Should you do your own marketing or not? It depends. Let’s take a look:
Start-up: In the beginning, it’s up to you to find the right clients, sell to them, use their feedback to refine what you do and then repeat.
Let’s be clear: most of this is on you. Who can help? Even though your sales may not exist yet, starting a business takes money, and will overwhelm you if you do it all. My rule: take on tasks that give you energy. Spend money on those that don’t. Consider a marketing coach for strategy, your initial website and your messaging. You will need to be highly involved, but each of these is an expert in her area so you don’t have to be.
Stage two: You’re up and running with money coming in, but you’d like to make more. Definitely seek marketing support. This is a common mistake—entrepreneurs who continue trying to learn marketing skills so they can implement versus learning the overall strategies and hiring people to execute. Be clear: you will spend money. That’s so you can sell, deliver and earn more. Yes, the proportion of spend to earn goes up. So does your revenue!
Stage three: You earn in the higher levels of your industry. Now your marketing should have a life of its own. No more single vendors with you managing each. It’s time for an internal marketing manager or to outsource to a firm to manage multiple marketing efforts. A common mistake is thinking you know it all. Remember that marketing is not your core business and is constantly changing. Focus on strategy, keep your business current and take risks if you want to continue growing.
Look at which stage you are in your business. Upgrade your marketing support to elevate your business success!
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