The DIY Marketing Era: Why businesses need more than just tools

Ask yourself this: Would you build your million-dollar dream home in a flood zone without ensuring solid foundations were set first to build upon? If the answer to this is “no”, then why are so many entrepreneurs ploughing ahead without laying the groundwork for their businesses?

In today's digital landscape, the accessibility of DIY marketing tools like website builders, design platforms and AI, partnered with the ability to hire overseas remote workers has empowered businesses to take charge of their own marketing efforts. While this shift may seem cost-effective and efficient on the surface, it's important for businesses to understand the impact of solely relying on these tools without a well thought out strategy.  

As I enter my 19th year in the marketing world and 3rd year of running my own agency, I am encountering more and more businesses that are growing frustrated with their lack of sales of their products and services, but aren’t willing to invest in their marketing.

Budget Branding

I had a client this week ask me to quote up branding his new business. Within five minutes, he came back and said “thanks for the quote but I am going to just use fiverr for now as that’s more my budget at the moment.” My response “No worries, best of luck”.

Could I have educated him on the importance of investing in his business now? Maybe. But without the budget or appreciation for its value, it’s a battle I deemed unwarranted.

DIY Disaster

Last year I had a client that didn’t want to pay a heavily reduced “mates rates” fee to build their website, instead one of the wives of an employee said she could do it. Five months later they came back to me asking for help. They couldn’t understand why their website wasn’t generating leads. So, I ran the analytics report:

Site Health: 15% (SEM Rush)

*a healthy site health score should be between 85-100%

Visitors: 16 (in 5 months)

And, this is representative of many small businesses these days.

As this was a friend’s business, I offered to sort it out for free (yes, I know). Within 1 month and 52 donated hours of agency time, the site health score was at 92% and had 1,600 visits. There is no clearer indication of why investing in marketing matters more than this example.

The fundamental component being forgotten - STRATEGY

I went to a networking event last week. They were looking for new members in the marketing space. In their list of spots available; copywriter, graphic designer, photographer, website designer etc. They advised they would be taking on 1 member/business per spot. BUT, they didn't list "Marketing Strategist" (or the likes). This had me baffled. Why was such a fundamental component missing from one of the biggest global networking groups' minds? And, is it really being forgotten about due to the DIY marketing era?

The top reasons businesses are struggling:

·      They have no business plan

•      They haven’t identified their values

•      They haven’t identified their core competitors and their own USP’s

•      They don’t have clear steps in place to achieve their long-term goals

•      They haven’t allocated any budget to the fundamental components of running a business

·      They have no marketing strategy

•      Many suffer from an identity crisis

•      Weak ineffective branding

•      No defined personality or tone of voice

•      They haven’t identified their target market

•      They haven’t identified the (multiple) marketing channels/tactics that need to work together in unison to reach their goals

•      They haven’t got a set marketing budget

·      They believe social media alone IS marketing

•      And I have called this out because social media is just one channel. And within this, there are multiple platforms, and again within these, there are multiple tactics. Many business owners are unable to identify which is the most suitable for them.

One of the primary issues stemming from the DIY marketing approach is the absence of a brand identity. Without a clear brand identity, businesses risk blending into the sea of competitors, making it challenging to stand out and capture the attention of their target audience.

Furthermore, DIY marketing often leads to a fragmented approach, where businesses engage in sporadic tactics without a unifying strategy. This scattergun approach not only results in wasted resources but also dilutes the effectiveness of all marketing efforts.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of business entries and exits has been on the rise, with over 60% failing within their first three years (20% of those fall in year one). Imagine passionately working day and night to start your own business and then having to close it, all because you didn’t see the value in investing in marketing upfront.

Now let’s go back to the beginning - picture that flood zone as your tumultuous sea of competitors, relentlessly encroaching upon your domain. Your million-dollar dream home, albeit grand, risks crumbling in a year or two and will subsequently be gobbled up by savvy developers who will have done their due diligence and therefore know that a flood zone requires reinforced foundations for any properties longevity.

So, what can businesses do to ensure their long-term success in this increasingly competitive landscape?

1. Invest in strategic planning from the get-go.

2. Focus on brand building beyond just visual aesthetics prior to launching.

3. Embrace data-driven insights to make informed decisions based on actual customer behaviour, market trends, and campaign performance.

4. Engage a professional. While DIY tools have their place, partnering with an experienced marketer can provide valuable strategic guidance, creative direction, and industry insights that DIY tools alone cannot offer.

Businesses serious about their long-term success must recognise the importance of laying their foundations so they can position themselves for sustained growth and resilience in today's competitive market.