Pros and Cons Of DIY Marketing
Pros and Cons Of DIY Marketing
Pros and Cons of DIY Marketing for Your Business
By QUINN TARANTINO
For those who are looking for a way to get marketing results without spending a fortune, there are pros and cons of doing it yourself that can make or break your chances of success.
I don’t think anyone would argue that the world of marketing is a bit confusing. The digital landscape is constantly changing, and the way people interact with brands is constantly evolving. And as the market becomes more saturated, we have less room for experimentation and more reasons to stick with what works. But, the good news is that the days of throwing money at a marketing plan without first understanding the ins and outs of the process are finally over. With some forethought and planning, you can learn the ins and outs of online marketing and set yourself up for success. That’s why, in this post, we’ll explore the pros and cons of a DIY (Do It Yourself) marketing strategy for your small business.
As an entrepreneur, one of the things you may face is that you don’t always have the money to hire a professional to do certain marketing tasks. So, sometimes you may have to do it yourself. But, what are the pros and cons of doing your own marketing?
The Pros of DIY Marketing
It's genius is in it's simplicity. DIY marketing is simple, cheap, effective, and free. It can also give you a jump start on your business when income is not consistent. No matter what type of business you’re in, whether you’re selling to customers or selling yourself, DIY marketing can help you succeed in the beginning. It can be done with or without a website, depending on what you need to achieve. It can be done for free or for a small investment. It’s flexible and allows you to make changes, tweak, and adapt your strategy as needed.
Learn the basics and launch your business. Marketing agencies help businesses promote themselves by producing and executing campaigns that are in line with the goals and objectives of the company. They are often responsible for producing brochures, advertisements, social media content, websites, and a host of other materials and services.
The Cons of DIY Marketing
Lack of understanding. Many people feel compelled to do their own marketing. This is fine if they understand the basics and have time to devote to it. Unfortunately, many don't. In fact, over the years I've found that most marketing people are far better at making excuses than doing the work. So if you're thinking about starting a DIY marketing campaign, I'd advise you to start small, test your message, and make sure you really want to do this before taking the plunge.
A successful business owner is still not a professional marketer. The most common problem with DIY marketing is that people who don’t know how to market themselves as a business owner are trying to market themselves as a business owner. There are two issues with this: First, there are many ways to market a business. Some businesses are better suited to advertising online, while others require face-to-face interaction. Second, there is no “one size fits all” approach to marketing. While you may be very talented at making ads and putting together Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, those skills may be completely useless in selling handmade jewelry to a buyer that lives in another state.
Expensive. In the end, it really doesn't matter whether you hire an ad agency or design your own ads yourself if you're not getting the results you want. The reason is simple: no single marketing campaign or creative will ever achieve the effectiveness of a carefully planned, executed, and monitored strategy. But because DIY marketers often fail at managing these elements, they're often unable to get the results they need. The key difference between a company that uses a DIY approach and one that relies on a professional is that the latter has people who can execute effectively and help you build an integrated, holistic campaign.
How to Make It Work for You
There are many reasons to do marketing on your own. If you're a small business owner, the biggest pro is the flexibility it allows you. You can work in your pajamas if you want, or sleep late. There's no boss breathing down your neck waiting to see how your results compare to those of your competitors. The only downside to working solo is that you'll have to shoulder all of the responsibilities yourself.
DIY marketing is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on what you’re looking to accomplish. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, DIY marketing may not be in your best interest. If you’re looking to expand your online presence or build a new business, DIY marketing can be helpful.
A very popular method is to simply create a YouTube channel. While many people say they aren't interested in having their own YouTube channel, but if you actually look at what a lot of people are doing, you'll realize that it's not the viewers who are doing it, it's the people creating the videos. If you create your own videos, you're likely to get much higher engagement than when you simply rely on existing content.
Most people are not comfortable speaking on camera. You can, however, be your own filmmaker. If you want to create your own video, you can use a smartphone and record your own voice. You can make use of a voice recorder app to help you with that. You can also get a DSLR camera and record yourself while you are showcasing your business or service. The possibilities are really endless. There are some free online courses you can take to learn how to make your own videos.
Start Small with Your Own Marketing Ideas
A good place to start is with your own marketing ideas. What marketing strategies do you think would work best for your business? Make a list of your top 5 ideas. You should have no less than 5 ideas to choose from. The purpose of this exercise is to keep you focused on the essentials and not get carried away by all of the marketing options you have available. Once you have made your list, set about implementing your top 5 ideas. Some of your ideas may prove to be the most effective, while others may be completely useless. That’s okay. The purpose of this exercise is not to have a lot of ideas, but to narrow down the ideas to the top 5 that will help you most.
Once you have a clear understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve, it’s time to start thinking about the best ways to solve the problem. This is the point where it’s time to start doing some research. Research will help you get an idea of the types of people who are your ideal customers, as well as where the best places to advertise are. And don’t forget that research is an ongoing process. Don’t just start with one type of research. Start with one type of research. Then another type. And then another type. Do as much research as you can, but don’t overwhelm yourself with too much information all at once.
Don't start with a huge marketing budget. Focus on the most effective methods. There are always going to be more efficient ways to reach your target audience, but if you don't start with a small budget and then continue to grow it over time, you'll likely waste a lot of money. That's why starting small is so valuable. It's an easy way to test out some of your ideas without investing a lot of resources into them.
Be Creative and Be Specific
The key is to be creative and be specific. It may sound obvious, but being creative means being more than just the sum of your business name, logo, and product. Being creative includes designing your website and using the right words to describe your business on social media. Being specific means being clear and concise. Make sure your audience knows exactly what you’re selling and why it’s valuable to them.
Once you’ve decided on your number one takeaway, your next step is to determine which marketing channels are best suited to communicating it effectively. For example, when you’re using social media, be sure to follow your plan. Think about the audience you’re trying to reach, and what content they would be most likely to engage with and respond to.
Don't be afraid
When people hear that “business owners can create their own products,” they think of a mom-and-pop shop with a small inventory of goods. But that isn’t always the case. Many successful businesses rely on a range of high-tech tools to produce and market products ranging from high-end fashion to low-end kitchen gadgets. Whether you’re producing a single product or a complete line of items, it’s important to be creative and think outside the box. Consider a unique marketing approach to stand out from competitors.
In essence, DIY marketing:
Pros:
1. It can be fun.
2. You can save a ton of money.
3. You can get creative!
4. It is likely to be more effective.
Cons:
1. It takes a lot of time.
2. It may not appeal to everyone.
3. It may be too much work.
4. There’s more of a chance of failure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you’re interested in marketing your business and have limited or no budget to hire a full-time marketing professional to do so, you can choose to go the DIY route. It’s not as easy as it looks, but the rewards are great. If you are a small business owner looking to grow and improve your business, you can build your marketing strategy around the following DIY marketing tips: Flyers, Brochures, Bandit Signs, Mail-outs, SEO, Social Media, Email Marketing, Lead Generation, and Content Marketing like blogs and videos. If you’re looking for more, check out our other blog posts.
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