Business-to-business (B2B) marketing is an ever-evolving field, with new strategies and tools being developed to help companies reach their customers more effectively. But what happens when technology evolution outpaces the humans who use it?
A serious skills gap. A widening gap between businesses that can afford to invest in in-house training and tools and those that can’t. A gap between possibilities… and stark reality.
Recent research has found that – despite the significant rise in B2B marketing technology and skills – the utilization of existing capabilities has decreased significantly. In 2022, marketing leaders reported using just 42% of their marketing tech’s capabilities. And that’s down from 58% in 2020.
So what’s the problem?
Well, there are a few contributing factors:
- B2B marketing technology is improving at lightning-fast speeds.
- B2B marketing strategies become increasingly complex.
- Businesses are struggling to afford to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.
- Businesses are finding it difficult to keep their skills updated.
Fortunately, there’s an emerging solution that more and more savvy business owners are turning to: the marketing-as-a-service (MaaS) model.
As a cost-effective way to outsource a company’s marketing needs, MaaS models provide an effective bridge between companies and the skills they need to stay competitive.
The goal of these models is to help businesses access the latest marketing strategies, tools, and best practices – but without having to spend valuable time and money developing in-house expertise.
This article will explore how MaaS models help bridge the growing skills gap in B2B marketing by providing businesses with the tools they need to succeed in today’s digital landscape.
What is MaaS (Marketing as a Service)?
MaaS models are a form of outsourcing that allows businesses to outsource certain aspects of their marketing strategy. These models have become increasingly popular over the last several years because they allow businesses to scale their marketing efforts in a cost-effective way.
There are different types of MaaS models to fit different business needs:
- Digital marketing as a service : This could include strategic planning, content marketing, paid search management, and site management.
- Marketing automation as a service : This could include CRM integrations, lead management, and campaign management.
- Marketing technology as a service : This type of model focuses on helping businesses drive their technology needs. This could include systems administration, analytics, and content management.
With the growing popularity of MaaS models, businesses are now finding it easier than ever to scale their marketing efforts. Let’s look at how they help.
The Benefits of Leveraging a MaaS model In Your Business
1. MaaS models help businesses access the skills, tools, and resources they need – while cutting down on both time and costs.
By cutting down on the time needed in hiring and onboarding new employees, companies can also more quickly advance their strategies, achieve specific revenue goals, and keep up with the competition.
2. MaaS models help organizations discover their optimal mix of in-house talent and outsourced expertise.
Finding that sweet spot (the perfect balance between in-house experience and specialized skills found outside your organization) is the single best way to fast-track growth.
3. MaaS sets a business up for improved collaboration and consistency across all areas of the organization.
When you can access the answers you need more quickly, you’ll be able to make more accurate decisions and resolve issues faster.
4. MaaS models can help extend business reach by offering scalable marketing solutions that are available 24/7/365.
A MaaS model relieves the burden of business-hours-only adjustments to marketing, so you can maximize the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
The Secret To Successful Integration Of An MaaS Model Into Your Business Operations
For a MaaS model to be most successful, all of your efforts must be centralized and focused on driving growth and revenue. That is why it’s important that experienced marketing leadership reexamine and adjust the existing marketing plan.
With this C-level focus on marketing strategy, businesses can begin to see the most benefits from their MaaS model – most often, a significant increase in ROI.
Read on to find out how we created a pairing made in paradise.
The Unicorn of MaaS Models: yorMarketing MVP
Here’s what we know to be true: Good tactical marketing work also doesn’t get done well unless it’s under the direction of strong strategic marketing leadership.
It’s taken us several years, dozens of clients, and hundreds of hours of experimentation, but we finally did it. We built the first marketing unicorn.
We combined a fractional CMO with a full-time VA to create yorMarketing MVP (our marketing-as-a-service offering), so you know your marketing is getting done right.
All it takes is a few internal interviews and a review of your marketing landscape. Then we’ll begin the search for your perfect-fit yorMarketingMVP. Our team will search, screen, and present qualified candidates for you for approval and your fractional CMO will work with you to customize their role to best support your business.
With leadership from a fractional CMO and clear KPIs for the VA, it’s a MaaS model built for success. Contact yorCMO for more information.
MaaS and Your Business: The Bottom Line
The growing skills gap in B2B marketing is a significant challenge facing many businesses.
Luckily, marketing-as-a-service models are here to help bridge the gap. Many of these models, like yorMarketing MVP, help you better focus your efforts and resources and drive revenue.
If you’re worried about getting lost in the gap, our team is here to help.
Our Fractional CMOs are skilled in taking what can be a complex process and distilling it down into the exact hands-on marketing help you’ve been looking for. The best thing that you can do for your business is to make the most of the marketing technology and resources available to you today. We’ll help you do just that.