Should you hire an inhouse marketing team?

Should you hire multiple agencies who can take care of your marketing needs?

Should you do both?

Depending on your stage of business, the answer to all of the above migh be yes!

Here are a few things to consider as you are thinking through how to manage your marketing. 

If you are new in business, and extra tight on cash… you might want to wait (desperation and marketing DO NOT go together). Do your marketing yourself. Learn what your market wants and works best for your company. This skillset will serve you well as you grow!

If you don’t have a proven offer that people actually want, marketing can’t fix that (no matter how amazing the agency is). So, work on your offer and get your first few clients or customers before you spend anything on marketing. 

If you are unclear on your ideal clients, or your true value in the marketplace…an agency isn’t smart.

You SHOULD hire a marketing agency if:

• You have a proven offer that you want to scale.
• You want to maximize your exposure and grow your visibility.
• You want to generate more quality leads (but aren’t desperate to do so)
• You want to elevate your brand to make a bigger impact.
• You want to open new doors of opportunity.
• You know what works, and want to add fuel to the fire.
• You understand that hiring a full-time in house marketing team will cost anywhere from $20k-$30k per month, and know you can get a better ROI working with an agency.

Not everyone needs to hand over their marketing to anyone, especially before you dial things in and learn your market well.

But, for many, finding the right agency will increase their profits and take the stress of marketing off their plate!

Whether you own a luxury apartment building, upscale restaurant, or premium product line, if you want a brand that’s associated with luxury, then you need to intentionally build that brand identity, and stay consistent.

However, that consistency is often difficult for brands on social media.

So…

Here are some common mistakes luxury businesses make, on social media,  that UNDERMINE their luxury status…

• Using stock photos or REAL photos that look stock-ish.

I love a great professional photo that is beautifully edited and absolutely pristine… on a website.

But, using high-end lifestyle photos with your product or for your service allows potential buyers to SEE THEMSELVES there.

Example: if you have a luxury apartment complex and are looking to attract young professionals, keep the staged apartments and beautiful shared spaces on your website. Then, fill those areas with ACTUAL people who are young professionals looking, and get some more candid photos of them using the spaces.

• One-line captions that mean nothing to the potential buyer.

An emoji with a hashtag is NOT going to cut it. A “Check out this new spa treatment to give you younger looking skin”… no bueno.

• NOT painting the picture, telling a story, or giving context in your captions.

Example:  your luxury spa has a new facial that will reverse the signs of aging and clear up sun damage.

Write a caption explaining the new treatment including:
Who is it ideal for (and not ideal for)
Is it painful? Super simple and easy?
How long does the treatment take?
How long will it take before I see results?

Luxury brands CAN and SHOULD use social to build their brand, but you can’t just phone it in. You need to draw the right people in, in a way that makes them feel they are MEANT to experience what you have to offer.