Insourcing is bringing a third party (someone who would have worked as a consultant) to work inside.
Of course everything has its place. DIY (Doing it Yourself) digital marketing is the norm for small and startup businesses. Google Adwords Express is exactly such an on-ramp service. It helps the DIY Internet Marketeer get started.
Outsourcing one’s (digital marketing) is the next natural step for 99.9%. Most small businesses go directly from DIY to Outsourcing their Internet Marketing (to an agency). That seems like the correct evolutionary process…but it is often the most direct route to DISAPPOINTMENT!
The problem is, DIY is not a best-practice, and outsourcing is not cost-effective.
Very few businesses consider Insourcing their Internet Marketing first,
- a) because consultants and agency do not typically offer such services (because they make a lot more money when you outsource), and
- b) many businesses think its too difficult to Insource.
But think of Insourcing as hiring an Intern. The fact is, the hardest part is just finding the right one. Since I started offering my SEO Toolset, SearchStation directly to clients, my business has evolved into an Insource model – and that has been positive for us both.
There is much more to this story when you learn that typical businesses gets “trapped” in agency relationships that cost more to get out of.