There was a time when businesses considered “Internet Marketing” one channel of their advertising. It sounded good when it was added to other strategies they used. It was common to hear a sentence like, “Yes, we advertise using direct mail, a little radio, yellow pages and now internet marketing.” The problem with that today is that internet marketing consists of it’s own individual channels and specialties. Search engine optimization is different from web design for example while creating a blog article is very different than creating an infographic or a video. Don’t even get me started on the specifics of running a social media campaign.
To use a “Let’s Translate” analogy, it’s like saying a doctor is a doctor, when in fact, there are very different skill sets required by different kinds of doctors. You wouldn’t go to an eye doctor for a broken leg would you? You wouldn’t ask a family practitioner to take care of your heart disease and you certainly wouldn’t ask a chiropractor to . . . well, I could have some fun with chiropractors here, but considering some of my best friends are chiropractors, I guess I’ll give ’em a break. Either way, you get the idea, right?
I’m a search guy – always have been. It’s the area I’ve chosen because I see the direct results of my efforts help my clients to rank higher and make more money. I’m also Google AdWords certified and I love the control one gets when running a pay-per-click campaign. When you ask me about SEO, PPC or link building, I’m going to be able to help you for sure. Ask me about social media and my level of expertise isn’t quite as high. Is it higher than most business owners? No question. My blog, my business facebook page, my twitter page and even my klout score would indicate that I know a thing or two about social media. BUT – if you were wanting to hire me to handle social media for you, I’d have to be honest and tell you that I’m probably not the best man for the job. Do I know who that person is? Probably. And I’m happy to introduce you. But I digress. The point of this article is to encourage you to make sure that you are hiring a specialist in whatever field of internet marketing you need help.
Personally, I’ve made it a passion of mine to learn about every channel and to find experts in each field. I understand that fresh content is one of the most important elements of SEO for 2013 and I know authors who can blog for you and totally capture the “voice” of your website. I am crazy about infographics and all the good they can do for your online marketing and of course I know the best place to get an awesome infographic. Backlinks continue to be an important ingredient in any SEO strategy and I study and stay current on the algorithms that determine a good backlink from a bad backlink. As far as social media goes, I may not have 20,000 twitter followers but I get it. I understand it’s value and the ins and outs. Do you need social media? Well that’s probably something you should be doing yourself for the most part. It is called “social” media for a reason. But if you don’t have the time or inclination, there are certainly companies that will take the time to get to know you and be that social voice on your behalf.
Here’s what I don’t want you to do. Don’t hire an internet marketing company to do it all for you. (UNLESS they have people who are specialists in each channel) Otherwise, you’ll probably get someone who is very good at one thing and just okay at another. Just because they can build a website doesn’t mean they know how to make it rank. Just because they’ve been handling your social media, that doesn’t mean they necessarily know how to help you rank on Google. Heck, even someone good at Google might not be as good with Bing (but that’s maybe getting a little too picky.) Just make sure that as you seek help for the different channels, that you are in touch with the right company and the right expert.
Thanks for reading
David McBee
