DIY marketing versus using a professional: finding the right fit

When it comes to marketing your business there are three options available: Do-it-yourself (DIY) marketing, hiring marketing experts, or a hybrid approach that combines the first two. Each route offers its own advantages and challenges, especially for small businesses, often operating on limited budgets and resources.

This blog looks at the pros and cons of each approach based on key factors such as time, resource, knowledge, and costs. It also touches on key considerations for small businesses unable to afford external support and provides practical questions to ask yourself to determine the best approach for your business.

DIY marketing

Handling your business’s marketing activities without professional support is an approach that has become ever more popular with the increase in free and cost-effective online resources and tools, designed to educate and simplify various marketing tasks.

Pros of DIY marketing

Cost-effective: Typically, DIY marketing requires less financial outlay than hiring professionals. This aspect is particularly appealing for start-ups and small businesses with tight budgets.
Control and flexibility: Managing your marketing in-house allows you to maintain complete control over your campaigns and adjust strategies quickly based on performance or changes in the market.
Personal touch: As the business owner, you inherently understand your brand’s voice and values better than anyone else, often allowing for a more authentic approach in your marketing activities.

Cons of DIY marketing

Time-consuming: Effective marketing requires substantial time investment, from planning and execution to monitoring and adjusting strategies. For business owners, dedicating enough time to marketing alongside other responsibilities can be challenging.
Learning curve: If you’re not already versed in marketing principles and the latest digital marketing tools, there can be a steep learning curve to becoming proficient enough to see real results.
Resource limitations: Without access to the same level of tools, software, and data insights that professionals use, your marketing efforts might not be as polished or effective.

Hiring a marketing expert

Using a marketing expert brings professional expertise to your business’s marketing activities, and this option is usually chosen by businesses looking for more polished, strategic marketing that drives results.

Pros of hiring an expert

Experience and skills: Marketing experts bring knowledge of best practices, the latest trends, and effective strategies that come from years of marketing experience.
High-quality outputs: Professionals have access to more advanced tools and resources, ensuring the marketing content and campaigns they produce are of a higher quality.
Time-saving: Outsourcing your marketing frees up internal resources and allows you and your team to focus on core business activities.

Cons of hiring an expert

Higher costs: Professional services come with higher costs compared to DIY marketing, and for small businesses, these costs are often a significant barrier.
Less control: While experts take the workload off your hands, they also require you to relinquish an element of control over the creative and strategic processes.
Risk of mismatch: There’s always a risk that an external marketer might not fully grasp the essence of your brand or meet your expectations. Due diligence is important when looking at using a professional.

The hybrid approach: Combining DIY marketing with professional expertise

For many small business owners, neither DIY nor completely outsourcing marketing is suitable. In these cases, a hybrid approach offers middle ground. This involves handling certain marketing tasks in-house while outsourcing others to professionals, allowing you to balance cost, control, and quality effectively.

Pros of the hybrid approach

Cost efficiency: You can manage some marketing activities internally to save on costs, while investing in professional support for more complex tasks that require specialised skills, or tasks where you know you don’t have the knowledge internally.
Leverage expertise: The hybrid approach lets you benefit from professional expertise where it counts, ensuring critical elements of your marketing strategy are expertly managed while you maintain control over the overall direction and execution.
Flexibility and control: By choosing which elements to outsource, you maintain greater control over your marketing strategy than fully outsourcing, while still having the flexibility to adapt your approach based on business needs and results.

Cons of the hybrid approach

Coordination: Managing both internal and external elements of a marketing strategy can lead to issues with coordination and consistency if not carefully handled – always ensure that there are clear lines of regular, open communication and work collaboratively.
Skills gap: Internal team members may need ongoing training and support to manage their marketing tasks effectively.
Dependency on external schedules: Relying on external professionals means adhering to their timelines and availability, which might not always align with your business’s immediate needs.

Implementing a hybrid marketing strategy

Identify your strengths and weaknesses: Assess which marketing tasks you or your team can competently handle and which would benefit from the expertise of a professional.
Choose the right partners: Select marketing professionals that align with your business values and understand your industry. Ensure they are flexible and willing to collaborate closely with you and your team.
Set clear roles and communication channels: Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and communication channels between your team and external experts. This will help ensure seamless integration of efforts and consistency in your marketing strategy.

By adopting a hybrid marketing approach, you are able to combine the best of both worlds—leveraging professional expertise for some tasks while maintaining cost-effectiveness and control over your marketing activities. This strategy allows for scalable marketing efforts that can grow and evolve as your business does, providing a balanced, effective way to achieve your marketing objectives.

Best practices for DIY marketers

If your business can't afford to hire a marketing expert, there are some effective strategies for handling marketing internally.

Educate yourself: Invest time in learning basic marketing strategies through free online courses from platforms like HubSpot Academy or Google Digital Garage, or find cost-effective online courses.
Use free tools: Leverage free or low-cost marketing tools that can automate and simplify tasks like social media scheduling, email marketing, and graphic design.
Focus on content marketing: Creating valuable content can be a cost-effective way to engage your audience and build your brand without a hefty cost investment, however it does require time investment.

If you decide to take the DIY route for your marketing efforts, it’s crucial to make small but strategic investments in education and foundational tools. Educating yourself on the basics of marketing principles and current best practices can drastically increase your chances of success.

Consider investing in online courses, attending workshops, or subscribing to industry publications to keep up to date with marketing techniques. Also, setting up strong marketing foundations—such as a solid website, effective customer relationship management systems, and basic analytics—is essential.

These foundations not only streamline your efforts but also ensure that you are targeting the right audience and measuring the impact of your activities effectively. With these investments, you position yourself to achieve the best possible outcomes, turning your DIY efforts into tangible business growth.

Questions to determine the right approach for your business

How much can I budget for marketing?
Do I have the time to dedicate to learning and implementing effective marketing strategies?
What are my long-term business goals, and how fast do I need to reach them?
Do I possess the skills required for marketing, or can I afford to hire someone who does?
How important are professional-quality results for my business’s success?

Each of the approaches above offer valid routes to achieving marketing success, and the right choice depends on your business’s specific needs, goals, budget, and internal capabilities. By considering the factors above and asking the right questions, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business strategy and enhances your growth potential.

Whether you choose to go it alone, enlist professional help, or use a hybrid approach, remember that a well-planned marketing strategy is the cornerstone of business success.

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