As the President of an agency, I still give pitches and receive pitches that warrant the time, effort, and energy to move both entities forward or increase market share.
I typically only reserve sitting in on these pitches if it’s to work on the company and not in the company…there is a difference and I finally figured that out a few years ago!
So, why am I giving you a backstory while standing on my philosophical business journey soapbox, because if these words have ever come out of your mouth, “My IT Guy Handles My Website and Marketing” you need more help than you think.
Automating your marketing plan is essential to staying competitive in today’s digital world.
But relying on your IT department to handle all aspects of marketing can be a costly mistake! Especially the most important driver of qualified and warm leads…SEO optimization and execution. Your IT team does not have the expertise, time, or resources necessary to create, execute, develop, and refine a successful marketing campaign.
The best way to ensure that your marketing efforts are successful is by hiring a dedicated team of experts who specialize in marketing automation (not everything ‘marketing’ can be automated) and online marketing tactics such as SEO optimization and content creation. With their knowledge and experience, you can rest assured that your campaigns will be executed flawlessly and efficiently, resulting in maximum returns on investment.
This is not something that is casually put together by someone that also has another full-time job. BTW if your IT company has time on their hands to manage your marketing, you are utilizing the wrong IT and Marketing resources! In addition, IT professionals are typically up to speed on the latest trends and technologies that affect the hardware, software, and network security in their area of expertise, but those are not even remotely close to the critical software needed for effective marketing and content.
Marketing must be managed as a living breathing organism, it’s not static and it definitely is not one size fits all.
Marketing CANNOT be automated… prove me wrong! Yes, certain non-mission critical functions can and should be, but marketing globally should never be an automated function.
Please Note: To all the IT pros out there, I love and respect you because I was in your shoes as a network professional when I started my career as a Business Solutions Provider for enterprise networks…so I get it and I get you!
-Tom
