Digital marketing is one of the most important investments that a small business will make in its efforts to generate new leads, acquire new customers, and increase revenue. It’s no wonder that companies of all sizes continue to shift their marketing and advertising budgets from traditional media to digital marketing outlets and emerging technologies.

That said, digital marketing doesn’t come without a steep learning curve. And when you’re a small business owner, wearing multiple hats, managing many things, and even working in the field yourself, the ability to learn a whole new world of marketing, technology, data, creative, and so much more is nearly impossible.

You know you need to be online, you’re eager to grow your business, and determined to increase revenue -- but how do you do it?

Hiring a digital marketing company is better for small businesses than trying to take it on all by yourself, here’s why:

Small businesses almost always lose money by doing digital marketing themselves

It’s a bold statement but one that proves true time and time again.

When small businesses try to take on the world of digital marketing themselves, it almost always ends with poor performance and the assumption that “this doesn’t work for my business,” neglect, or a gigantic waste of money.

Without complex, granular knowledge of the major digital marketing platforms, small business owners tend to underutilize platform capabilities to the point that their efforts are deemed a failure.

If you take that one step further and fund into things like paid traffic, sponsored posts, and other digital advertising, without complex knowledge this is a substantial financial risk - and when a small business takes a financial risk and loses, the willingness to invest again in the future is almost certain to be, “no.”

Benefits of hiring a digital marketing company to help grow your small business online

It goes without saying that hiring an expert to do their job produces a better end result.

I can tell you right now that I wouldn’t renovate my own house -- me and a hammer do not mix. Which is probably why I’m writing an article on digital marketing and not tiling my bathroom floor, but that’s another conversation altogether.

When it comes to digital marketing for your small business, hiring an expert comes with its own set of benefits.

Time is money. Don’t waste it.

When it comes to operating a small business, time is money.

Hiring an experienced digital marketing company saves you a lot of time and money. Their knowledge of every platform, including setting up accounts, optimizing profiles, creating campaigns, utilizing various strategies and tactics for different purposes, and so much more saves you a ton of time, and you know it’s done right the first time.

And on that note, having your digital channels setup correctly is critical. This allows you to accurately collect data, track your results, monetize effectively, and identify the true return on your investment.

Cross-channel and cross-department integration and collaboration

One of the greatest values of working with a digital marketing company is the fluidity of collaboration and integration.

What I mean by this is the connection between a designer, a web developer, a data analyst, a copywriter, and a strategist (and others too!). This is highly efficient in many ways.

When it comes to online marketing, constant testing and optimizing is key. Things like ad fatigue and over-exposure are a real, detrimental thing. So it’s important to stay on top of what’s working and when, changing ads and creative, determining what graphics are more appealing to different audiences, and identifying opportunities and acting quickly on them.

To take this notion of collaboration one step further, integrating and collaborating across marketing channels is an extremely valuable resource when working with a digital marketing company.

Not every business goal or objective will have the same messaging and the same campaign (in fact, that’s almost never the case at all). As a result, different goals and objectives will utilize different platforms -- and oftentimes one campaign will use multiple platforms. This requires a firm understanding of cross-collaboration of data, control over exposure, consistency in delivery and messaging, and staying on top of your overall budget.

Having a resource with comprehensive knowledge of various platforms allows you to get the best results for your desired outcomes. And when done correctly, this stretches the value of your digital marketing budget far more than a single-focus.

Think of it this way: operating your car on one wheel wouldn’t result in a very effective driving experience, but driving a car with all four, well-maintained tires does.

If all of this has left you feeling overwhelmed, it’s not meant to. Actually, it’s meant to help understand the complexities of the digital marketing world so you don’t waste your hard-earned money on underperforming efforts.

As a small business wanting to grow and increase revenues, it’s important to ensure that you’re spending your money in the best, most-effective way possible. That’s why hiring a digital marketing company or consultant is better for your small business than doing it all yourself.