Small family owned businesses everywhere are trying to save a buck and grow a business. We understand that desire to hold onto every dime that comes in the door. Brad and I operate from a pennywise and spending adverse. It is important to be frugal with your business budgets. All business owners should financially prepare for the bottom to drop out of your business while building your empire (this is wise philosophy with personal wealth as well).
Being wise in running a small business includes identifying where you are going to spend your assets. What tools and people will you invest in to make your business grow? This includes everything from buying corporate insurance to social media scheduling software. So why do some of your investments (specifically marketing tools) leave you feeling cheap, used or maybe like you need to spend a few hours at confession?
Inexpensive marketing solutions are too good to be true
Tools in business that seem “too good to be true” are exactly that! If you can pay $75 for what a professional quotes$1,200 to do, then something isn’t passing the smell test.
So why does these inexpensive digital marketing solutions send you in search of a shower or maybe a bar of soap to wash your mouth out (someone needs their mouth washed out after that line of BS you just experienced)? Because you just purchased your marketing solution out of the defective aisle at the Walmart in Summerville, GA.
Low cost marketing solutions rely on a high volume of clients with a high turnover rate. They don’t invest in customer service. You are a number and nothing more. These companies offer you the exact same marketing plan they gave to the last person that called and the person before that. They put zero effort into knowing your business, industry or you. They make you feel a bit like you just spent the afternoon with a used car salesman.
Their end game is one of 3 goals:
(1) Have you sign a long term contract that has a very high cancellation fee
(2) They will rely on the possibility that $39 a month will go un-noticed on your credit card
(3) They make a bet that the gripping fear that kept you from paying for a more expensive solution will cause you to pay for a “marketing blitz” to save your flailing business. This “marketing blitz” hefty fee will be 3x the amount of money your normal spend in a quarter on marketing.
Let me break it down for you: dealing with these “inexpensive marketing solutions” it is a bit like…..well, prostitution (and we aren’t talking about the Julia Robert’s kind here either). They are paid a very low amount to perform service without any after thought of you or your business’ health! Pretend to be shocked that comparison just came out of my “mouth”, but let’s be honest….you don’t read my blogs because you expect them to be politically correct or beat around the bush.
Marketing is a long term relationship with customers AND whoever is providing the marketing services. There should be trust, caring and understanding of long term goals. When dealing with any vendor, you need to see data proven results for the efforts; great vendors build faith in the clients that facilitates faith in all of their future recommendations.
