At some point, every business owner wishes for their business to grow or expand. Those who are gifted with talent and skill are successful. When this happens, it is usually because they worked with all the necessary tools, techniques and resources. Marketing, whether your business is online or offline, plays a vital role in bringing your successful business goals into fruition. Most business owners are aware of the variety of digital marketing strategies available to them. After searching for small business marketing tips, you are likely overwhelmed with details about Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Google Adwords, Email marketing and other ways to promote your business. Entrepreneurs are then faced with the question; Do I DIY digital marketing or outsource digital marketing? While either option can lead to success, these tips for small businesses and the following pros and cons can help you determine which is best for you.
The Pros of DIY Marketing
A small business can gain success through DIY digital marketing. DIY marketing for small business can be beneficial if the owner or an employee has the time, resources and skill to perform these tasks themselves. However, understanding the intricacies of digital marketing and all the available tools they can use at their disposal is essential – before they can reap all the benefits as shown below:
- Save Money. The primary reason business owners go the DIY route with digital marketing programs is the money they can save by doing the task themselves, instead of paying a marketing firm or agency monthly – plus additional expenses incurred. You can gain more potential revenue by using the money saved toward the actual marketing expenses. Doing this can result in more targeted traffic and higher lever keywords, getting you closer to your marketing goals.
- Control. Performing your digital marketing strategy DIY style allows you to completely control your digital marketing efforts. You will learn more about the details of digital marketing, search engines, your website and your overall marketing strategy by rolling up your sleeves and doing the work yourself. If there are changes to be made, no need to wait for an agency or firm to take actions as you or your team can make the changes as needed.
- Brand Expert. No one knows your business or niche industry as well as you do. Your intimate knowledge of your brand will facilitate the faster formulation of digital marketing strategies streamlined for your brand, product or services. The process will be a lot faster than having to educate a third-party provider about the ins and outs of your operation, making sure they understand, then formulating a strategy that works for your business.
The Cons of DIY Digital Marketing
After getting a clear understanding of the most important pros and advantages of DIY digital marketing, please note that there are also disadvantages – cons to DIY digital marketing. The possibility of experiencing these cons can grow if you decided to take short cuts and resort to a black hat or deceptive practices that will not prove to be beneficial to your business. Before you proceed and make a final decision to DIY your digital marketing strategy, it will be to your immediate benefit to learn more about the cons. Considering both the advantages and disadvantages will equip you with the wisdom to decide if taking the DIY approach to digital marketing is the best decision for you.
- Learning Curve. Consider a steep learning curve and longer ramp up time if you decide to form a new in-house digital marketing team from employees who may not have the skills, experience, nor time to perform the work well.
- Investment. If your company has already invested heavily in your marketing program, forming a new DIY digital marketing team will incur additional expenses for your business and may prove too costly in the long run. Experienced digital marketers spent years fine tuning their skills in internet marketing before they achieved profitable results. If you have no digital marketing experts on your DIY team, it could take you considerable time and resources before you can get any favorable results from your campaign.
- Inexperience. In the digital marketing, game inexperience can prove harmful to your business. If you or your team lack the experience that is required for an effective digital marketing program, your efforts may result in actions that may prove harmful to your online reputation and internet presence.
In conclusion DIY digital marketing is loaded with potential if you have the talent, time, resources and knowledge needed to pull it off successfully. However, if you do not have the talent, time, resources and knowledge to DIY successfully, outsourcing your digital marketing could be the road that will lead you to much success. After carefully pondering both the pros and cons of DIY marketing your small business, the decision is yours to make. For more tips on marketing your small business please subscribe to our blog.
