During a recent meeting, I encountered a client who expressed apprehension about my ability to effectively manage their marketing because of a lack of experience specific to their industry. While concerns about industry knowledge are valid, there are lots of ways a marketing specialist can add value to your business.
Knowledge and expertise
Nobody knows everything. Even the most experienced senior professional sometimes needs to outsource, and while industry knowledge is undoubtedly valuable, it’s important to remember that the marketing industry itself is a field that requires knowledge and training. Furthermore, with all the changes in artificial intelligence and social media, the marketing industry is rapidly evolving. Many business owners don’t have time to understand all the nuances of marketing, like search engine optimisation (SEO) for example. Working with a trained professional can help you fill that knowledge gap.
Fresh Perspective
Working with someone outside of your business can bring a fresh pair of eyes. Before meeting with this client, I reviewed their website and current marketing channels and came to the meeting with plenty of ideas they weren’t doing with their current marketing activities. An external marketing specialist can identify any gaps and opportunities you may have overlooked and provide you with creative strategies and insights to help elevate your marketing.
Save time
Running a business is a lot of work, and lots of businesses are outsourcing their admin these days. In the same way, a virtual assistant can help save you time on those administration tasks, a marketing specialist can help take care of your business’s marketing needs, so you can focus on the core activities of your business. To do marketing well, you need to invest significant time, and for small businesses when things get busy, marketing can often take a backseat. Even as a trained marketing professional, I find it hard to find time to market my own business around client’s needs, because we all prefer to be doing the work we enjoy and get paid for, right?
Collaboration and Partnership
When hiring a marketing specialist, it’s important to look at it as a partnership. Effective marketing is a long game that requires consistency. An experienced marketing specialist will work closely with you to help you achieve your business goals, and the more they get to know you, your business, and your customers, the more effective your marketing strategies will be. Just like taking on a new staff member, relationships take time to build, the longer you work with your marketing specialist the more they will understand your business and your industry.
Cost-effective
Hiring an external marketing specialist might seem like an additional expense for your small business, but in the long run, it can be a cost-effective decision. By outsourcing your marketing, you can:
- Eliminate the need to hire and train in-house marketing staff,
- Save on marketing tools and technology,
- And save time on managing marketing campaigns yourself.
I spent much of my early career working and volunteering for not-for-profits. It was in this environment that I learned creative and resourceful ways to increase awareness and engagement on a minimal to no budget. Depending on a business’s needs, I will often suggest more cost-effective marketing strategies, so, you’re often just paying for my expertise and time.
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