Even when business is thriving, marketing budgets don’t always reflect that success. “Cost-free” DIY marketing is a misconception, and taking a do-it-yourself approach is rarely the most effective option. Strategic guidance can help you avoid common mistakes and set your brand up for success.
Busting the “Free” Myth
Enhancing engagement across various platforms typically requires minimal upfront financial investment. However, as organic traffic becomes more competitive and harder to sustain, relying solely on organic growth can limit results. For businesses seeking to expand their pool of qualified leads, investing in paid advertising along with your organic efforts provides a more effective solution.
Paid advertising is an important step forward. However, businesses of all sizes often make critical mistakes when allocating their ad budgets. Common missteps include targeting the wrong audiences, failing to analyze performance data, or misinterpreting analytics altogether. Others chase trends that are misaligned with their target audience. The result is reduced conversions and inefficient use of marketing spend.
Time is Money
Effective DIY marketing requires a substantial investment of time. Success typically involves researching the needs of your target audience, creating content that resonates, maintaining a consistent brand message across platforms, and analyzing performance metrics to make informed adjustments.
For business owners spending 20 or more hours per week on marketing tasks, which, according to a survey by Constant Contact, is common among DIYers, this time commitment can divert focus from core responsibilities: leading and growing the business.
Inconsistent Branding
Even those with exceptional multitasking skills often struggle to maintain consistency, particularly in branding. A company’s strongest asset, its culture, can quickly become muddled as new marketing tactics are introduced. Visuals may conflict, tone may shift, and posting schedules can become irregular, undermining the trust you’ve worked to build.
Even a meticulously designed website can fall short of expectations if messaging is inconsistent and content fails to generate meaningful SEO results. Potential customers are lost, and an otherwise strong online presence begins to erode. This is a common challenge faced by many marketing DIYers.
Find the Fix
DIY marketing is a fiscally responsible move – until it isn’t. Handing over some of your marketing responsibilities to a professional can save you time and money. Partner with an expert and see a return on your investment in more ways than one. You’ll free up many hours a week to focus on your business and your trusted, outsourced marketing team will more effectively present your brand to a target audience ready to take advantage of what you have to offer.
At SJC Marketing, we work with many clients who have tried the DIY marketing approach and we’ve gotten them back on track. Contact us and let’s discuss building a strategy that will work for your brand.