Let’s be honest, if you’re reading this article, you already have your own business/project/product and we’d hope that you know this inside and out - great!
But, do you know how to effectively engage with your customers? Capture your audience? Do you know how to show just how GREAT your business is?
If the answer to any of the above is no - or, you have tentatively thought about it for a minute or two - then we think it’s best you get in touch with the experts.
… After all, would you feel comfortable performing a heart transplant, if you have only watched a couple of online videos? (an extreme example, but you get the picture)
In this article, we are going to discuss the benefits of hiring the experts, and why you may think twice about leaving marketing ‘till the very last second. Sound good?
So, let’s start with the basics.
What is Marketing? What experience do you have?
Marketing isn’t just a singular task - but is made up of multiple teams collaborating together to achieve the best possible result.
Having a great website is fantastic - and is sure to impress those that come across it. However, if no-one knows it exists, then what is the point? This is where SEO comes into play, having a comprehensive Social Media presence or also looking at other advertising methods better suited to your audience. All these SHOULD be considered before even considering getting a “high-flying” website constructed.
From experience, here are some of the pitfalls that some of our clients have come across before considering getting help from us;
- A lack of brand clarity, or mixed messaging
- Taking away resources from the core business
- Lack of ROI tracking - and not knowing if your money is being spent well
- Having an ‘unprofessional look’ and coming across as ‘cheap’
- Unable to keep up with competitors
There were 100s more, but we thought you would get the picture.
An independent marketing business can address all these concerns and much more. They are able to discuss your business with you and can help to turn it into a brand. As well as this, offer a subjective view on how to summarise your message clearly and concisely for the right audience, which is going to maximise the growth.
Touching on the resources; If you’re not already versed with marketing and are nearing the final stages of your product/business launch, do you really wish to take valuable resources away just to create a poor quality site and throw some posts up on Facebook? Probably not, right? Let those resources concentrate on what makes them great.
A subjective view is needed when creating a look for your business. It helps to engage constructively in criticism - while you think you have got an idea for a look or logo, if it doesn’t attract audiences or represent your over-all brand, well there’s no point in creating a mock-up. Sometimes the best creatives within any industry must be told “No” before their work becomes better.
… this is why writers have editors.
OK, let’s move on to probably our #1 reason to consider getting expert help - Costs and ROI.
From our experience, incurred costs are usually the main reason businesses believe they can take on the marketing activities themselves. This is great in the short-term, as you may save money initially - however, what impact will that have on the long-term ROI?.
Although sales teams are important assets allowing businesses to grow, the lack of professional marketing campaigns and both working together WILL cost the company a lot of time and expense.
Marketing campaigns are not only designed to help your product get out into the consumer’s hands - and drive sales - but they are also a great help when trying to collect and interpret data.
This data can be very useful in gaining other metrics and learning about how your product/business is being received; units sold, price points, age & location demographics, plus much more - depending on what is needed to help your business grow, the possibilities are endless.
As we know in the current global economic climate, data is a valuable resource as it can allow for businesses - like yours - to plan ahead in the right direction. The wrong data and misinterpretations can lead to disaster.
There has never been a better time to focus on your marketing and your businesses brand, especially with so many options available.
Our #1 tip in these situations is to NEVER underestimate the power of marketing analytics. Tracking how much $1 of marketing drives each $1 of sales is crucial for business growth.
OK, so why should you consider getting the experts in?
Firstly, some quality marketing companies are not as expensive as you think and offer incredible value to your business - and mainly to your wallet. Again, try to think about the big picture and how much revenue you will be able to generate from their expertise.
If you are still not sure, take baby steps and ask them to help with a smaller project to begin with. Many companies - like us - are flexible with their resources and happy to discuss how they can help.
Let them show you the value of their work - their worth to your business. Once that trust has been developed, increase their demand. Remember, let them work for you and your business.
And finally, just like many specialist professions and businesses, marketing is no different. There are many marketing companies, all with specialisations that can work for you; whether that is in traditional press advertising or needing an emphasis on the digital world. There is a marketing company out there that works for your business.
