Given that Internet marketing is taking more and more time these days, and a bigger share of most business budgets, it’s not surprising that lots of owners and executives are taking a DIY approach to their campaigns. By being hands-on with SEO, social media, and other activities, they can save money while being sure that the right messages are getting pushed forward.
Or at least that’s the idea. In reality, being your own Internet marketing manager can be a mixed bag. While all clients should be heavily involved in their own campaigns, there are some definite downsides to going it alone. Here are seven you might want to think about…
#1 You Might Not Save Money After All
Part of our job as web design and Internet marketing consultants is to think about efficiency. So, while clients pay us to help them set up and manage their campaigns, those campaigns end up being less costly in the long run. By missing out on good advice, you might end up spending more than you should.
#2 You’ll Probably Miss Some Opportunities
There is a learning curve associated with Internet marketing, and it takes a lot of time to keep up on the latest trends (even if you’re in the industry, as we are). For that reason, newer marketers and business owners taking a DIY approach often miss out on best practices that the pros already know to follow.
#3 There Are Going to be Growing Pains
Part of learning anything, online marketing included, is making mistakes. With a team of experienced professionals, you can keep those mistakes from costing you money, customers, or opportunities. By doing everything yourself, you’re bound to run into more issues that could have been avoided.
#4 Finding Success Means Burning Even More Time
One of the things a lot of business people forget about Internet marketing is that the better you’re doing it, the more time it takes. That’s because more contacts and bigger campaigns means more day-to-day management and more customer interactions. So, things can spiral out of control quickly if you’re already on a tight schedule.
#5 Online Campaigns Need Focus and Creativity
It’s one thing to “do” Internet marketing, and another thing to excel at it. That’s because getting it right takes focus and creativity. If those aren’t your strongest points, or if you don’t have sufficient time to devote to the task, you might be better off leaving the task to someone else.
#6 You May Burn Out Quickly
Many DIY marketers start out strong, but soon find that the daily grind of blog posts, social interactions, and analytics checks gets to be too much. In essence, they “burn out” on Internet marketing, and end up back where they started.
#7 It’s Not the Best Way to Put Your Message Forward
In the end, great online marketing is all about taking your message and getting it to the right buyers. If you can’t do that as consistently or effectively as a professional creative team would, then your bottom line is going to suffer. You’re not saving money if you harm your own income stream.
You should never turn your Internet marketing campaigns over completely to a third party. There’s too much on the line, and you need to ensure your most important themes and ideas are shining through. But, forgoing expert help often leads to bigger problems in the long run.
Instead of taking a DIY approach to Internet marketing, why not find a partner who is willing to collaborate with you to get the right results? That’s the surest way to get the ROI you’re looking for.
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