Hiring a marketing agency…. That sounds expensive, right? It certainly isn’t the cheapest option available to small business owners, but it may be more affordable than you think.

Small Business Marketing Options

Every successful business reaches a point in which the owner can no longer do everything on their own. When that happens, the options are to hire one of the following:

Intern
Freelancer
Marketing Manager
Marketing Agency

But the question is, which one?

Let’s consider the “leading value” of each option…

Intern – Affordable
Freelancer – Flexibility (avoid commitment or overhead)
Marketing Manager – Availability
Marketing Agency – Expertise

We could make a decision based on those characteristics, but a more thoughtful analysis may reveal that those leading values can be rather misleading.

Let’s draw some comparisons…

HIRING AN INTERN

Meet John – John is a full time college student who is eager to build his resume. What he lacks in experience he more than makes up for in enthusiasm.

Proficiencies – Social Media, Blogging, Microsoft Office Suite

Salary – John works part time for $10/hour. He makes $800/month.

John writes 2 blog posts a month and posts to social media profiles several times a week. He is doing a pretty good job, but website traffic could be better. John has expressed an interest in email marketing and graphic design, but “learning on the job” makes it difficult to gain any marketing momentum.

HIRING A MARKETING MANAGER

Meet Sarah – Sarah is a college-educated professional with 3 years of marketing experience. She’s organized, clever and fun to work with.

Proficiencies – Social Media, Microsoft Office Suite, Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, Blogging

Salary – Sarah works full time for $18/hour. She makes $2,880/month ($34,560/year), and there are other costs (benefits, taxes, software subscriptions, etc.) associated with her employment.

Sarah writes 2 blog posts a month and posts to social media profiles several times a week. She creates good content, but without graphic design experience, she struggles with visual aids. Sarah uses Microsoft Word to create flyers, but it’s a time consuming process... Sometimes she pays freelance designers to help out when she needs something to look more professional. The best thing about Sarah is her availability! Her coworkers love that she can help out with customers and administrative duties, but those things tend to distract her from marketing tasks.

HIRING AN AGENCY

Meet the Rooted ID Team – The Rooted ID team is comprised of professional designers, copywriters and marketing consultants who are passionate about the small business community. Experience and complimentary skill-sets ensure that marketing initiatives are executed efficiently and effectively.

Proficiencies – Graphic Design, Copy Writing, Website Management, Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, Web Design, Blogging, Branding, Marketing Strategy

Cost – $1,200/month.**

Rooted ID writes 2 blog posts a month that enrich site content and enhance SEO. They post to social media profiles several times a week and manage Facebook advertising. The monthly fee also includes website management, some graphic design (up to 3 ads or 1 flyer per quarter) and other general marketing support (advertising recommendations, etc).

Please Note: John and Sarah are not real people. If they were real, they would probably be super cool, but since they are not, you cannot hire them. You can, however, hire Rooted ID. Schedule a complimentary call to learn more.

**$1,200 monthly marketing fee is based upon services rendered in the hypothetical example. Fees and monthly marketing services vary from client to client. Monthly marketing services start at $300/month. For detailed rate information, please contact our office for a proposal.

Can You Afford A Marketing Agency?