"Why should I choose a marketing agency over my sister?" This is a question we get asked a lot from small business owners so we thought it was about time we put our thoughts on 'paper' and discussed the benefits of using support from a friend or family member and those of a marketing agency like Wave.
Marketing is an essential aspect of any business, but sometimes it can be a challenge to determine the best approach. When faced with this decision, you might find yourself torn between using a marketing agency or relying on the expertise of a friend or family member, who happens to have some marketing knowledge. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of choosing to work with a marketing agency over trusting family members with the task, and how it can positively impact your business.
1. Expertise and Experience
While your sister may have some experience of marketing, as an industry, marketing is vast and changes very quickly. Relying on one person's skills and experiences can limit your results. Meanwhile, a professional marketing agency brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the table. A team of people devote their time to studying market trends, understanding consumer behaviour, and honing their skills to create effective marketing strategies and websites that do your business justice. This accumulated knowledge empowers them to develop tailored and impactful campaigns to drive business growth.
2. Objectivity and Fresh Perspective
When working with a marketing agency, you gain the advantage of an objective viewpoint. Your sister, being part of your close-knit family, may struggle to remain unbiased and might inadvertently tailor her marketing efforts to fit personal preferences or biases. A marketing agency, on the other hand, can provide a fresh perspective, detached from personal relationships, and focused solely on achieving your business objectives.
3. Broad Skill Set
A marketing agency typically comprises a team of professionals with diverse skill sets and areas of expertise (check out our About page). From digital marketing to content creation, social media management, graphic design, and more, they possess a comprehensive range of skills. This allows them to tackle various aspects of your marketing strategy with precision and effectiveness. Your sister, on the other hand, may possess limited skills or experience in specific areas, potentially leaving gaps in your overall marketing efforts. For example, she may be able to create a website but does she know or have the time or knowledge to undertake keyword research and page optimisation into account so you really get bang for your buck?
4. Industry Insights and Network
One of the significant advantages of working with a marketing agency lies in their access to industry insights and networks. Marketing agencies stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends, consumer behaviour patterns, and emerging technologies. They have connections and relationships within the industry that can be leveraged for your benefit. Your sister, although knowledgeable, may not have the same level of access or connections, limiting her ability to tap into valuable resources.
5. Time and Focus
Running a business is no easy task, and marketing can quickly become a full-time job in itself. By partnering with a marketing agency, you free up your time and resources to focus on what you do best – growing your business. A marketing agency handles the intricate details of crafting and implementing marketing strategies, allowing you to concentrate on core operations and achieving business goals and may even think elements you haven't thought of like GDPR and managing your customer's subscription preferences.
What about the cost?
Cost is usually a pretty big factor for small businesses when investing in marketing services, and obviously your sister is going to be free or significantly cheaper than hiring an agency. But would you get your sister to build your shop or make your products? Marketing is a suite of hard and soft skills that people develop over years of experience. That's what you're paying for and by scrimping you are not doing yourself or your business any favours.
Conclusion
While your sister's support is undoubtedly valuable, enlisting the services of a marketing agency offers a range of benefits that can elevate your marketing efforts to new heights. With their expertise, objectivity, broad skill set, industry insights, and ability to save you time, marketing agencies are highly equipped to help your business succeed.
Remember, using a marketing agency is not a requirement, but it is an option worth considering if you want to maximise your marketing potential to set the foundations for growth and take your business to the next level.
Contact Wave about growing your business with digital marketing.
