Guide to Mastering Contractor Management

In today’s fast-paced digital world, outsourcing marketing efforts to contractors is a common practice for businesses looking to scale their reach without expanding their in-house teams. However, managing a marketing contractor can be a daunting task, especially for those who may not have a background in marketing. This article is designed for those who want to order marketing services, but don’t know marketing and can’t understand how well the contractor does his work. It will guide you through the process of controlling your marketing contractor’s work, what to pay attention to, how the contractor’s report should look like, and ensuring that your investment leads to measurable and meaningful results.

Setting Clear Objectives

The first step in managing a marketing contractor effectively is to determine the specific outcomes you wish to achieve. These outcomes should be tangible and measurable, such as:

• Increase in website traffic
• Growth in sales volume
• Rise in subscriber count
• Improved position in organic Google search results

Of course, the modern market is organized in such a way that it is impossible to agree in advance on very precise figures because in the process of implementing a marketing project you will encounter the opposition of competitors and technical features that do not allow you to accurately calculate traffic (for example, it may be cookie consents for websites or privacy policy restrictions when tracking conversions in mobile applications).

But the overall plan should be there. 

Setting a Realistic Plan

For example, you want to increase your sales volume by x2. That being said, you already know the conversion rate from visitors to your website to buyers. Let’s say it’s 1.5%. Also, you know that the site goes to 5,000 people per month. Attracting one visitor costs you $2. So, we can assume that to double your sales, you need to increase your budget by at least $10,000. 

If you have the opportunity to add such an amount to your advertising budget do not hurry to rejoice, because when you increase the volume of advertising, often can decrease the quality of leads and increase the rate per click, because you are competing with more solvent advertisers.

Discussing Marketing Landscape, Terms and Risks

But there is always another clause you need to consider. No matter how detailed your marketing plan is with your contractor, if you have competitors, then you can’t calculate all the numbers very accurately. Conversions, search visibility, and brand effect will be affected by competitors’ actions and changes in the market. 

Therefore, at the same time with the work plan and goals, it is necessary to discuss what deviations from the plan are acceptable, and what limit on the cost per click and conversion you are willing to set. If this limit is reached, the contractor should stop and look for another approach. A detailed marketing plan is pivotal, but it still must be flexible to adapt to market changes and competitor actions. When setting up your contract:

• Define acceptable deviations from the initial plan
• Set limits on cost-per-click and conversion rates
• Establish a protocol if these limits are exceeded, ensuring the contractor explores alternative strategies

Ensuring Effective Communication and Regular Reporting

Clear communication is the cornerstone of any successful contractor-client relationship. Determine the frequency and format of the reports you expect from your contractor, whether weekly or monthly. Especially at the beginning of work with the contractor, it is important to get reports from him as often as possible about the work done and the results obtained, so that you do not lose a whole month if the contractor does not work out. These reports should include:

• Detailed accounts of the work performed
• Results achieved compared to the set goals, including new users, sales changes, etc.

Initial engagements with a marketing contractor should include more frequent reporting to quickly identify and address any issues. Ensure the reports align with your objectives, providing insight into the effectiveness of the marketing efforts and areas for improvement.

Conclusion

Managing a marketing contractor requires a strategic approach, clear communication, and an understanding of the marketing landscape. By setting clear objectives, discussing terms and potential risks, and insisting on comprehensive reporting, you can ensure your marketing efforts are on the right track. Remember, the goal is not just to increase visibility or traffic but to achieve tangible results that contribute to your business’s growth and success.