Now that Amplitude Digital is starting to really sink its teeth into more and more of the succulent morsel that is the online advertising and marketing pie, we came to the realization that it was finally time to hire an accountant to handle our growing billing and booking duties.
Before this much-needed move, I was handling all of the accounting duties on my lonesome. As a proud holder of an MBA, this wasn’t a huge stretch for me, but I’m the first to admit that there is much more than just a difference of two little letters between an MBA and a CPA.
As an entrepreneur and self-starter, my thinking has always been that you want to try and run as much of your business as you can in the beginning, so you develop a complete and comprehensive understanding of how the many intricate pieces of a business are best handled. I believe you should do this as long as you possibly can…until you feel like overseeing all the moving parts of your business is holding you back from growing the business further. Then, you go look for help. And you find someone good.
Seems like a perfectly logical and natural course of action, doesn’t it? And I know many other businesses and business owners who have taken a similar approach in regards to company components like accounting and finances. But over the years, I’ve also found that when it comes to truly enhancing and maximizing their advertising and marketing strategies and execution…a lot of companies don’t take that leap of logic (and faith) and place things in the hands of highly trained and experienced professionals.
Much like accounting, marketing and advertising are often requisite company functions that are initially handled by the person who dreamed up, planned and incorporated the business. And that makes since, since nobody else understands the many nuances of their business and how it best functions and succeeds within its industry. And in addition to that intellectual investment, there’s all that personal passion…gut-level and emotional stuff that often informs and fuels truly impactful and effective advertising.
But just like having a MBA doesn’t magically make you a CPA, caring deeply about your business and brainstorming some killer campaign ideas at the local coffee shop doesn’t put you on an even playing field with a savvy and battle-tested creative director. Or media planner. Or copywriter (who has no doubt also consumed more coffee than you, and probably in more “interesting” ways).
No, unlike other vital company functions like accounting, many small and mid-size business owners continue to hold tight to the reins of their advertising and marketing machine, preferring to manually handle horsepower rather than optimizing the very engine that often drives sustainable and real business growth.
The next logical question, then, is this:
Why?
I’ve often used the analogy that marketing and advertising are a lot like plumbing or electrical work within your house. There are plenty of times where you can suck it up, grab your toolbox and fix a stopped-up sink. Or replace a burnt-out fuse in your electrical panel. Or pinch your nose, grab that plunger and…well, you get the drift.
However, when the main line out to your neighborhood street is damaged by roots, or you need to completely rewire a kitchen, odds are you’re going to throw in the towel (after wiping your hands off with it, of course), reach for the phone, and do what any proud yet sensible homeowner would do:
Call a professional to come tackle the job.
Of course, in these weird, wild, ever-shifting sands of “self-serve” marketing platforms like Google, Facebook and Twitter that we are asked to sink or swim in these days, there’s no shortage of tenacious, tech-savvy business owners who are quick to proclaim themselves amateur marketing experts. Not to mention some who would gladly claim semi-pro or professional status. As well as an always-expanding army of overnight, instant, just-add-payday marketing “consultants”, “instructors” and even “gurus”. But ask yourself this question…and do it slowly and mindfully, for added effect:
Do I really feel confident hiring an amateur or semi-pro to plan, create and implement something as vital to my business as advertising and marketing?
And in the end, remember that it’s perfectly normal and natural to force yourself to understand how things are done for awhile. But realize there are also proven, actual experts in every field. Experts who are ready and willing to help you take your business to the next level.
When it comes to the landscape of online advertising and marketing, we here at Amplitude Digital are the right kind of experts to turn to. And not just for a quick fix, either. As agile and adept experts who specialize in internet advertising and marketing, we’re here to help you plan and employ best practices and craft compelling creative. From social media to display advertising to organic and paid search to SEO to affiliate programs to email and more – we have the know-how, experience, resources and passion needed to help your business achieve new levels of growth and success.
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