I joined a group on Facebook last week where a variety of UK small business owners discuss issues they have, search for answers or promote their services.
A new member posted the following message:
I was reading through some of the responses – lots of marketing services being proposed and some members sharing their own experiences. One response, pictured below, caught my attention:
So forgetting about the typos, I had to find out more about this member’s view on ‘Marketing Gurus’ and what advice was being given to resolve the ad-spend returns issue.
What the member meant is that through researching about how Facebook advertising is setup and strategy of paid social media advertising, any person can do it themselves without paying scamming ‘Marketing Gurus’.
Why pay someone else?
This is true…as it is for almost any service. If my boiler breaks down and needs replacing, I have some options:
- Have National supplier replace and install it at £3,600 within a week
- Have local maintenance company replace and install it at £1,000 within 2 weeks
- Go on a Gas Engineer training course, then buy a boiler for £400 and install it myself
Option 1 costs a lot, but gets the job done quickly with a long term service plan.
Option 2 is cheaper, but as they smaller it will take a little longer to complete.
Option 3 is going to cost £4,000 to access the training, 16 weeks to complete training, but I’m prepared for the next time it needs replacing. Although my family may have left me (or frozen!) by the time I complete the course.
Yes the example is a little OTT, but my point is that sometimes there is a very good reason to use a “professional” from a particular field of expertise. In some cases, Option 3 works well and is best for the long-term, but only if your business can operate without your focus on other tasks that you’re responsible for.
What if you get the wrong training? You could end out of pocket with your business gaining nothing for your new skills. There is lots of information available on all matter of marketing subjects and disciplines, but who is it aimed at? What marketing background should you have?
Going with Options 1 or 2 offers you expertise that provides many solutions to resolve a problem, usually including access to their supplier networks. You also gain their experience, both bad and good, to form solutions that have been known to gain results.
“Marketing Gurus” are scammers
My response to this is every industry has scammers.
Maybe the group member has had bad experience with 3rd party marketing support, but such a sweeping statement shows a lack of understanding of marketing professionals. That could be the very issue causing this view of marketers.
In several places that I have worked, marketing has been dubbed as the ‘colouring in department’ – which in no way comes close to representing how much of a core function marketing is across a whole business.
Whichever route is picked, doing some of your own research is good practice so that you understand some of the language being used and feel comfortable with the solution(s) being proposed. Even if you are competent and confident enough to do it yourself, consider if doing it yourself is the best use of your time – as this is one of your most precious resources.
Marketing professionals exist to help and support your business goals. Get quotations to compare and contrast offerings – use your networks to source out recommended people, should you be worried about their integrity.
Consider how much your time is worth and the added benefits of using a experienced professional.
If you’re experiencing something similar with your marketing promotions and campaigns delivering less than expected, get in touch – solutions@cymermarketing.co.uk.
Remy Clarke
Cymer Marketing Solutions