Web marketing is easier than ever in today’s world. CMS systems make website design as easy as drag and drop, Google Analytics offers more insight than ever, and the functionality of web tools is more advanced than ever. These tools are so advanced that it leads to one question: why bother to pay a marketer for your company? Well, everyone has access to these marketing tools nowadays, which makes it very hard to stick out or see any serious results, unless you have superior marketing knowledge. With all companies doing some form of web based marketing today, it’s essential to have someone with the experience to make your marketing really effective. But, when you look to hire marketing help, where should you start?
For businesses in today’s marketing landscape, there are a few solutions that can truly make your marketing efforts pop. One step your business can take is hire a marketing manager to take control of your company’s marketing efforts. The upsides to hiring an in-house marketing manager are immense. The largest advantage being that an on-staff marketer is at your company and he/she will learn more about your products or services than anyone else. This clear line of communication makes your marketing more agile, clearer, and simpler. However, the down side is the cost — with the average marketing manager salary being $128,750. This salary will change based on your location and the experience of your candidate, but it is the one drawback to hiring an in-house marketer. If you are a large company, this is often a better route. Hiring a marketer to work for you full time can pay off when you have the funds to do so. However, the struggle of adding another full time staff member can sometimes be daunting for medium to smaller size companies that just lack the capital.
The alternative is to outsource your marketing to a marketing agency like Web-Kare. Just like making a new hire, outsourcing has its own strengths and weaknesses. With any marketing company, you should be paying substantially less or at least, receiving more for your money. One example is that Search Engine Marketing managers make an average of $54,000 a year while Web-Kare only charges our clients a fraction of that! We can charge less because we have more clients, so that is a huge win for companies. Agencies thrive off this model — they offer an immense amount of marketing knowledge at a fraction of the cost. Agencies’ large client base means that they can leverage their diverse experience working with companies to maximize the ROI. The downside is that marketing agencies have more than one client. This leads to a few hurdles that you don’t face with an in-house staff, but these hurdles are easily manageable by any marketing agency. Most agencies will work with you to blend your knowledge of your company with their knowledge of marketing. This may require a bit more feedback on your part as a business owner, but it saves a lot of money!
In the end, neither option is right nor wrong; it all depends on the needs of your company. If you have the budget to hire a full time marketing manager and it seems like a good fit for your business, then you should! If you don’t have the funds, but still need effective marketing management then outsourcing is a great option. In either aspect, the important point is that your marketing efforts are backed up by experience and expertise to deliver results. When marketing is easy, everyone thinks they can do it. And while nearly anyone can put together marketing material, that makes those who do it well even more valuable. If you have questions or need help with your marketing efforts, let us know!