Mandeep Singh is the Founder of SEO Discovery. He helps businesses with 360 digital marketing services.
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Whether you work for other agencies or provide services directly to your own business clients, white label alliances can help your company grow.
The term “white label” is a catchword in the realm of digital marketing. Basically, it means that an agency has a partner that does work for them and their clients under their brand name. For example, my agency offers SEO services to our agency partners, which they can then present to their clients as their own. We also partner with other white label agencies.
While white label partnerships can offer numerous benefits, there also are some important considerations to take into account before getting started.
Potential Benefits Of White Label Partnerships
They can be cost-effective. You may want to offer first-class content creation services in a variety of domains, such as SEO, social media, affiliate management, web development, design and pay per click, but unless you have steady clients wanting all of that, there’s likely no point in paying for staff members that you aren’t going to need all the time. Considering the number of do-it-all agencies out there, to really succeed and build a reputation for your agency, focus on perfecting a limited number of services. For the rest, a specialized white label partner can come to the rescue — the arrangement can be cost-effective, as well, compared to hiring someone in-house.
They can provide access to expertise that your team may not have. Working with a white label partner allows you to tap into the expertise of an entire panel of experienced professionals. While choosing the right partner, try to focus on those with a strong proficiency in specific services, such as technical SEO, PPC, etc.
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They likely already have the tools needed to get the job done, and they know how to use them. Tools are a prerequisite for agencies to accomplish valuable work. Often, the better the tools, the better the solution. And it goes without saying that effective tools, such as SEO software, cost money. However, when you have a white label partner by your side, you often can get all the value of the tools for the cost of your partner’s service. Not only does this save you money, but your partner likely already knows how to make the most of the tools. Thus, you can save yourself time and effort as well.
They allow you to scale your team up based on your needs. When you have a deadline, a white label partner can provide the extra support your in-house workforce may need to meet it. All you have to do is share your requirements, besides any process you want your partner to follow, and they take care of the rest.
They allow you to focus on your own area of expertise. When you have a white label partner working for you, it gives you more time to focus on your primary business solutions — basically what you’re passionate about and what you can deliver remarkable value on.
They allow you to maintain client ownership. When working with a white label partner, they typically won’t interact with your clients at all, and you’ll get the credit for any work that they do. Your partnership will usually be kept confidential, and there will be no unauthorized sharing of identity.
Things To Consider Before Getting Started
While outsourcing to white label partners probably sounds fantastic so far, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Outsourcing work to any third party can have some risks, and white label partners are no exception.
Here are a few things to consider before taking the plunge.
Contact with clients: If your partner is going to be working directly with your client, will they be doing so as a representative of your brand? Will they be emailing from your company’s email domain?
Taking credit: Your white label partner, your client and you may all belong to the same social groups or have the same circle of friends. Make sure your partner knows that your brand gets the credit for the work they do as part of your partnership.
Capacity issues: Does your potential partner have the time and capacity to devote to your project? One of the primary reasons why agencies outsource is to free up their own time. The very last thing you want is for your partner to fall behind on targets after promising to meet them because of their existing workload or inadequate capacity.
Tools and procedures: I cannot overstate the importance of tools and procedures. Is your partner equipped with the necessary resources? Do they have specific procedures in place to ensure their work stays productive and of the same high quality every time?
Communication: Communication is essential in any healthy relationship, whether personal or professional. Will your partner, at the very least, keep you informed about what’s happening on the work front? Do they seem like they’ll keep you waiting for days, weeks or months without a response? Make sure your partner has a transparent and structured system in place to keep you and your client informed at all times during the process.
Flexibility: Your partner likely has their own resources, methods of functioning, operating processes, quality-assurance mechanism and business hours, but at the same time, make sure they are flexible as well. After all, every firm is different from the ones it collaborates with. Look for versatility to see whether they can meet your needs.
Now that you know what to expect when it comes to white label partnerships, you can decide whether it might be something you want to try. As you consider potential partners, make sure you ask questions so you know whether they’ll be a good fit. The right partner can enable you to reap all the above-mentioned benefits and build a solid client base.
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Author: Mandeep Singh, Forbes Councils Member
