Many businesses I talk to really don't like spending money on marketing. They want to spend the least amount possible.
So, is it worth it to hire a marketing specialist? Here's an analogy I've had on my mind for a while!
A friend of mine is the Manager of an automotive service center. He frequently shares stories of people that freak out when he tells them the price of the repair.
They complain that they could go to the auto parts store down the road and buy the parts for 1/2 the cost.
Uh... yeah. Of course they could. They could spend their time running around trying to find the right parts, purchasing them, then taking them home and fixing the car themselves.
What these people fail to realize (or don't want to admit) is that they are paying for a service. The service of the repair shop ordering the part and having it in stock ready for immediate use. The service of having skilled professionals with the proper tools and technology work on their car. And more importantly, getting the job done quickly - and correctly.
All the customer has to do is sit back and relax while the repair is being completed.
There is nothing wrong with doing it yourself to save money, but you have to be willing to pay the consequences. You may have to buy special tools to get the job done, which increases the cost. And if you're a novice, it's going to take you much, much longer than the pro.
Don't forget about this familiar situation: we get done doing a job we've never done before only to find out we did it wrong and have to start over. That's the worst!
So at the end of the day, I would venture to guess that it doesn't save money at all to do it yourself. In fact, it could actually cost you more in the long run.
It's the same thing with marketing services. You can hire a graphic designer, social media person, programmer, etc. directly for less than it would cost working with a marketing agency. But, you have to manage them, the marketing projects, and all the little details that go along with it.
It costs more from an agency because you're paying for the service of having a skilled marketing specialists integrate all your marketing efforts into a cohesive strategy, manage the projects and people, and handle all the minutia you shouldn't have to deal with.
Even though the initial outlay may seem more expensive, working with pro's that do this day in, day out can get you better results and save you big bucks in the long run.
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