In today’s digital era, anyone can launch a website or blog within hours. All you need is a domain name, web hosting, and relevant content. You can even create a blog for free and register a custom domain later on, or skip this step altogether. The challenge lies in getting your website out there so it can reach the target audience. After all, you don’t want to spend weeks or months creating content and then realize no one is seeing it.
Therefore, you’ll have to learn a thing or two about search engine optimization (SEO), media outreach, paid advertising, and other marketing strategies. First, decide whether you want to hire a digital marketing agency or go the do-it-yourself (DIY) route. Consider your schedule, technical skills, and long-term goals.
With that in mind, here are some aspects to consider when choosing between digital marketing agencies and the DIY approach.
Is It Worth Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency?
The Internet is home to over 1.13 billion websites, of which only 18% are active. Moreover, a new website goes live every three seconds. As discussed earlier, it’s not enough to start a blog or website to gain traffic and attract customers. You must also maintain, optimize, and promote your site while keeping up with ever-changing market trends. Basically, it’s a full-time job that requires technical expertise, as well as strong marketing, communication, and project management skills.
Most entrepreneurs have a full plate at any given time, which leaves little room for SEO and marketing activities. One solution is to hire an in-house team, but the costs can be steep. For example, the median annual salary of an SEO manager is $83,188, and you’ll also need to employ a social media manager, copywriters, and other professionals. If you’re a freelancer or small business owner, you may not be able to afford these expenses.
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A more affordable option is to hire a digital marketing agency. If you go this route, you’ll get the full package: a team of professionals with years of experience and cutting-edge tools. These people know the ins and outs of SEO, digital marketing, social media, and copywriting and have a thorough understanding of the different platforms out there. Their services can free up your time and drive business growth.
The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Digital Marketing
While there are some clear advantages to outsourcing digital marketing, this option may not work for everyone. In some cases, it doesn’t even make sense to hire an agency. That said, let’s see the pros and cons of working with a digital marketing company.
Pros
- Gain access to a wide talent pool
- Save time and money
- Keep up with the latest marketing trends
- Get faster and better results
- No learning curve
This approach also eliminates the need to hire and onboard employees, resulting in lower overhead costs. Plus, it can help you avoid costly mistakes, which can further reduce your expenses.
Cons
- Higher initial investment
- Communication can be slow
- You’ll have less control over marketing activities
Also, digital marketing agencies have dozens or hundreds of clients, so they won’t be able to fully commit to your project.
There’s also a risk of plagiarism and other forms of intellectual property infringement, which could hurt your business. For example, some agencies may use unlicensed images or plagiarized content, or engage in sketchy practices like paid link building and comment spamming.
Is DIY Marketing a Better Choice?
Hiring a digital marketing agency isn’t always the best choice. If you have a small website or blog, it doesn’t make sense to spend thousands of dollars on professional services. In fact, there are quite a few things you can do yourself to get traffic and leads, and many require little or no technical knowledge. Let’s see some examples:
- Create website content, from blog posts and how-to guides to infographics
- Create and share relevant content on social media
- Write guest posts to get your brand noticed and reach a wider audience
- Perform keyword research using tools like MOZ, Google Keyword Planner, or KWFinder
- Build an email list and send newsletters or promotional emails to your subscribers
- Participate in online communities and forums related to your industry
- Host webinars, workshops, and other events to drive brand awareness
- Set up an affiliate marketing or referral program
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Go one step further and learn the basics of SEO. This would allow you to optimize your content and web pages, build high-quality links, and, ultimately, rank higher in search results.
Chances are, you won’t need to hire an agency right after you start a blog. Do what you can on your own, track the results, and adjust your strategy accordingly. As your business grows, start outsourcing social media marketing, keyword research, and other redundant tasks.
The Pros and Cons of DIY Digital Marketing
The DIY route can be time-consuming, but it makes sense for freelancers, bloggers, and startup founders. Think of it as an opportunity to find your brand’s voice, see what works and what doesn’t, and get to know your target audience. Moving forward, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of DIY marketing:
Pros
- You’ll get to see the results first-hand
- You know your brand and products better than anyone else
- You have complete control over your marketing efforts
- You have more flexibility in terms of content creation and delivery
Cons
- You may not know what tools to use and how to maximize your efforts
- You’ll have to learn about SEO, digital marketing, and social media
- You won’t have access to as many tools and resources as an agency
- It can take longer to get results
Note that DIY marketing isn’t necessarily cheaper than hiring an agency. This process involves a lot of trial and error, and you’ll keep spending money until the results kick in.
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However, the initial investment is lower compared to what you’d spend when working with a professional digital marketing team. Plus, there are plenty of free tools you can use to get things up and running while keeping the costs low.
Grow Your Online Blog the Smart Way
Promoting a website or blog comes with its share of challenges, especially for small businesses. Depending on your niche, you could be competing against hundreds of thousands of other websites and blogs.
A digital marketing agency can help you see things from a fresh perspective and give your business a competitive edge. Moreover, they have access to the latest tools and understand the nuances of SEO, social media marketing, and great copywriting. These professionals can help you start a blog, define your target audience, and reach the right people with the right message.
But even so, there are plenty of things you can do yourself to promote your site or blog. It costs nothing to make a list of keywords and use them strategically, share your insights, and build a social media presence.
Your best bet is to use a hybrid approach. Determine what you can do in-house and leave the rest to the pros. For example, you could write content yourself and outsource link building, pay-per-click advertising, and other more complex tasks.
Last but not least, keep an open mind and explore your options. Remember that what works for one business may not work for another. Take one step at a time, measure the results, learn from your mistakes, and decide on your next move.
Shruti Sood
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