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Thinking About Outsourcing Your Marketing? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you run a small or medium-sized business, you already know how important marketing is for getting your name out there, attracting customers, and staying ahead of the competition. But let’s be honest – marketing takes time, expertise, and a whole lot of effort.

Maybe you’ve been trying to juggle it yourself, or you have a small team stretched to the limit. That’s where outsourcing can make a huge difference. But is it the right move for you? Here’s what you need to consider before taking the plunge.

Why Are More SMEs Outsourcing Their Marketing?

1. Saves Time 

Running a business is busy enough without having to manage marketing on top of everything else. Outsourcing lets you focus on what you do best while experts handle the marketing side of things. 

2. Access to Specialists 

Marketing covers a lot—social media, SEO, content, ads, branding… the list goes on. With an outsourced team, you get access to specialists in all these areas without having to hire in-house. 

3. Cost-Effectiveness 

Hiring an in-house team can be expensive when you factor in salaries, training, and tools. Outsourcing gives you the skills and resources you need without the big overheads. 

4. Brings a Fresh Perspective 

Sometimes, being too close to your business makes it hard to see new opportunities. A marketing agency brings fresh ideas, creativity, and an outside perspective to help your brand stand out. 

5. Delivers Measurable Results 

A good agency won’t just ‘do marketing’—they’ll track results, tweak campaigns, and make sure your budget is being spent wisely to get the best return.

What to Think About Before Outsourcing

Before you decide, ask yourself:

What do you actually need? Are you looking for help with social media, email marketing, lead generation, or the full package?

How involved do you want to be? Some businesses want a fully hands-off approach, while others prefer regular input and collaboration.

What’s your budget? Outsourcing can be flexible—you can start small and scale up as needed.

Do they understand your industry? A marketing partner with experience in your field can hit the ground running.

Finding the Right Marketing Partner

Not all agencies are the same, so it’s worth doing your research. Look for:

  • A proven track record – Case studies and client reviews will give you an idea of what they can do.
  • The right mix of services – Make sure they offer what your business actually needs.
  • A cultural fit – It’s easier to work with an agency that gets your values and way of working.
  • Clear communication and reporting – Regular updates and measurable results are key.

Why TLC Business Are Different

At TLC Business, we specialise in helping SMEs grow through smart, tailored marketing strategies – without the fluff or hefty price tag. With over 15 years’ experience working exclusively with SMEs, we have a unique insight into what they need to make their marketing work. We understand the challenges SMEs face, so we keep things practical, cost-effective, and results driven. 

Our personal approach means we take the time to understand your business and create marketing that truly fits. No jargon, no generic strategies – just clear, honest communication and campaigns designed to get real results.

Let’s Chat

Want support with your marketing campaigns? Call us on 01962 600 147 or email us at info@tlc-business.co.uk for a free virtual marketing ideas session with our experts.

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TLC take on The Crystal Maze

TLC headed up to London last friday to the take on The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience challenge for our most recent team day out! As part of the 90 minute experience, the team were taken through four zones: Aztec, Industrial, Futuristic and Medieval. Each zone contained several games, testing our skill, physical & mental ability – as well as a mystery category! We had a fantastic time and overall the team managed to collect 7 crystals and almost 200 golden tickets in the dome.

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Caroline designs some delicious biscuits

Smile! Our graphic designer, Caroline, has been at it again with her gorgeous biscuit designs – which made for a lovely surprise for the TLC team this morning.

 

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TLC climbed Mount Snowdon!

Last Friday, the TLC team visited Snowdonia National Park for a challenging climb up Mount Snowdon. The team had a very early start leaving from the office at 5am Friday morning and arrived at the starting point of the ascent for the PYG track at approximately 11am. Lots of sun cream and water was needed to keep us hydrated and protected from the very hot and sunny weather, which made the climb extra challenging at times. After approximately 3.5miles of ascent, the team made it to the summit at approximately 2pm where we took a break to enjoy some lunch and admire the views. We then set off for the descent at approximately 3pm via the Miners Track and made it back to our coach at 5pm to return back to the office! Here are some pictures from the day!

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What is content marketing and how does it benefit lead generation?

A formal definition of content marketing might go something like this – a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing catchy, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a defined target audience and help generate profitable leads. Put simply, it is creating and distributing fun, engaging, powerful and moving content that captures your audience’s attention and compels them to do something. Content marketing should be an ongoing process within your overall marketing strategy; however in the B2B market, very few businesses are executing it to its full potential and are missing a cost-effective marketing trick!

 

What is the ‘content’ in content marketing?

Content marketing revolves around the production of original or curated mixed-media, then distributing it through your different marketing channels, such as website, email or social media. Some typical examples of the type of content you could produce are:

• Blogs
• Case studies
• Video
• Social media posts
• Podcasts
• Webinars
• Infographics
• GIFs
• Quizzes/Surveys
• Competitions
• White Papers
• Resources, for example glossary of terms, calculators, price lists, generators etc
• Apps

 

Content marketing benefits for lead generation
Other than SEO, PPC and other online advertising methods, blogging is considered the most effective tool for B2C and B2B marketers for generating leads through online channels. Did you know that according to statistics by WebDAM, B2B marketers who blog consistently generate 67% more leads than marketers who don’t? So if you don’t have a blog or news page, you might want to consider getting one! However, the content you are putting out needs to be relevant and engaging for your specific audience in order to see results. Different types of content will generate different outcomes based on their purpose. You might create content to increase brand exposure or your social media following. Perhaps you are looking to inform your audience or existing customers about new projects or industry insights. Your choice of content should be specific to your goals and distributed through carefully selected channels tailored towards your audience.

