.
As increased data has become available on Internet Users in South Africa, Digital Marketing is becoming more targeted, cost effective and results driven where return on investment is easily measured through strategic planning and reporting.
Quicker response times and efficient adjustments of campaigns for maximum results is now possible, through highly skilled digital marketers and the newly accepted ways of communication between client and agency. Strategic advance planning is critical for any solid digital marketing campaign implementation, but the possibilities are endless with the latest technologies and real time response driven demands from customers.
Over and above the Human Capital and skilled labour required to effectively execute a digital marketing strategy, as well as the extensive knowledge and experience required to fully understand all digital publishers like Facebook, Instagram, Google & more, it is also important to note that a myriad of operational & reporting tools are required.
In this article we will unpack the technical tools, skills, cost, and time investment that you need to understand and be fully informed on, before making a final decision on embarking on a digital marketing journey and whether to insource or outsource or opt for a hybrid solution for your business.
Digital marketing skills demand is definitely increasing, and supply isn’t matching the demand, so what do business owners need to know?
First and foremost, the digital marketing function comprises of the following specialist fields and skills sets:
Based on the above, a digital marketing strategy requires a vast skill set, which cannot be performed by one individual. A team of skilled digital marketers is required, to fully take advantage of the digital marketing opportunities available.
Skills shortages are imminent due to the uptake in companies outsourcing Digital Marketing to independent contractors, working remotely, which is now an accepted norm, but also due to the fact that there is a lack in knowledge about how and where to get certified as well as which certifications actually belong to a qualification’s framework either in South Africa or across the globe.
We refer to the following interesting articles:
We refer to Pay Scale, for an estimate of what an internal digital marketing team will cost a business: https://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=Digital_Marketing_Specialist/Salary
In summary, on average salary:
Therefore, a full team of Digital Marketing experts will cost a business a whopping R1,2 million rand per annum, and increase monthly operating costs by R104 010 per month, excluding advertising spend or cost of production on content.
What establishes the cost-effectiveness of insourcing your digital marketing team is the volume of work required to generate the expected income from digital marketing efforts or alternatively the size of your business in terms of revenue generated.
It is also important to note, that due to the ever-evolving nature of digital marketing and digital platforms available, regular training with minimum intervals of 6 months, is required for all digital marketing teams to stay abreast of industry updates. It is important to include a training or skills development budget to your digital marketing team cost.
For any digital marketing team to perform at their best they need a selection of the latest AI powered software solutions for digital marketers. Time is valuable so it is important to have the right set of technical tools to automate mundane tasks; from content management, development and calendars to customer relationship management, analytics and metrics reporting to SEO and keyword research and the ultimate lead generation and enrichment tools.
The digital marketing function of any business remains operationally intense:
The tools required to effectively manage these operational tasks, include but are not limited to:
Each of these tools unfortunately don’t have a local supplier and therefore are billed in foreign currencies, with minimum contract durations, billable in advance. A realistic estimate of what the digital marketing tools will cost per month, is R30 000 – R40 000.
In general, there are 2 aspects that need to be considered:
Every business making use of digital marketing to execute the business’s marketing strategy, should have an element of “always-on” campaigns. Reason being, the effectiveness of digital marketing is derived by the data accumulated from the campaigns. There is never a “one-size fits all” approach, and each digital marketing strategy needs to be refined to the specific business it is being utilised for.
Planning, implementing, and managing promotions, seasonality campaigns or any campaign of sorts that are strategically implemented to mitigate sales risk in business down-times, re-stocking, changes in business strategy or more.
In order to facilitate either of the above, requires strategic thinking, 24/7 management, 24/7 monitoring, 24/7 customer relationship management and 24/7 lead generation management and facilitation. Afterall, anything “online” never sleeps!
Digital connection and interconnectedness in the world and country today has drastically increased the connectivity between marketing teams and agencies. There is a range of platforms like WhatsApp, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc. that are easily accessible communication platforms. These communication platforms have opened up new opportunities and ways of doing business more efficiently.
But why is communication so important when you outsource your digital marketing function? The answer is simple – the agency or freelance team you employ, are digital marketing experts and need effective collaboration with a senior management team within your business, to fully understand how to match the digital marketing operations to achieve your overall marketing strategy and ultimately assist you in achieving your business strategy. The only person/people who can convey what the ultimate goals for the business are, and how the relative market either posses a threat or opportunity, is YOU.
It is also important to note that Digital Marketing, although innovative and the most cost-effective marketing vessel in history, is still only a vessel to execute your overall marketing strategy. A good agency or team of professionals will aim to understand what your business objectives and brand strategy are, ahead of proposing a digital marketing strategy & applicable execution.
However, the question still remains - what is best for your business? An internal team will always understand business objectives and brand strategy better, so should you insource or outsource or opt for a hybrid solution of your digital marketing function? Below, we have listed the pro’s & cons of each.
An insourced team will still require clear direction and support from the management team, to execute their roles and responsibilities effectively. A lack of knowledge on how to effectively handle the intricacies and time investment required to strategize, produce, implement and manage any digital marketing campaign, is hugely detrimental to the effectiveness of a digital marketing strategy and digital marketing team.
A good place to start managing an in-house team, is to determine what your requirements are by setting objectives and using them to develop a strategy. Your strategy then needs to be executed through the various digital marketing opportunities that are available, in each area of expertise (as mentioned above), as well as the applicable platforms available.
It is important to note, that whether your decision is to insource or outsource your digital marketing function, as a business owner, you need to be heavily invested in the initial stages of executing your digital marketing function. Your team or your agency will require effective regular collaboration and communication from you, to ensure they are executing your digital marketing strategy effectively.
Digital marketing is challenging, innovative, and fun, and definitely is the most cost effective when compared to other marketing channels. The downside is that it is hugely administrative and requires constant iteration for improved results.
At Ideation Digital, we pride ourselves on taking every single client through a “hands-on” educational journey.
Our Promise to every customer is to partner with you and guide you on your digital marketing journey. We will improve your digital performance and increase your digital footprint. We will help your company embrace digitisation with the ultimate objective of delivering measurable results for a better future.
For any assistance or further questions about insourcing or outsourcing your digital marketing function, feel free to contact us.
Let's get in touch - digital marketing assistance.
