As a small business owner, you may be asking yourself: Should I hire a marketing person to work on staff, or should I hire a marketing agency?
Hiring an in-house marketing professional can seem like the obvious answer. You have someone in the building, someone focused on your business, and someone you can talk to every day.
But there is one important question many business owners forget to ask:
What happens after you hire them?
A good marketing employee may cost your business $30,000 to $75,000 a year—or more when you factor in salary, benefits, payroll taxes, software, training, and other expenses.
And after making that investment, you may still have nothing actually running to sell your business.
You still have to invest in the tactics.
You still need advertising.
You still need social media.
You still need video.
You still need creative.
You still need website improvements.
You still need search marketing.
You still need digital advertising.
You still need strategy, tracking, targeting, and reporting.
Hiring a marketing person is not the same thing as hiring a complete marketing system.
One Person Can’t Be an Entire Marketing Department
Marketing today requires many different skills.
You may need a graphic designer on Monday, a video producer on Tuesday, a website expert on Wednesday, a digital advertising specialist on Thursday, and someone who understands data, targeting, and campaign performance on Friday.
Expecting one employee to be an expert in everything can put your business at a disadvantage.
That’s where the right marketing firm can make a difference.
Don’t Hire a Corporate Agency. Hire a Partner.
Small businesses don’t always need a big corporate agency with layers of account managers, complicated meetings, and a one-size-fits-all marketing package.
And you don’t necessarily need a media company whose main goal is to sell you more advertising.
You need a marketing partner.
A firm that will sit down with you.
Learn your business.
Understand your customers.
Talk about your goals.
Look at what is working—and what isn’t.
Then build a strategy around helping your business grow.
At White Sands Marketing Group, we believe marketing should start with a conversation, not a generic package.
Your Marketing Should Be Built to Sell Your Business
The right marketing strategy isn’t about posting just to post.
It isn’t about getting likes that never turn into customers.
And it isn’t about spending money simply because someone tells you that you need to “be everywhere.”
Your marketing should have a purpose.
Reach the right people.
Tell them why your business matters.
Give them a reason to contact you.
And help turn attention into sales.
That requires strategy and the right tools.
The Advantage of Working With a Firm That Has Its Own DSP and Trading Desk
One major advantage of working with the right marketing firm is access to advanced advertising technology.
White Sands Marketing Group has access to its own DSP (Demand-Side Platform) and trading desk, giving businesses more opportunities to use targeted digital advertising as part of a complete marketing strategy.
Instead of relying on a single advertising channel, your campaigns can be strategically planned to reach potential customers across digital environments while measuring and optimizing performance.
That means your marketing investment can be supported by more than one person’s experience.
You’re gaining access to strategy, creative thinking, advertising technology, campaign management, and a team focused on helping your business grow.
Before You Spend $30,000 to $75,000, Ask Yourself This
Before hiring an in-house marketing person, ask:
- What specific marketing skills does my business need?
- Will one person be able to handle everything?
- How much more will I spend on advertising, software, creative, and production?
- Do I already have a marketing strategy?
- Who will manage my digital advertising campaigns?
- Who will create the videos, graphics, content, and campaigns?
- How will I know what is actually working?
Sometimes an in-house marketing employee is the right choice.
But for many small businesses, working with the right marketing firm can provide more resources, more expertise, and a complete marketing strategy—without trying to build an entire marketing department from scratch.
Let’s Talk About Your Business
At White Sands Marketing Group, we’re not interested in acting like a distant corporate agency.
We want to meet with you, understand your business, and help you build a marketing strategy that makes sense for your goals, your market, and your budget.
Because spending money on marketing isn’t enough.
Your marketing needs to work.