I know what you’re thinking – hiring a marketing specialist can be expensive – particularly if you need assistance with various tasks, from content creation, to email marketing and social media management. But taking the DIY approach could be holding you back.
Sure, anyone can start out with a do-it-yourself approach to marketing. At first – it seems simple. You just need to do a bit of research, churn out a handful of blogs or social media posts, and create the occasional email. But after a while, you stop getting the results you need.
Your inconsistent social media strategy harms your brand’s reputation, your emails aren’t driving leads, and your blog posts are getting lost in endless pages of search results. Meanwhile, your competitor’s are growing – stealing opportunities right out of your hands.
So, should you just work harder on your DIY marketing strategy, or should you be investing in a marketing support specialist?
The Truth About DIY Marketing: What No-One Tells You
Most business leaders take a DIY approach to marketing to begin with. That’s particularly true now that we have so many AI tools we can use to help us create content, and automate various tasks. Companies often assume that DIY marketing is cheaper than hiring a marketing specialist – and when budgets are limited, everyone wants to keep costs low.
But there are a lot of challenges to overcome with a DIY approach. Let’s start with the learning curve for instance. Marketing isn’t just about creativity, it takes a blend of psychology, analytics, and agility. Platforms like Google and Meta change their algorithms constantly.
Just take a look at all the changes that happened to SEO in 2024. Staying up with new rules and trends is basically a full-time job. On top of that, you need a range of skills to ensure your marketing strategies are effective and consistent across channels. You need to know how to fine-tune content for different platforms, repurpose existing assets, and so much more.
The Hidden Costs of DIY Marketing
Ultimately, you might think you’re saving money, but the real cost of “DIY” marketing is greater than you’d think. You could actually be wasting time and money on:
- Staying up-to-date: If you’re spending ten hours a week trying to figure out social media, SEO, and ad targeting, that’s ten hours you’re not spending on revenue-generating activities. Think of it this way – if your time is worth £100 per hour, that’s £4,000 per month spent on trial and error.
- Wasted ad spend: Then there’s the issue of wasted ad spend. Running Facebook and Google Ads without proper targeting, A/B testing, and optimisation wastes cash and resources. Many business owners assume their ads aren’t working because their product isn’t appealing, when in reality, they’re just not reaching the right audience.
- Inconsistency: Posting sporadically, using inconsistent messaging, or failing to optimise your website for search engines can make your brand seem unreliable. Businesses that maintain a consistent brand presence across multiple channels see up to 23% higher revenue, yet many DIY marketers struggle with inconsistent strategies.
Ultimately, continuing with DIY marketing, rather than hiring a marketing specialist, means you waste time, money, and resources on strategies that only deliver results a fraction of the time.
Signs You Should be Hiring a Marketing Specialist
There are times when DIY marketing works – particularly for very small businesses with limited strategies. However, as your business evolves, you’re likely to notice an increasing number of signs that you should be hiring a marketing specialist such as:
Your Content Isn’t Gaining Traction
Is your blog actually driving traffic to your website? Are you earning engagement and click-throughs from your social media posts? If not, you might need a marketing specialist. It’s not that your business, products, or services aren’t valuable, it’s that your campaigns aren’t optimised. You might not be posting at the right time, or on the right channels, or using the right keywords.
No Clear Strategy
Marketing isn’t just about publishing content, it’s about producing the right content, and distributing it on the best channels, at the most valuable times. If you’re just publishing content when you have time, or money to spend on placements – you probably won’t see results. A clear, data-driven strategy will increase your conversion rates, and your return on investment. Without a defined plan, you’re likely to waste time and money without making real progress.
Missing Marketing Skills
As mentioned above, successful marketing in today’s world requires a lot of skills. You need to know how to use tools effectively, like your CRM system for personalisation, or AI and automation apps. You’ll need to keep up with the latest SEO algorithms and social media strategy. If you lack these skills, you’re basically spending money on guesswork. Hiring a marketing specialist can give you the expertise you need, without forcing you to invest in additional in-house staff members.
Lack of Data-Driven Insights
Actually understanding the results of your marketing campaigns can be harder than it seems. In fact, there are various different ways to measure “attribution” and return on investment. A marketing specialist can give you the behind-the-scenes insights and tools you need to make data-driven decisions. That means less guesswork, and more measurable results.
You’re Overwhelmed by Tasks
Marketing takes real time – research, writing, designing, optimising, analysing all eat into your schedule. The chances are, as a business owner, you’ll have to put these tasks on the back burner regularly, because you’ll be dealing with finances, product development, managing operations, and supporting customers.
If you don’t have the time to focus on marketing, or you’re ignoring other crucial tasks to focus on promotion, that’s a good sign you need a marketing specialist.
The Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Specialist
Hiring a marketing specialist isn’t just about saving time and money on things like content creation. It’s how you ensure you get the best results from everything you do to promote your business. Here’s how hiring a specialist will help you grow your business, and achieve your goals.
Better Strategy: Increased Engagement
Marketing specialists don’t just create content, or run social media campaigns – they know how to build and implement strategies that convert. They get to know your audience so they can craft messaging that really resonates with the right people. With the right tools and technologies, they can ensure you’re spending your ad budget on more effective, targeted campaigns.
A marketing specialist will help you to use content and strategies across channels to engage your audience, build long-lasting relationships and increase conversions. More importantly, they’ll conduct the tests, and give you the data-driven insights you need to constantly improve your results over time, while adapting to new trends and algorithms.
Consistent, Professional Branding
The right marketing specialist will ensure your content, messages, and visuals are cohesive and consistent across all channels. This boosts your chances of building a more recognizable brand, and helps to differentiate you from the competition.
If you want to stand out instead of blending in, consistency is key. A marketing specialist can even help you to create the templates and guidelines your team members can use to maintain consistency as you scale into new channels and marketing environments.
Access to Cutting-Edge Tech and Data Insights
One of the biggest advantages of working with a marketing specialist is the ability to make decisions based on data rather than guesswork. Instead of wondering why a post isn’t getting engagement or why an ad isn’t converting, an expert can analyse the data and adjust strategies accordingly. This leads to better performance, higher ROI, and more predictable results.
Plus, a marketing specialist can give you access to cutting-edge technology, such as automation platforms, AI tools and analytical solutions that help you to unlock higher ROI from your marketing strategies. You get all of that without having to invest in extra tools or training yourself.
More Time to Focus on What You Do Best
Probably the biggest benefit of working with a marketing specialist, is that you save a significant amount of time, by outsourcing tasks to the professionals. Rather than spending hours on everything from content repurposing to social media scheduling, you can focus on high-impact tasks, like developing products or delivering amazing customer service.
Outsourcing marketing takes a huge amount of work off your plate, without having to compromise on excellent promotional results. Imagine how much you can accomplish with just an extra couple of hours in your calendar each day.
Time to Level Up with a Marketing Specialist?
DIY marketing may have worked in the early days, but if you’re struggling to see results now, the chances are you need to consider an upgrade. Ineffective marketing doesn’t just slow your growth – it costs you money, time and missed opportunities.
If you’re tired of guessing what works, spending hours on marketing with little to show for it, and watching competitors gain traction while you feel stuck, it’s time to consider working with a marketing specialist. My marketing services can help you build a stronger, more recognizable brand, reach the right audience every time, convert more leads, and free up extra time for crucial tasks.
If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, let’s talk. Book a free strategy session today to explore how expert marketing can help your business grow.