Hey, we get it. Small businesses need to keep costs down. And in the early days, it’s tempting to try and do everything yourself. Or burden your small team with tasks they’re not qualified for.

But the fact is, as the leader of a small business, you’re the brains behind the operation, the driving force.

You’re also the face of the business.

You don’t want to be stuck in the background micromanaging the menial tasks.

You ought to be front and centre, spending your time and energy on the stuff that moves the needle.

Let’s say you’re a gym owner.

You want to be involved in devising new programmes and classes, developing your team of trainers and equipping your gym with the best fitness machines.

If you supply building materials, your time is best spent on building relationships with trade customers and suppliers, negotiating contracts and finding new sources of materials. 

Yes, things like bookkeeping, accounts, IT maintenance and marketing are vital. But they don’t need your expertise. As the leader, there are certain things only you can do. 

Spending hours on the stuff you should be delegating may save you a bit of cash in the short term, but it’ll hold your business back. 

Let’s take digital marketing for example. Many small business leaders try to do this themselves. Or they might ask their accounts manager to do it because they have an English degree and can write fancy words.

Either way, you’ll be missing out on countless opportunities that proper marketing would have brought your way. 

Here are a few crucial things to realise about marketing your small business.

Your time is worth more

How would three hours of your time be better spent?

Figuring out how to set up your Google Business Profile account and trying to write something compelling for some social media posts?

Or forging relationships and identifying areas for improvement in your business?

On paper, doing all your marketing yourself might seem like a cost-saving.

Your expenses will be lower after all. But if it’s preventing you from strengthening your business in ways only you are capable of, the damage to your profits in the long run will dwarf any immediate penny-pinching.

Marketing looks simple – it isn’t

Anyone can jump on WordPress and knock up a captivating website, can’t they?

Blogs, social media posts, marketing emails… it’s just throwing a few words together, right?

Wrong. 

Everything involved in marketing, from copywriting and design to strategy and navigating the digital landscape… All of it requires skills, methods and knowledge that take years to develop. 

And then there’s the technical stuff. Do you know how to optimise Instagram ads for your Milton Keynes business? How to ensure your email service provider is compliant and trustworthy? Are you familiar with the multitude of factors that dictate where your business ranks on Google? Do you have the faintest idea what tracking pixels are?

These things involve a steep learning curve. You may find yourself spending hours down never ending rabbit holes, losing your grip on sanity while your business lies neglected.

Outsourcing marketing is much more affordable than you think

Many small businesses don’t have the budget to employ in-house marketing teams. A Milton Keynes social media manager alone commands an average salary of £2k+ per month.

A cheaper option is to hire a Virtual Assistant (VA). These are the utility players of the digital world. They turn their hands to everything from bookkeeping and admin to customer service and digital marketing.

But the problem with VAs is that they often have a basic working knowledge of the different fields in which they work. Yes, they can put together some half-decent Facebook posts. But running a detailed social media advertising campaign, managing the budget, tracking engagement and optimising conversions? Not likely.

The best way to leverage the experience, certification and detailed knowledge that leads to meaningful results is to outsource to a digital marketing agency. 

Doing this gives you access to trained and experienced specialists – copywriters, graphic designers, marketing consultants and media buyers – at a fraction of the cost of employing an in-house team.

A digital marketing agency can operate multichannel internet marketing services, bringing in more business for you via organic social, paid ads, search engine optimisation (SEO), and email marketing. 

In fact, that’s exactly what we do at Big Voice.

Our comprehensive packages cost far less than recruiting and employing your own staff.

And it’s a heck of a weight off your shoulders when your digital marketing is taken care of.

Handing it over to us lets you dedicate more time and resources to running your business, providing a great service and building for the future.

If you’re interested in seeing just how smart an investment outsourcing your marketing can be, feel free to get in touch.