Using Freelancers to boost your marketing

Choosing when to invest in a resource to assist with your marketing can be a difficult decision. By utilising the skills of an experienced marketer you can get a very positive return on your marketing investment (ROMI). This blog explores the different options available to businesses and the pros and cons of each.

Going it alone

Starting out by yourself can lead you to take on many roles within the business. But, you need to concentrate on your strengths and recognise that investment in areas such as marketing can help speed up your growth curve and assist with achieving your goals.

On the positive side, you can keep control of your costs and all aspects of your business. However, trying to keep on top of everything can lead you to lose sight of the bigger picture, your customer service can suffer, and you will spend more time working in the business rather than on it which could stunt your growth. You also may not have the expertise and knowledge to make the most of your activity, waste marketing budget, and find you are limited in ideas.

You could decide to take on a member of staff, perhaps an apprentice or administrative support, who can take on some of the marketing tasks for your business. How will you track their progress and what support will they need to ensure they are doing the right things at the right time?

Using a Marketing Agency

Marketing agencies are great at generating new ideas and using their team to deliver on a campaign. In general, you will receive a quote and proposal and will discuss your aims and objectives before any work is undertaken. The positive impact of using an agency is that you will very often receive professional service and outcomes.

However, selecting the right agency for your needs can be challenging. Will you be using a full service agency that can deliver everything you need or a specialist, e.g. someone to assist with your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? Are you required to pay a retained monthly fee for a set number of hours or a one-off project cost? How will you manage the relationship, ensure you are getting good value for money, and understand what activity has been undertaken on your behalf?

Using a marketing agency can be cost-prohibitive for many smaller businesses which means you may not get all you want or expect from your investment. It can also be seen as a bit of a black-art with information or training not forthcoming from your agency which long term, may affect your ability to make changes or develop an in-house resource.

Using a Freelance Marketer

Contracting a freelance marketing professional gives smaller businesses the best of both worlds. They are experienced in their discipline and so can provide insight and ideas to help your business and are self-employed with usually fewer overheads and so offer great value for money.

Of course, just as selecting a marketing agency that’s right for you can be difficult, so can sourcing the right freelancer. There are over 2m at work in the UK. You should look at examples of previous work and testimonials and ensure the ‘right fit’ by having a consultation process before committing to working together.

One of the main advantages of using a freelance marketer such as myself is that they become part of your team and you can develop a close working relationship. They are also generally flexible to your needs and so the support you receive can be scaled up and down easily. They often build a network of other freelancers for skilled support in other areas of your business to offer you a fully rounded service for your business.

By their very nature, a freelancer can only work with so many clients at any one time and so this personalised service will mean they are fully invested in your success and work hard to help you achieve your goals.

How I can help your business grow?

As a freelancer with over 20 years of marketing experience, I strive to develop targeted, relevant marketing activities for my clients. My service includes hands-on marketing support with lots of advice and trackable results to assist you every step of the way. Take a look at my services. For a no-obligation consultation, please drop me a line.