Outsourced Marketing FAQs

FAQs about Virtual Marketing

Below is a list of our frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not on this page please contact us.

How does it work?

We provide a single, highly experienced marketing professional who works in your business amongst the leadership team. Your outsourced marketing employee owns the projects that are most important to your business goals, from planning to completion. This expert can work on- or off-site, on a predetermined schedule that fits the needs of your business and compliments your culture.

How are you less expensive than a full-time employee?

If you are hiring a Marketing Manager, depending on where you are in the country, you could spend anywhere from $55k – $70k on just salary for that position. That does not include benefits, training, operating expenses and more. Adding those to the base salary balloon your expenses to over $100,000 per year.

How long does it take to get started?

Because we provide you with an experienced marketing professional, “heavy lifting” can begin immediately. We generally begin our relationship with a marketing plan. This blue print outlines the strategies, plans and activities for how we will use marketing to attain your business goals & objectives. The marketing plan also includes budgets, timelines, who is doing what and the expected results. This is a living/breathing document that we use throughout the year to ensure we are on course.

Will I have to manage the activities of my outsourced marketing employee?

Our approach includes a discovery phase and marketing plan which allows us to learn the intricacies of your business, leaders and culture. Your outsourced marketing professional literally becomes part of your team—more like an employee than a vendor. And, he or she will develop your marketing plan and manage the initiatives with you and your team.

This process spares you the logistical details of day-to-day management, thus allowing you to focus on leading your business at a high level.

Do you do marketing plans?

Yes, marketing plans are one of our specialties.

Do I still manage my marketing budget and expenses?

If this is something you are currently doing and would feel more comfortable doing so, then we would encourage you to continue. Many of our clients have grown comfortable with our ability to manage their budget and expenses for them. We know what they have to spend to grow their business and we work within that budget to optimize their marketing for them. It removes another burden for them so they can focus on other aspects of their business.

I don’t have a current marketing budget. Can you help me determine what is appropriate?

Absolutely. Our client managers have developed budgets for many types of businesses at Three Hats Marketing. We would work with you to determine what your goals are, what your timeline for those goals are, and offer our expert opinion at budget ranges to consider.

Will you work with existing marketing employee?

Absolutely. Quite frequently our customers have other marketing resources that can be leveraged to keep costs down. Often times though, our marketing department resources will be more cost effective than staff you have internally, but each situation is different and if the client prefers to use a current in-house resource to execute certain tasks, we can accommodate.

Can you help with sales as well as marketing?

In many ways, marketing and sales go hand and hand. And as a result, there are two ways we can typically help your sales efforts. One is if we do our marketing for you properly, the results will make your sales efforts more successful. Marketing to ideal clients will bring more qualified prospects to your sales team. Secondly, many times we have assisted clients with sales materials that help their staff move prospects through the buying process quicker and more effective.

Do you marketing through social media tools?

Yes we do offer clients help, but often times, social media tactics are not appropriate for your business. Three Hats Marketing will help you assess your business, then determine if social media marketing is right for you, and if so, put together and execute a plan.

What is a virtual marketing department?

A virtual marketing department is an organized group with cross disciplinary talents built to function on an as needed basis. With Three Hats Marketing, the department (and your marketing needs) are directed and managed by a client manager. They act as a single point of contact for the client.

What is the difference between you and an advertising agency?

Typically an advertising or marketing agency acts only as the creative part of the team. If they are prepared to execute any of the ideas, they typically outsource it to a partner company. In addition, the rates they charge are much higher in relation to what we charge because we don’t separate out the cost for strategy and creative from the cost of the execution.

How often do we meet?

With most of our clients we communicate by email or phone weekly. Some we even communicate with daily. In addition, we have regular status review meetings either by phone or in person. We feel each situation is different and we establish the frequency of communication required at the beginning of each month.

Will you work in my office?

We would be glad to schedule office hours if that is your preference.

How often do we pay you?

We invoice our clients at the beginning of each month to cover the next 30 days. At this time we establish our plan of what we need to accomplish for you, so you understand specifically what you are getting for your money.

Do you have references?

Yes, we would be happy to provide you a list of references at your request.

What industries do you work in?

There is not a limit to the industries we work in. Our marketing process allows us to learn what we need to learn about the industry to quickly be effective. At the end of the day we are looking to market to either a business or an individual, regardless of the industry. We are very effective at both.

Where are you located?

We are located in Indianapolis, Indiana. For most of our clients, our location is irrelevant as we can facilitate all of their marketing without having to ever be on-site. Meetings can be facilitated through conference calls or better yet, video conference calls over the internet.

What areas of the county do you work in?

We work with clients all over the country. Our process allows us to direct, manage, and execute your marketing strategies from our location in Indianapolis.