Content Dev. or Paid Ads: Where to put the Dollars
Coaching and working alongside small businesses is, seriously, the best.
They’re resourceful, open-minded, and willing to take a few risks when it comes to trying new things. Many are also very frugal. They want to know where the dollars are coming from and where they’re going, especially when it comes to Marketing.
A question I get a lot is: “Should I spend $X on Facebook ads, or on a content specialist/strategist?” My answer? Both.
Now, hear me out…
In January 2021, Facebook and Apple went to court over a dispute around privacy. Apple is rolling out an update to its iOS 14 operating system that prompts the user to give apps permission to track their activity across other apps and the web. That change may seem small— Lots of apps already track our web activity through default settings we accept when we install them.
Facebook, however, has been fuming about the change, which threatens the source of its $86 billion in annual revenue: targeted ads.
There is value in paid ads, yes, but without proper consent from users and/or a target audience (ahem, your potential clients/customers), you might as well cut a check to the dumpster once a month.
The Internet and our phones are noisy places to hang out. Why do you think we’re seeing such an uptick in awareness platforms/apps to set limits on our screen time/meditation apps/things to remind us seek calm/etc.?
We are searching for things that provide value for us. The way we, as small businesses, can provide value to our audience is to first begin with looking internally.
When I coach my clients on Marketing (yes, capital ‘M’ marketing) success, we go over the branches of Marketing and their respective tactics. When we look at the Promotion branch, we have a lot of different avenues to take to get to the qualitative and quantitive goals my clients desire for their businesses.
Just one of those tactics is social media and it is NOT a strategy. Instead, we look at the business you have in front of you:
What works with your product/service? What doesn’t work? What does your team look like (if you have one)? Are there interpersonal quarrels we need to process? Why did you start this business in the first place? Did you inherit it or start it from scratch? Why do you get up every morning and ‘go to work’ (outside of getting a paycheck)?
From this ‘therapy’ session together, we can determine a unique Marketing & brand development strategy. This strategy is what will succeed for you EVERY TIME. Not social media ads. Not paid Google ads. And not a content creator who’s only task is to just make stuff.
You need strategy.
You need intentionality.
You need something that is going to work for YOU, not just a cookie-cutter program/process.
