Being a small business owner means that you are responsible for many tasks and projects, and there comes a time when you need help. If you are overwhelmed with your marketing goals and unsure of how to move forward with your brand, is it time you hired professionals? Answering the following questions from House of Media will help you make the right decision:
Have You Tried Off-the-Shelf Options?
Before diving into the hiring process, consider the technology available to you. For example, many off-the-shelf software tools can do wonders for making your marketing efforts more efficient.
There is a range of website builders designed for entrepreneurs with limited experience in design and development. There are project management tools to help teams communicate and organize their tasks. Accounting software can help ensure that you allocate the proper amount of funds to your marketing efforts. You can even use software to:
- Manage your social media accounts.
- Boost your customer relationship management (CRM).
- Analyze your web traffic.
- Build effective email campaigns.
- Increase your search engine optimization (SEO).
Along with products, there are many off-the-shelf services available to help you grow your company while saving time and money in the process. For example, if you need to establish an LLC, you can use a formation service to reduce your stress and ensure that your legal structure complies with state regulations.
Forming an LLC will yield tax advantages, liability protection, flexibility in payroll, and many other perks. Search “register LLC in Ohio” to find an affordable service!
Do You Have the Money?
One practical determinate of whether or not now is the right time to hire marketing professionals is to assess your financial standing. If you don’t have the necessary funds to sustain the marketing strategies you are seeking, you may need to save money before you start building your team.
You not only have to consider the rates or salary of the marketing professionals you bring on, but also the costs associated with:
- Maintaining your website.
- Consistently producing blog content.
- Emails.
- Social media posts.
- The initial costs and time for setting up any software you need.
It will also help to leave a little padding in your budget to account for any unexpected problems or expenses that could come your way.
Do You Know What You Need Help With?
You need to know precisely what marketing tasks you need assistance with. Of course, unless you have experience in marketing, you might need a professional for this task! Try reviewing your company’s past marketing efforts and outlining what has worked and failed, and then analyze why you got the results you did.
You should get an overall picture of how your marketing can move your brand in the right direction. For example, having an up-to-date website that represents your company in a way that makes you proud is critical.
And if you hope to promote your brand in this day and age, you must prioritize social media engagement, as well as local SEO (if you rely on the local market). There are many other marketing areas to consider, but these are just a few to get you thinking.
Do You Know What Type of Worker(s) You Need?
Finally, you will need to determine whether you need to hire freelancers or employees. You can pay freelancers by the hour or project, while you would need to pay full-time employees a salary. You can find a freelancer for any marketing task and rest assured that you’re getting world-class expertise. On the other hand, an employee will be on-site at all times and able to contribute to a range of tasks and projects. There are pros and cons to both, so just take time to determine what will benefit your business the most.
Every company can benefit from hiring marketing professionals. The question is, is now the right time? By answering the questions above and continuing to learn about other factors involved in successful marketing and hiring, you can get off to a strong start in your decision-making. Whenever you choose to begin building your marketing team, remember to reach out to House of Media for all your creative marketing needs!
Guest author: Katie Conroy of Advice Mine.