Why It’s Not Always Best for Small Businesses to Do Their Own Marketing

• business
• Small Businesses

Marketing is a complex field. It includes an array of strategies used to improve business visibility, earn more revenue, engage potential customers, and establish a brand presence. Developing a good marketing strategy helps a business grow and achieve more success. While this is true, it doesn’t mean small business owners need to take on marketing efforts without professional help. This isn’t a good idea and is likely to end in subpar results. A better option is to invest in professional marketing services. Keep reading to learn why professional marketing services are such a good idea for modern small businesses.

A Lack of Marketing Expertise

Unless the business owner has a background in marketing, they will not have the expertise needed to create a successful marketing campaign. By outsourcing marketing services (learn more about it here), business owners can access marketing talent, advanced marketing technology, and use leading-edge strategies.

With the help of the professionals, it is possible to synchronize the customer experience and touch every stage of the buying cycle with relevant, timely, and agile marketing campaigns. Also, not just one marketing person can handle a business’s entire campaign. Even if they could, most small businesses can’t afford a full-time employee. With the help of professional marketing services, business owners gain access to versatile professionals with a proven background in SEO, internet marketing, web design, graphic design, business strategy, and more.

The Cost of Full-Time Marketing Professionals

The salary for a mid-career marketing professional is expensive. It’s also increasing each year. From 2016 to 2017, the cost of hiring a content strategist increased by 40 percent. This is a trend across the entire marketing industry.

If a business attempts to hire an entire team of marketers rather than an agency, it can cost $600,000 annually or more. This doesn’t account for the cost of training, sick days, paid vacation, and health benefits.

By hiring a marketing agency, businesses pay a single set rate. This rate is typically paid monthly or yearly. Regardless of the payment frequency, it’s significantly less than a full-time, on-site marketing staff.

The Inability to Establish Industry Authority with Content

Content is a crucial part of modern marketing. It helps businesses establish authority within the industry. It engages customers, catches the attention of search engines, and distributes information on services and products.

The internet is over-saturated with content. This means users are selective about what they read. It’s no longer enough to create generic content and include the right keywords. The content has to provide value. This means content that’s well written with proper spelling and grammar and relevant information. It also needs to be long form, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 words.

The main goal of content marketing is to attract more organic traffic to the website. It also encourages users to stick around long enough to learn about the services or products offered. Unfortunately, modern business owners rarely have the ability or time to handle this. A marketing agency does. Professionals know how to generate the right content for the business’s audience. The result is improved visibility and readership, and the possibility of more sales and profits.

To Help Improve Staff Efficiency

Some businesses attempt to avoid hiring in-house marketers by having employees pick up this work. Putting the marketing burden on current employees (who may or may not have skills in this area) increases the possibility of burnout. It also reduces overall productivity.

Another drawback is that marketing efforts will lack effectiveness and consistency. This is true even for individuals who have the proper training.

Outsourcing marketing needs allows existing employees to maintain momentum with critical projects. The normal tasks of the individual won’t drop on the priority list, fall to the wayside, or be forgotten when marketing work is handled by someone else.

To Access the Latest Tools and Technology

The right marketing tools can increase performance, productivity, and efficiency. While there are free tools, they rarely provide the desired results.

Hiring a marketing agency allows small businesses to access premium-level software, services, and data reports with no additional cost. Most small business owners agree this is an appealing benefit.

The Inability to Deliver the Brand Socially

Social media is a platform all small businesses should use. It allows businesses to connect with their target audience and engage with them regularly. By developing this personal relationship, understanding complaints, and concerns, and providing resolutions, customers remain interested in what the brand offers.

However, when it is not handled properly, social media becomes a threat. Even a small mistake can compromise the company’s reputation and alienate the target audience. An experienced social media professional understands how to navigate each social platform on behalf of the business.

Qualified marketers use sophisticated tools to track activity, ensuring nothing goes wrong. Also, managing several social media accounts requires commitment and time. Professional marketers are savvy and know how to engage a business’s audience.

Many business owners struggle with this part of their marketing strategy. They don’t have the knowledge or time to track social media pages. All this is eliminated with professional services.

The Inability to Scale Marketing Efforts Easily

With on-site marketing operations, the only way to increase efforts is by hiring more employees. Marketing agencies have an arsenal of workers available. If a business owner wants a bolder, bigger strategy created, these individuals can be utilized at a moment’s notice.

Agencies help businesses scale faster. Their services will grow as the business grows, without the typical growing pains or costs associated with an in-house team.

The Right Marketing Agency Matters

By using the services of a marketing agency for finding the right company matters. It’s a good idea to look carefully into the options and find an agency who can take the time to learn about the business goals.

By hiring the right agency, a successful marketing strategy can be developed.