3 Ways Small Businesses Benefit from Online Marketing Firms

Small business owners are always on the go. From making sure inventory is stocked to processing payroll, those who run successful small businesses jump in whole-heartedly. An eVoice survey found that 53 percent of respondents listed “covering multiple jobs” as the most difficult aspect of balancing a business, followed by 50 percent saying there just isn’t “enough time to get everything done.” Small businesses can benefit from hiring online marketing firms that manage social media, email newsletters, and more. Reduce the number of jobs you have to cover as a small business owner while gaining more time to focus on the core of your business.

Expert Advice

While you may be the best baker or auto mechanic around, you probably aren’t staying up-to-date on the best search engine optimization or outbound marketing tactics. By outsourcing your online marketing, you gain instant access to experts and avoid spending weeks conducting your own research on each online marketing strategy and platform. Having a great product, service, and business is often where small business owners are focused. Allowing an outside source to focus on the marketing aspect of your business provides your business with the experience and expertise you might not have on your own. Online marketing is essential for the success of a business, especially in today’s always-connected society, and online marketing firms will make your efforts more successful with specialized staff.

Time Savings

Running a business isn’t easy and there often isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. Outsourcing saves all the time you would have spent marketing your business on social media and through email newsletters. A recent survey of 500 SMBs by online marketing firm Vertical Response found about one-third of small business owners would like to spend less time on social media. Keeping up with the trends in online marketing, including social media and SEO, requires a great deal of time and effort. Hiring an online marketing firm saves you the time you would have spent on researching and executing the best strategies for your business.

Greater Success

While access to expert advice and time savers are great benefits for small business owners who choose to outsource their online marketing efforts, these aren’t the only advantages. An important additional one is greater success, which often follows the hiring of an online marketing firm. These companies understand the spaces where your business needs to be and the platforms that yield the greatest results. Internet marketing firms can boost your business website’s rankings higher in search engine indexes. Higher rankings are vital when it comes to attracting targeted traffic. If you want to rank higher in search engines or build engagement online, or however your small business measures success, an online marketing firm will help you accomplish your goals and allow you to spend more time focused on running the business instead of marketing it.

While there are definite benefits to hiring an online marketing firm, such as saving time and having access to experts, there are drawbacks too. Make sure you ask what tactics a firm uses. You don’t want to lose credibility or end up with disgruntled customers. Research the companies you are considering and make sure they have experience in your industry, implement tactics your business can support, and have a track record of success and excellent customer satisfaction. Online marketing firms can truly benefit small businesses as long as it’s a good fit.

Straight North Blog Contributor

Erica Bell is a small business writer who focuses on topics such as starting new businesses and direct mail marketing companies. She is a Web content writer for Business.com. Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter!