Should You Hire Someone To Advertise For You?

Posted by Elyse Blouin National Interactive Marketing Specialist

In today’s market place, with 82% of consumers going online to find local businesses, the question for local business owners isn’t whether or not to advertise online – advertising online is simply a necessity. Instead, the question is to D.I.Y or not to D.I.Y. your online advertising. Here are some things to think about when making that important decision.

The Top 10 Most Important Questions to Ask:
1. How measurable will it be?
2. Are the metrics the vendor is promising to provide metrics that I care about?
3. How big is your commitment to the vendor, and does this commitment make sense?
4. What kind of industry expertise does the vendor have?
5. Does the partner seem interested in your website?
6. How wide is the vendor’s distribution?
7. Who is actually going to be handling your account and will you have access to them?
8. Are there any hidden fees?
9. Are there “keyword limits”?
10. What kind of credentials does the partner have?

If you’ve answered all these questions but still aren’t sure what to do, think about these two things:
1. Your Time Is Valuable: As they say, time is money. The time that you spend learning the nuances of online advertising is time that you don’t spend serving your customers… or with your family for that matter. Many of us already struggle to balance all the competing needs in our businesses and our lives, and adding one more thing might just not be worth it. That being said, if you are willing to commit the time and energy to learning online advertising and continuously optimizing your campaigns, going the D.I.Y. route is not impossible.

2. Professionals Have Expertise: You could go to the store, buy a bunch of wood and build your own deck. Of course, there’s a lot more to think about than just wood and nails. Will you know how to properly apply the finish? Will you remember to waterproof it with sealant? Who will come help you if something goes wrong? Sounds overwhelming, right? That’s why you hire a professional contractor with the expertise in building a deck to make sure that it gets done right the first time. Who wants the stress, and drain on your wallet to get it wrong? The same concept applies to online advertising. This is a fairly new way to advertise and it is rapidly changing and growing. Mastering it can be a full time job, and getting it wrong can be far more expensive than doing it right the first time. The worst possible outcome is to DIY and feel burned, then never try with a professional to uncover what could be a game changing way to get new customers calling you.

The Bottom line? Advertising partners are experts, who add value to your business by freeing up your valuable time and, offer significant expertise – allowing you to be confident that your hard earned money is being used wisely.


About The Author: Elyse is a National Interactive Marketing Specialist at Yodle, where she is responsible for managing search engine marketing campaigns for franchise clients. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC, and is originally from central Vermont. Elyse is currently completing an MBA degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.