An Introduction to Marketing as a Service aka MaaS

Running a business is challenging, and there are many aspects to focus on. Marketing is an extremely important function for most businesses, as this is the way to get the word out about the company and attract new clients. However, as times change, marketing systems need to change as well. The demands from customers change quickly, there is more of a dependence on technology, and a constant social media presence is imperative.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), keeping up with changing marketing needs is tough, if not impossible, when relying on in-house marketing professionals. It is very challenging to find experts in all areas to launch and maintain a marketing campaign without blowing the budget out of the water. For SMBs, this is just not realistic from a manpower or financial perspective.

This is where Marketing as a Service (MaaS) comes in. It allows startups and smaller companies to execute marketing campaigns to their fullest while allowing in-house personnel to focus on the fundamental and daily business needs of the company.

How Marketing as a Service Works

With Marketing as a Service, a business hires an outside company to take over many of its marketing needs. The business still maintains control over the project but is not directly involved with all the details and execution, which frees it up for other matters. These external resources help develop strategies for marketing, create relevant content, and execute the campaign over multiple media platforms such as digital and print.

MaaS marketing produces a framework for campaigns and then makes each one unique by plugging in the special needs and information of a particular company. This results in the ability to engage multiple skill sets for quicker turnaround time.

Companies that provide Marketing as a Service are able to offer clients a variety of services. Some of these include:

• Design of the overall campaign
• Creation of landing pages
• Initial and ongoing website content such as page setup and blogs
• Customer lead generation
• Customized approach for organic and local SEO
• Analytics Integration
• Public relations
• Social media
• ROI tracking

How MaaS Benefits SMBs

Marketing as a Service is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses as well as startup companies. When trying to keep costs low, the marketing department is often one of the first to experience cuts, which results in teams that are short on staff and long on work. Each employee may have one specific skill, which means they are only able to work on that part of marketing, leaving gaps in the project.

With campaigns requiring a variety of different parts, such as print, digital, broadcast, and social affairs, the truth is that some areas are going to fall short and the campaign will not be as effective as it could potentially be. MaaS solves this problem by providing all aspects of marketing, resulting in a complete and successful campaign. This also relieves the marketing team so it can work on other important needs of the company.

When small to medium-sized businesses utilize a MaaS company, they get a professional brand that helps them perform and look bigger than they actually are. This gives current and future clients a modern user experience and helps grow the business faster than expected.

MaaS Has Advantages to Large Companies as Well

While MaaS is excellent for small and medium businesses, this does not mean that there aren’t benefits for enterprise and franchise-type businesses as well. These larger brands often have exclusive in-house marketing teams that are able to cover a wide variety of skill sets, but Marketing as a Service may come in handy in certain situations. These include:

• When entering a new market
• When introducing a new product
• When trying out a new technology or channel
• Anything that extends outside the skillset or experience of current employees

Functions Perfect for MaaS Marketing

Some may be wondering if MaaS is going to take over all marketing functions of SMBs, and the answer is no. There are many areas that in-house marketing teams can manage, especially once they are set up correctly. Some core functions that companies may choose to keep in-house include brand messaging, strategies for gaining clients, content strategy, social media upkeep, market research, and channel strategy.

Technology is where MaaS really shines, as many marketing professionals are not skilled in this area. This is especially true as technology continues to progress at speeds that are difficult to keep up with. Thus, SMBs have to contend with a potential banana-peel moment when it comes to time and resources to stay on top of marketing technology trends.

While keeping core functions in-house can help keep costs down, it is often financially advantageous to out-source for non-core functions that can make a big difference in a company’s presence. These functions include:

• Development of content
• Content presentation
• Design of print and online media
• Public relations
• UI and UX design
• Lead scoring
• Automation of marketing
• Programs that generate interest for a service or product

When it comes to marketing, it is important to start a campaign the right way because this makes it easier to maintain it within the company on an ongoing basis. Marketing as a Service helps companies implement strategies and procedures to streamline the process with ease.

