The 3 Marketing Options For Small Business
When it comes to the marketing world for small businesses there are a thousand things that you can do, learn and improve on. This article is meant to help outline the marketing options for a small business. We won't dig into any specific marketing ideas, instead we'll breakdown the pros and cons of each option or approach that a small business can take to grow their marketing. The decision on which option makes the most sense for your small business should be made before you start any marketing activities. As the route you select may lead you down a different path then you anticipated.
With limited resources your options can be difficult. Most small businesses are operating with a small team, often overwhelmed with tasks. In terms of budget, marketing can seem like a waste without measurable results.
Here are the marketing options for a small business:
Individual Hire vs. Third Party vs. Tactycs Software
Re-Distribute In-House Priorities
Can you create time within the company? Sometimes you can reprioritize what an employee is doing and shift their focus towards marketing.
Pros
This individual will already know your business, goals, customers, etc.
Cons
What did you have to give up to make time for marketing?
A strong bias may already be present with the employee or business (leading to a focus in the wrong marketing areas)
Hire A New Marketing Employee
This marketing option for a small business can be done via a brand new permanent hire or a temporary contract hire.
Pros
You can bring in an expert in the field that you believe is most relevant (ie. digital marketer, social media manager, etc.)
Individual can take the time to learn the specifics of your business and customers
May have additional relevant skills they can apply in their free time
Cons
Onboarding time to bring a new individual in can be extremely time consuming
An upfront cost to not only hire but train the employee is required (the average cost of hiring and training a new employee is between $1,000 and $4,000)
A new ongoing cost is required to support the new hire
There is a risk of employee comfort or the business falling into the same cycle of not prioritizing marketing
Marketing Agency
Outsourcing your marketing work to an agency can be valuable if you find your niche. Typically a high cost solution that brings in a team of experts to improve your marketing processes.
Pros
Educated and objective-oriented group handling your marketing
The marketing work can scale as you require
Cons
Expensive and sometimes untrustworthy
Reliance on agency for all things marketing
Not usually geared towards small businesses
Tactycs
A new marketing option for a small business can be found via software. Tools that assist businesses in automating and executing certain tasks that are otherwise time consuming. Tactycs does just that. We are positioned as an option in between the overpriced agency and the valuable addition to your team.
The baseline Tactycs software automates the entire planning and learning process of your marketing. Allowing your current employees to successfully execute the strategy. Along with the software we offer cost effective add-ons where the Tactycs team becomes an extension of yours. Using the software to champion all work, Tactycs is able to provide consulting, freelance, and foundational support at an extremely competitive rate. Ultimately becoming a strategic partner that puts you and your business in a position of measurable success for both the short and long term.
Pros
No Onboarding: immediate marketing strategy that fits with your company, objective, audience, industry, and available resources
Cost effective: Baseline tool is equivalent to 80% of a human content strategist but costs 6% as much.
Cons
The tool supplements your business. You still need someone to execute on said strategy, the Tactycs add-ons and consulting can fill gaps as required here.
Which Marketing Option Works For My Small Business?
Selecting the approach for your marketing is step one. Consider your team, objectives, and budget available. Each option has its pros and cons but one will provide the best results for your custom needs. Try asking yourself the following questions if you're still unclear on which marketing options are best for your small business.
Is my team capable of defining and completing the necessary tasks?
Do I need to start generating marketing leads and sales right now to sustain my business?
Do I have budget for not only help but also advertising?
What is the objective of my marketing, online presence, etc?
