I remember starting at a marketing company several years ago, and I was a little unsure of what the term “white label” actually meant. I remember sitting in a marketing strategy meeting as the VP just tossed the term around and everyone was building off it. I’m sitting there frantically looking up the term to better understand it. But once I got that minor panic moment under control, I realized it’s not that complicated. Since then, I’ve wondered more about the appeal of it and how to make it more successful.
White labeling is pure and simple when a company or brand removes their own name or label from a product, and allows someone else to sell it, in exchange for some of the revenue created. And even though I wasn’t clear on the term at the time, I now realize that white label products are all around us. From store brand names on products to True Value at Walmart that are literally the exact same as the name brand product. Or digital products like SEO and PPC services. The practice of white labeling happens all. the. Time. Basically if it involves a business task, it can be white labeled.
Boostability is the #1 white label SEO provider in the world. So we’ve learned a lot of things about the white label industry and what it means. Read on here for our guide on how to make white labeling work for your business.
White Label Allows Scalability for Your Business
Think back to Henry Ford’s assembly line model that made him famous. Thousands of workers doing the same task day in and day out made them experts in their particular task. It revolutionized the way work was done and got things done quickly and efficiently. Essentially, that’s how white labeling works as well. There’s companies out there that specialize in one thing, and one thing only. For Boostability, that thing is SEO. We’ve created our own scalable model that allows us to provide SEO as a white labeled product to our partners. Who can then turn around and sell it to their clients at an affordable price without bringing on extra staff and training to just offer a new product.
Scalability is a key to growing business. You need to be able to keep the costs down while at the same time growing to fill a need of the customers. If you don’t scale properly, you can’t handle the business demands, and you normally end up failing. But at the same time, if you grow too fast without the infrastructure to sustain it, then you sink in a different way.
Taking on a white labeled product automatically builds in a scalable model to your business. It means you can bring on a new product with the infrastructure already built into it. You just need to do the work to sell it to your customers. And good white label partners help you with that step as well. When you bring on a white labeled product, it takes out the growing pains because it’s ready to sell, ready to go for your customers. The kinks have been figured out from the product, and it’s top quality for your customers.
What You Need to Know Before Starting
Just because white labeling is common, doesn’t mean it’s always easy. I’ve spoken to so many people over the years that agree that white labeling is a great concept, but say there’s no way they could give up control for an entire product to another agency. And as someone that personally struggles with delegating, I understand. However, white labeling a new product does not mean you give up control. Quite the opposite in fact. It’s your name, your branding, your company getting all the credit for the product and its success. The agency you’re partnering with wants it to succeed just as much as you do.
White label marketing allows you to stay on trends and technologies. You want to focus on what you do best, which is running your business. Your white label partner specializes in one particular thing. They do it incredibly well. In our case, SEO. It’s all we do, and we’ve mastered it. We have in house specialists that follow all Google algorithm updates and create SEO strategies for all our clients. They already have the expertise, why not take advantage of it without taking on the overhead costs of bringing on specialists to your own staff. White labeling ultimately saves you time, effort, and money that allows you to stay competitive in your field.
Before you get started, do the research to know what product will best benefit your clients. Then do your research. Not all firms are created equal. Some service small businesses, some service very niche industries. And you might need to call and talk with several different potential partners before you decide on the right one for your business.
How to Find the Right White Label Partner
As you get started, recognize that not all white label agencies are created equal. You need to make sure you find a provider that fits your individual needs, that helps you with your individual requirements, and has the capabilities that you want to implement for your clients.
We’ve compiled a list of things you need to consider when partnering for your business. You need to make sure that any agency understands your motivations for bringing on a new product. Help them understand your challenges and how they can help them overcome those challenges. Be honest about your budget and define when you’re going to receive progress updates. Will they be contacting your clients on your behalf, or do you need check ins so you can take care of those conversations? Make sure you understand the agreement inside and out.
In addition to understanding your needs, you also want to make sure that agency really knows their stuff. We’ve all probably seen the most glorious sales pitches in the world, but you look under the hood and it’s actually not so great. Ask for case studies, understand their process, and make sure you know what you get on your end. You want to make sure they’re a knowledgeable representative of your brand to your customers and can provide the level of service you’re known for. Make sure they have a good track record and can prove their performance through data and reporting tools.
Learn more about our white label SEO partner program and get connected with one of our Partner Success Team members for more information!
