Why DIY Small Business Marketing May Cost You More Than Hiring an Expert

Think doing your online marketing or SEO will save your business money? Probably not. If you don’t know how to optimize your site correctly, Google can penalize your site and not deliver your company in the search results.

Trying to learn how to optimize your website yourself, maintain the optimizations and keep up with Google updates will take you away from actually growing your business and client base. That’s a money-losing strategy for any company.

Some digital marketing and web development companies genuinely want to help you grow your business. They will offer affordable options for small businesses to get a foothold in the search results game. Hiring a professional to handle your online efforts will allow you to focus on your business while an expert handles improving your online presence. Win-win for everyone.


Why Should You Hire A Digital Marketing Specialist For Your Small Business?

TIME EQUALS MONEY!

As a small business owner, you often have limited time. It would be best to use every minute of your day to grow and improve your business. One way small business owners try to do this is by attempting to do online marketing or search engine optimization on their own.

The misconception is that by doing it yourself, you’ll save money. This thought is rarely true because you’ll spend more time trying to learn and figure things out. If done incorrectly, your website could be penalized by Google.


Do-It-Yourself Small Business Online Marketing Tactics

There are four key elements to successfully marketing small business websites online. To create a rewarding online strategy without spending money on paid online advertising (PPC campaigns), you should invest time and effort to do the following tactics on a consistent and regular basis.

  • Content Writing (Page Creation)

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  • Social Media Marketing (SEM)

  • Business Map Listings (Google & Bing)


The Benefits of Hiring an Online Marketing Professional

Would you use an entry-level person to do a senior-level job? Probably not. The same mentality applies to DIY marketing when it comes to small businesses.

There is no learning curb when you hire a professional SEO specialist or an online marketing expert. We know what we are doing.

All you have to do is tell a digital marketing agency, like SoFloWeb:

  • What digital marketing services do you want to use
  • What your goals are
  • What type of budget do you have

If you are working with us, we’ll take the information you provided and put together a marketing strategy. You’ll get a complete plan presented to you within a few days. All you have to do is approve it, which frees your time to focus on other business areas that require more of your attention.

The small expense of paying someone to do some or all of your marketing is worth the cost when you realize some things are better handled by people who have years of experience. Their skill-set level has taken years to build and they are very knowledgeable in their field.


Save Your Business Time and Money

Online marketing sounds extremely easy to do, and it is when you have the time to invest in it. As a business owner, there is a point in time when you should pass the job on to someone else. It doesn’t mean you have to pass everything to them at once. If your social media game is strong and doing it yourself is working out, continue to do so. The same applies to other areas of marketing like paid online advertising (PPC), keeping business listings updated with new posts and images, or churning out good quality content regularly.

If you feel you can only handle a part of it or no longer can keep up with any of it, you have two options. You can find a person who can consult and step in when needed. Or, you can hand everything over and have the digital marketing specialist take care of it.

Hire an Online Marketing Mentor to Guide You

We understand that many people choose to do their marketing regardless of their skill level. It’s OK, but don’t waste your time on efforts that do not result in success. One way to make sure you are on the right track and using different marketing tactics is to hire a mentor.

An online marketing consultant can teach you how to do online marketing. They can also provide strategies that you can implement. Consultants can also give insight into your progress by showing you how to read Google Analytics and Search Console reporting.

Find a Trusted Digital Marketer in Your Local Area

One of the best ways to find a reliable and trusted service provider in your local area is to ask for referrals from colleagues, friends and family. There are a lot of digital marketing specialists and companies you can choose to work with. Having someone make a recommendation makes the process of finding someone much easier.

You can also use Google to find local SEO and marketing companies near you. Always check them out properly by doing a little research to ensure you are working with a legitimate company.

Need help? Are you interested in working with us? Get a quote for digital marketing services.