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Should You Outsource Your Internet Marketing?

We’re not in Mayberry anymore! Long gone are the days of those small-town marketing plans, based upon a simple phonebook ad and 2-inch by 2-inch advertisement in the Sunday paper. It used to be that small mom and pop businesses could depend upon neighborhood business and self-made brochures printed off the home computer as sufficient marketing. These days, we are on a whole different level.

The internet has been the biggest blessing to some small businesses and a complete business killer for others. The almost-overnight expansion of all business markets and the exponential growth of new competition for the same global customers has left many businesses without contemporary media marketing in the dust, and a lot of the time with the doors locked. One thing is for certain: technology has changed the way we do business, and it will likely change each and every day from here on out.

Joining the Internet Marketing Revolution

In only the past 10 years, the prevalence of the internet has completely exploded across every corner of the globe. Now, even the inconspicuous small business around the corner may have a fantastically booming business, thanks to a dynamic website and a crack marketing team. It’s time for those without new marketing techniques to take their heads out of the sand and scoop up the massive business opportunity the internet has to offer. And a lot of small business people know that, but running these types of marketing plans takes a lot of research and high level of social media understanding. You may be one of those few ready, willing and not intimidated to undertake the learning curve of the new world of web marketing, but for the rest there are other options.

But it Might get Costly

What these options mean for many companies is that even though there’s a misperception of internet marketing being cheap or free, it’s time to face the facts that internet marketing can actually be more expensive than marketing was before the era of search engine optimization and geo-targeted advertising. Plan to budget for a monthly marketing plan to keep your business in front of your customers. This new world of marketing will require updated technology every once in a while, professional writing, and consistent branding impacts upon customers, and that all takes time and continual reinvestment.

You can count on needing a website, a blog, and business Facebook page. From there you may want to consider a Twitter and LinkedIn account, among others. The content you put out there is just as important as being out there at all, so it may be a good idea to hire out a copywriter, either on a piece-by-piece basis or contracted for consistent updates to your various marketing outlets.

Save Time and Headache – Send it Out

Even the least tech savvy business owner can hire out a web marketing or SEO specialist to build a solid website and drive customers directly to their business. A good marketing company will offer a wide array of marketing plans and techniques and should, more than anything, listen to you. Because no one understands your business better than you. Once your marketing specialist is able to appreciate your company and what you have to offer, you should be able to develop a dynamic marketing plan that will reflect this and hopefully remain within that monthly budget.

How a business is run has undoubtedly been forever changed by the internet revolution. Take advantage of all this has to offer rather than letting it steamroll your company. Whether you attempt it yourself or hire a qualified firm to take care of it for you, it’s time to get in the game!

Matthew Toren
 

Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor and co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com. He is co-author, with his brother Adam, of Kidpreneurs.org, BizWarriors.com and Small Business, BIG Vision: Lessons on How to Dominate Your Market from Self-Made Entrepreneurs Who Did it Right (Wiley).

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