A Different Approach to Marketing

Marketing as a Service is a holistic strategy that brings a professional brand to businesses that previously have not been able to do so due to limited resources. Each program is customized for individual clients who can choose from just one service or a bundle of services for a complete marketing experience. When businesses use MaaS, they learn a lot more about who they are and are able to focus on particular marketing targets.

The approach of Marketing as a Service starts by helping companies gain clarity about their mission and goals. Then they can focus on exactly what they are selling and who the target market is so they can engage these markets in a specific way. The goal of MaaS is to help businesses develop valuable relationships with clients by discussing fundamental business practices and strategies.

Marketing as a Service is about much more than just marketing. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach, as providers get to know and understand each business so they can meet individual needs. Businesses of all sizes should focus on what goals they want to achieve and the strategies they want to use to get there. A good MaaS company wants to dig into the business to see what platforms and tools are currently being used as well as the people and processes that can be used to drive success.

Advancing Marketing Execution

Whether or not businesses have a dedicated in-house team for marketing, most companies understand their brand completely and thoroughly. However, using a Marketing as a Service company helps execute marketing campaigns in a successful way. There are four ways Marketing as a Service can improve the implementation of marketing.

Knowledge

MaaS has marketing professionals who specialize in a variety of niches that an in-house marketing team may not have. The skill sets, know-how, and experience a provider brings can make a big difference in the success of a business’s marketing campaign and to the number of potential clients the message reaches.

Flexibility

Changing times call for the ability to move with them. Being flexible is extremely important so that a company can jump on real-time opportunities. MaaS is stored in the cloud, allowing for streamlined operations and agility in marketing strategies. This allows businesses to share not only relevant messaging but current and minute-by-minute messaging. This helps involve current and prospective clients in a new and exciting way.

New Viewpoint

It is easy for businesses to get caught up in what is right in front of their faces, which makes it hard for them to see the bigger picture. Marketing as a Service is able to step back from the day-to-day operations of a marketing department and see how effective current campaigns are.

With MaaS, programs are constantly being analyzed and measured to see which campaigns are working and which ones are not. A Marketing as a Service company is able to offer new viewpoints as to what may work better to cut costs, improve productivity, and get a greater return on investment.

Better Management of Time

Marketing teams tend to be more productive when they are able to focus on what they are skilled in and what they know best. Using a Marketing as a Service provider to work on areas that are not fundamental helps marketing professionals home in on core functions of the business, which results in better efficiency and productivity throughout the operation. This saves not only time but also money.

Evaluate the Needs of the Business

Companies that have decided to hire a Marketing as a Service provider should do some analyzing of their own operations before hiring so that they can get the best resources for their money. A good question to ask is ‘why do we need outside help?’ If SMBs can pinpoint these issues, whether it be general inefficiencies, poor client retention, missed deadlines, or poor ROI, they will be able to get more out of a MaaS.

Businesses should look at their current marketing team and determine what skills are already covered in-house. They can then look for other needed skills from a MaaS company. Along with finding out which skill sets are necessary, businesses should research different Marketing as a Service companies and ask them questions specific to their needs, whether it is implementing a new process, a certain technology, and what their record of success with other businesses has been.

Get MaaS for Your Business

Whether you are a new startup just getting your feet wet, you are a small business that needs help with all marketing-related needs, or you are a large company that just needs marketing assistance for one particular program, MaaS is for you. With it, you have an entire marketing team at your disposal to help put a professional presence on your brand.

V Digital Services offers marketing resources of all kinds for a variety of industries such as education, medical, law, dental, retail, clubs, home services, food, and more. We work with businesses of all sizes to provide different marketing strategies that help generate website traffic, improve digital presence, increase brand identity, and increase profits.

With the use of Marketing as a Service, businesses can boost their presence in a big way without having to do all of the work that often goes along with being successful. Once you have outlined your goals and brand identity, a team of experts use their tools, technology, and expertise to streamline the process and deliver whatever marketing needs you are looking for. For many businesses who are struggling with keeping up with everything that running a company entails, MaaS can ease the stress and even save you money in the long run.

If you’re ready to achieve the holistic marketing strategy you’ve always wanted but never knew how to get, reach out to V Digital Services today to see how we can help you streamline your efforts.