Outsourced marketing works both ways

Outsourced marketing works brilliantly when it works. Clients get senior marketing expertise without the salary, the NI contributions, the HR headaches or the annual leave cover. I get to do work I enjoy for businesses I've come to know well. Some of my client relationships have lasted a decade or more, and those are the ones I'm most proud of.

But here's what nobody tells you when you first take on outsourced marketing support: the quality of what comes out is directly related to what goes in.

This isn't a complaint. It's just true, in the same way it's true of any working relationship. So if you've recently taken on a freelance marketing manager, or you're thinking about it, here's what will make the difference between a relationship that ticks along and one that really delivers.

Give them access to the real stuff

Marketing copy written entirely from a website and a brochure tends to sound like it. Flat, generic, a bit lifeless. The good stuff comes from inside the business: the thing your sales director said on a call last week, the customer who sent an unexpectedly lovely email, the product that's flying off the shelves right now, the one that isn't.

Your marketing manager can't attend your sales meetings or overhear your office conversations. So if something happens that might be useful, tell them. A quick message is enough. They'll know what to do with it.

Photos and visuals matter more than you might think

Stock photography is fine in small doses. But social media feeds that rely on it entirely tend to look like everyone else's social media feeds. Real photos of real things, real people and real places make a difference. They don't need to be professional shots every time. A decent phone photo of a job in progress, a team member, a product going out the door, an event you attended, all of these are genuinely useful. If you're not sure what to photograph, ask. Your marketer will tell you exactly what they need.

Reply to emails (even briefly)

This one sounds obvious. But when someone is working on your behalf and sends you a question, a draft or a request for information, they need a response to move forward. A two-line reply is fine. "Yes, go ahead" is fine. Even "Can we talk about this next week?" is fine. What's difficult is silence, because it doesn't just slow things down, it can bring things to a complete stop. Things can bottleneck if awaiting sign-off. Even a thumbs-up emoji will do.

If email isn't your preferred way of working, say so at the start. Some clients prefer a WhatsApp message, a monthly call, or a shared document they can drop things into. The format doesn't matter. What matters is that there's a reliable way to get answers when they're needed.

Keep them in the loop on what's happening in your business

Good marketing support works best when your marketing manager understands the shape of your year. Seasonal peaks, upcoming launches, campaigns you want to push, quieter periods when you'd rather hold back. If any of that changes, let them know.

You don't need to copy them into everything. A brief monthly catch-up call or a quick email at the start of each month goes a long way. The more context they have, the better they can plan ahead rather than just reacting. Include them in sales training - it all helps.

Be clear about what good looks like

One of the most common reasons these relationships drift is that nobody has said clearly what success looks like. More enquiries? Better brand awareness in a particular area? More engagement on LinkedIn? A steady flow of blog content that supports your SEO?

These don't have to be formal KPIs. But having a shared sense of what you're trying to achieve means your marketing manager can point their efforts in the right direction, and you'll both know whether it's working.

Trust them to get on with it

This is perhaps the most important one. You've taken on someone who has done this before. They don't need to be told what to post or how to write a caption. What they need is enough information to make good decisions, and enough trust to make them.

That doesn't mean handing over the keys and never asking a question. A quick check-in is healthy. But the relationship works best when it runs on trust rather than micromanagement, and when your marketing manager feels like a genuine part of your team, even if they're never in your office.

The short version

Outsourced marketing isn't a tap you turn on and walk away from. It's a working relationship, and like any working relationship, it rewards investment. A bit of your time, a few photos, the occasional reply, some visibility of what's going on in your business. In return, you get marketing that sounds like you, connects with the right people, and actually does something useful.

If you're not sure whether you're giving your marketing manager what they need, ask them.

They'll tell you.