Why do I need a Marketing Agency as a Small Business?

I get it. The budget for your small business is tight, and adding one more expense to the line item doesn’t affect stockholder returns. It reduces the amount that you and your family have to live. Whether you have 10 or 100 employees, marketing can seem like a frivolous waste of money.

A Marketing Consultant, though, can help you navigate the hundreds of different options and focus on just a few that can truly drive the profits of the business. And great marketing consultants understand how their creative strategies fit into the larger picture of your business.

Here’s 3 Ways getting some outside help can increase your profits:

Cost-Effective Marketing

Your marketing budget likely doesn’t include a Chief Marketing Officer with years of experience and the knowledge to help you achieve your goals. A great CMO can cost, even here in the Midwest, at a minimum $150,000 a year or more, plus payroll taxes and expenses. And a team of marketers to execute the strategies even more. A great marketing consultant, though, will cost a small fraction of that and will work with your team, either experienced or entry-level, to make the magic happen.

Marketing agencies that focus on small businesses will look at the total picture for time, money, resources, and more, and develop cost-effective (or even free!) ideas. When your marketing consultant shares their marketing plan, don’t forget to ask about how they’ll measure the results of their efforts.

Do the Jobs you Love, Not the Ones you Hate

There’s a rare business owner that I talk to who truly loves marketing. Creating content, posting on social media, writing blog posts, designing direct mail, and planning events are tasks that a marketing consultant can take off your plate. My advice to my clients?

Someone loves to do every job in your business that you hate.

Do we all have to take on tasks as small business owners that are not our favorites? Sure. But if you could free up time to do tasks that you love, and have someone who is experienced, efficient, and passionate about marketing (or bookkeeping, or sales, or human resources, or operations) then you’d be happier and more productive doing your own work.

Plan for Results

Marketing experts don’t just post to check a box. They put a plan out there that is customized to your unique business and have the data analytics experience to tell you if it’s really working. After all, the most important statistic in marketing isn’t likes, comments, or views. It’s leads. I’d pick a video that had 100 views with 50 people picking up the phone over a video with millions of views and 10 people picking up the phone all day long. Marketing exists to bring new prospective customers (and employees!) into your business, convert them to paying clients, and keep your customers loyal for years to come. If you can’t quantify those results while doing your own marketing, then it’s time for some help.

---

Your Marketing Consultant should be a partner in your business, and their work should lead to an increase in profits. Great marketing is an investment in the future of your business. If you’ve got a solid plan and the people to execute it well, the sky is the limit.

Is it time for an audit of your marketing strategy for your business? Schedule your 30-minute rapid fire session today here. You’ll walk away with a basic framework for what needs to be done to drive customers in your doors.