 

Create a content plan
In order to produce consistent and good quality content, we suggest creating a content plan as part of your marketing strategy. A content plan will highlight any activities in relation to your content and give you a schedule to work towards to help keep on top of things! We’ve got some helpful tips to create your plan.

1. Whether you’re new to content marketing, or are looking to improve your existing content, firstly we’d recommend looking at your competitors to see what types of content they are producing, if any, and if it is effective or not, to get some ideas for your own. Useful things to look out for are use of links to their website or to external articles, use of hash-tags, and the engagement they receive including likes, comments and shares. Just remember that whilst It is helpful to get inspiration from your competitors, it can be difficult to come up with original ideas that have never been done before, so make sure you avoid copying content and that yours is unique, your own and reflective of your business.

2. Firstly, you need to choose the types of content you wish to create and your goals, for example, social media posts can be great for brand exposure and increasing your audience reach, whereas case studies and white papers can be used to target industry or solution-specific prospects through a lead-gen email campaign.

3. Establish how much content you can create and how often, given your resources and time. A social media post can be created in several minutes, whereas a white paper can take hours to produce.

4. Lastly, you will need to decide how you will be distributing the content. The majority of content will be hosted on your website, but you can then decide if you will share it on social media, include a feature and a link in your e-newsletter or create a targeted email campaign to prospects or for existing clients.

5. Implement all of the above into a content calendar and schedule posts where applicable using social media managing software such as Hootsuite or Sprout, so that you remain consistent, avoid duplication and can plan weekly or monthly themes and topics that fall in-line with your business model.

 

Content marketing benefits for SEO
The more up-to-date your website is, the more beneficial it is for your user and SEO; therefore, adding new content to your website, such as regular blogs, video, resources, graphics, case studies or white papers can help improve your search engine rankings. Video is increasingly relevant and in demand by users; therefore, having embedded video on your site is a big plus. Content is also a good medium through which to target new keywords, expanding your presence in the search engines, so your audience can find you more readily.

 

How can we help?
At TLC Business, we can take care of all of your content marketing requirements. Need help with social media management, creating engaging blogs and white papers or producing infographics or resources for your audience? Get in touch today by emailing us on info@tlc-business.co.uk or calling 01962 600 147.

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TLC complete The MacGuffin Project

   

Team TLC were put to the test at the MacGuffin Project escape rooms in Bournemouth on Friday! With only an hour to escape, both teams went head to head to complete the challenge. It was an extremely close call, with both teams escaping with less than 10 minutes to go – but it was team Jigsaw who came out on top in the end, beating team Dynamo by just 24 seconds.

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Our first 2019 bake off

Today we held our first bake off of 2019, this time choosing to go for savoury muffins! From bacon and cheese, to sweet potato and parmesan – everyone put their own unique twist on the muffins – but it was Anna’s leek, onion & chorizio muffins which won the overall bake-off, with a total of 65 points for taste, appearance and technical. Congratulations Anna!

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Christmassy treats in the TLC office

Our graphic designer Caroline gifted us all these beautiful homemade biscuits – a lovely Christmassy surprise on a Monday morning!

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Looking to Get More From Your Marketing in 2019? Join Us For Our Free Annual TLC Business Marketing Lunch in the New Year

With 2018 drawing to a close, it’s that time of year again when we review the marketing trends of 2018, what has been working, what hasn’t and what we’ll be doing in 2019.

Designed for SMEs, our free marketing lunch will provide SMEs with useful insights, tips, guidance and advice on how to get the most from your marketing in 2019.

What we will cover:
• Choosing the right marketing channels for SMEs
• ePrivacy regulation changes – GDPR take two? What to expect
• Digital Marketing and GDPR best practice
• Getting the biggest bang for your buck
• Social Media, PPC, SEO and more

Date: Thursday 7th February 2019
Time: 12pm – 2pm
Location: East Horton Golf Club, Mortimers Lane, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, SO50 7EA
Refreshments: Buffet lunch provided
Price: Free

If you’re an SME and would like more information about our event or to secure your place, get in touch today by emailing sophiewells@tlc-business.co.uk or by calling Sophie on 01962 600 147 to receive your free invite!
This event is invite only, you must book and secure your place if you wish to attend.

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TLC brave the choppy Solent waters for a jam-packed treasure hunt

  

It’s not every Friday that you get on a high-speed rib boat, to cruise across the Solent for a treasure hunt! As part of our most recent team day out, the team were split into two groups, to go head-to-head in a jam packed treasure hunt that saw us visit several locations – including The Needles, Cowes and Hamble. After a full day at sea, the team were treated to a well-deserved slice of cake and team Edamame were crowned the winners, with an overall total of more than 500 points!

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