Think You’re Cut Out to Handle Your Own Marketing? Take This Quiz to Find Out.

When you’re running a business, every customer counts. That’s why effective and consistent marketing strategies are a must. Also, every penny counts. So why spend money to outsource your marketing? I mean, how hard can it be, right? Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before committing to marketing your business.

  1. Do you have ample time to do market research? You know who your customers are – but do you know who they aren’t or could be? Why are potential clients doing business with your competition? Unfortunately, most business owners don’t have the appropriate amount of time to do thorough research to identify the gap between current and potential clients.
  2. Are you a graphic designer? Maybe you dabble a little in Photoshop, or maybe you have a friend who is a designer, but unless you’re paying that friend to design your print materials, you’ll be at the mercy of their schedule, which might not meet your deadline.
  3. Are you familiar with common design/print terminology? Knowing how to speak designer can be an essential skill to have. Talking the talk can help you navigate working through questions or concerns with both designers and printers. Crop marks, bleeds, CMYK and DPI are some simple essentials, but it also helps to know the difference between raster images, vector graphics and so much more! Not being designer-fluent can lead to disastrous and costly printing errors.
  4. Do you know how to optimize your content on social media? Technology is a fast-moving train, and unless you’re 14 years old with bionic thumbs, you need the time and skill to keep up with the latest and most effective ways to tie all of your digital content together. Knowing business appropriate sites and apps for promotions is a must. Don’t confuse Tumblr with Tinder.
  5. Are you web-savvy? Sure, there are lots of templates out there for the average Joe to use to build a site. But do you want your site to look average? Businesses need an eye-catching, easy to navigate website to drive business and e-commerce. This requires a designer’s eye, coupled with an understanding of functionality. Should there be a technical malfunction or your “donate” form suddenly isn’t working, you need an expert – and fast.

This is a short list of marketing musts, but there’s a lot more to strategic marketing than meets the eye. Contact the Farmhouse. We’ll handle your marketing so you can get back to running your business.