Can you “DIY” your company’s marketing?

“I can just do my own marketing, right?”

It’s a really common question for small business owners and growing start-ups. 

I have good news, and bad news. You probably can. But there is a point at which it just doesn’t make sense anymore, and it can be tricky to tell when that is—especially since there are financial, logistical, and even emotional considerations to contend with.

How do you make the right call? If you’re asking the question, you’ve already recognized the need for a gut check. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to call in a professional, but it may be on the horizon. Here are a few of the questions you should ask yourself to determine whether it’s the right time to seek support for your marketing.

Have I reached the limits of my existing skill set?

I would never discourage anyone from learning something new, but your time is both valuable and limited. Before you spend hours perfecting your CapCut skills or researching how to get your website to rank on Google, you should ask yourself:

• Does learning this skill enhance or provide any benefit to my area of expertise?
• Does learning this skill bring me joy or enhance my personal life?

If the answer to both of these is “no,” you should consider outside assistance. Prioritizing a skill that doesn’t improve your professional or personal well-being isn’t a good use of your time or energy. 

Am I spending too much time on marketing instead of my area of expertise?

Measuring Return on Investment (ROI) is one of the most essential skills to learn when running a business. And while it’s a good idea to actually do the math, there are instances, like this one, where it doesn’t have to be a precise calculation. You can loosely gauge the ROI of your marketing efforts with a few considerations:

• Is marketing taking my time away from money-making activities?
• Is marketing leaving me too drained to address other business activities?

This is arguably the most important factor in your decision on seeking out marketing support. Your skills have value—don’t undercut that by spreading yourself too thin.

Has my business’s growth stalled?

Ineffective marketing isn’t the only possible reason for stalled growth, but it’s definitely a consideration. If you’ve ruled out operational inefficiencies (hours, bandwidth, systems and processes, etc.), it’s time to consider that your current marketing strategy might not be enough.

It can be difficult to prioritize spending money on marketing if your growth has stalled (or even backpedaled), but the more quickly you address it, the better. Knee-jerk marketing usually ends up being expensive and ineffective, especially if you wait until things get dire. A strategic, well-thought-out marketing approach will set you up for longer-term success. 

Has my business’s growth exploded?

If so, that’s great news! I sincerely wish this “problem” on every small business owner. This is a great time to revisit the question of ROI—your time needs to be elsewhere, and this is not the time to drop the ball on marketing. Your business has momentum, and you need to continue to build on it.  

Am I feeling overwhelmed?

If you feel like handling marketing is too confusing, too stressful, or just too much, you don’t have to go any further to build justification (unless you have a board/partner/investors – they might need a business case!). As a small business owner or start-up founder, you should be pouring your best self into your business. Running on empty isn’t going to benefit your business growth.

The Solution

If any of the above ring true for you, it’s time to consider solutions. And fortunately, your choices now extend beyond just hiring a full-time marketer or enlisting a pricey agency. 

Depending on your needs and resources, you might bring in a freelancer for specific projects, work with a consultant to build a strategy and guide execution, or find someone who blends both—providing ongoing support without the overhead of a full-time hire.

I’m also not going to tell you that you shouldn’t hire a fresh-out-of-school marketer or your chronically online nephew—if that’s the right stage for you. A junior marketer or “digital native” can be exactly the right fit, especially if you already have a clear strategy in place and just need help implementing it. The key is knowing what stage you’re in and matching the help to your business’s needs.

Marketing doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Many small business owners thrive with a mix of DIY effort and professional guidance—enough support to make things easier and more effective, without losing control or breaking the budget. If you’re ready to find that balance, I can help you build a plan that fits your business and your goals.