Marketing Costs for small businesses and non-profits who want to outsource

 

One of the first questions a potential client asks us is, “How much will our marketing costs be if we work together?” This is because spending conservatively is more important than ever for small businesses and non-profits. 

We know this well, as we’re not only a small business, but we’ve also been supporting mom & pop brands in outdoor recreation, travel, and action sports for over 20 years.  Tight budgets, limited staff, rising costs, and competing priorities can make it difficult to spend on things like marketing and advertising, especially when you are just trying to stay afloat!

 

Marketing can often feel like both a necessity and a luxury.  You want to be smart, cost-effective, and gain expert support without the overhead of a full-time employee.  But how much should you spend, who should you hire, and what are the trade-offs?  Let’s dive in!

 

In this blog, we’ll cover the following:

• Benefits to Outsourcing Your Marketing
• How To Determine Your Marketing Costs
• Who Could You Hire and What Should You Expect to Pay
• What Services are Included in Your Marketing Costs

 

benefits to outsourcing your marketing 

 

When you outsource, you’re hiring external professionals, freelancers, or an agency to handle some or all of your marketing needs. This frees up your time to work on other projects.  Marketing tasks an agency or freelancer can handle include:

• E-Commerce management
• Content creation, videos, graphics
• Paid advertising
• Email marketing
• SEO and search engine marketing (SEM)

 

For small businesses and non-profit organizations, outsourcing some of your marketing needs provides flexibility and access to specialized skills without the commitment of a full-time salary or benefits.  Before we move on, if you’re curious about working with a small agency like ours, take a peek at our marketing services and pricing!

 

 

How to determine your marketing costs

 

In order to figure out what your marketing costs might be, whether you are a bike shop or a tour operator, start by deciding which marketing tasks you can continue doing easily and which ones you need to offload.

 

Taking a look at the marketing services listed above, which are you most comfortable continuing to manage?  Which ones do you need help with?  If you’re a one-man or one-woman show, it’s critical to be honest with yourself about the amount of time you can dedicate to marketing.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

 

• Are tasks like daily social media management or sending weekly email newsletters something you enjoy?
• Do you have the time to manage these tasks?
• Should you be spending your time elsewhere where it is of more value to your business?

 

For example, if you are an executive director at a non-profit organization, you should not split your time between managing fundraising and marketing tasks.  Instead, you should be out having meetings with big donors, making phone calls, and pitching corporate partners to bring in high-dollar gifts!

 

Who Could you hire and what should you expect to pay?

 

There are four main options for small businesses and non-profit organizations who want to outsource some or all of their marketing:

1. Connect with a Freelance Marketing Specialist
2. Hire a Digital Marketing Manager (full-time or part-time)
3. Hire a Marketing Agency
4. Work with a CMO or Marketing Consultant

We’ll review each below.

 

1. Connect with a freelance marketing specialist

 A freelance marketing specialist is Ideal for individual tasks like blog writing, social media management, or graphic design.  Expect to spend $700 – $1,500 a month for a good freelance marketing specialist.  Sites like Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork can help you find freelancers in your price range.

 

Best for: One-off projects or small ongoing needs
Pros: Affordable, flexible, specialized
Cons: May lack strategic guidance or availability for fast turnarounds. May need to share your logins and passwords with a complete stranger.

 

 

2. Hiring a Digital Marketing Manager

As a small business or a non-profit, you may be ready for a full-time or part-time digital marketing manager.  As long as you can provide the overall marketing strategy and structure, your digital marketing manager can handle things like social media management, copywriting, email marketing, and website updates.  Marketing costs for a full-time digital marketing manager range between $55,000 to $85,000 a year here in San Diego, California.

 

Best for: Regular, ongoing support
Pros: Can work independently on projects once given direction
Cons: Expensive and will require standard employee benefits and compensation

 

 

3. Hire a Marketing Agency

What about hiring a marketing agency?  The benefits include a better ‘package deal’ where you can add on more services, you’ll have more resources at your disposal, and more experience in tough areas like SEO.

However, hiring an agency to manage your marketing costs between $850-$4,500 a month, which might be steep for a small business or non-profit.  Of course, these costs can be as high a $20K or more, depending on your goals and your budget!

 

Best for: Regular, ongoing support
Pros: Can offer a package deal, provide access to resources, and has more experience
Cons: May require a larger upfront investment or a long-term contract

 

As an example, at Top Rope Media, we work with many small businesses and non-profits on a monthly retainer to help them manage their marketing needs, such as SEO, email marketing, and paid advertising. 

We allow for flexibility in the marketing services we provide each month; you’ll never pay for something you don’t need, and we do not require a long-term contract.  Read more about our marketing services and get a range of pricing here!

 

4. Work with a CMO or marketing consultant

Thinking a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or marketing consultant might be better suited to help your small outdoor brand or non-profit grow its wings?  A Marketing Consultant or CMO, whether part-time (often called a fractional CMO) or full-time, can build you a comprehensive marketing strategy, define your KPIs, and lead your outsourced team.  This is the perfect choice if you do not know where to start.  However, their services do not come cheap. Expect to pay between $150-500/hr for a marketing consultant.     

Best for: High-level support and startups
Pros: Great for audits or company restructuring
Cons: Will not execute and dig into the details, expensive, and not invested in your business long-term

 

So, while the short answer to “What will our marketing costs be?” is ‘it depends’, these key choices above will help you narrow things down. Below, we’ll address a few other areas you’ll want to think about when you search for marketing help. 

 

What services are included in your marketing costs 

 

As a small business owner, when you search for a service you need, you want to know early on how much it will cost.  However, when you start your search for marketing help, you may feel like you have reached a ‘gatekeeper’.  They will not give you the pricing details, but are more than happy to set up a sales call.  Grrr…this can feel incredibly frustrating.

If you’re wondering why there’s such secrecy in marketing costs, this is because an agency may not want its competition to know its pricing.  Or, they may feel like they could be leaving money on the table if they provide you with upfront pricing.  As we loathe those sales calls as much as you do, we’ve created a Services & Pricing page to give our customers a better idea of their marketing costs if they decide to work with Top Rope Media.

 

To further complicate marketing costs, several services fall under the marketing umbrella.  Prices will range greatly depending on the services you need.

 

First, let’s talk about what should be included in your pricing.  Your typical marketing manager, freelancer, or marketing agency should be expected to perform the following tasks:

• Social Media Management
• Content Production and Blog Writing
• Email Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Social, and Google Advertising

 

A big plus if they also have experience in the following areas:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Graphic Design
• Photography + Videography
• Web Development
• Public Relations

 

final thoughts on marketing costs for small businesses and non-profits

 

Now that you have a better idea of what your marketing costs might be if you outsource and what they include, you are ready to take the next step!  Remember to ask lots of questions.  Become familiar with the current marketing trends and platforms before you bring someone in to manage them for you.

 

If you’ve got a question, drop us a line and let’s navigate the marketing wilderness together!  Lastly, if you’re seeking more tips on do-it-yourself digital marketing, check out these posts:

• Best Email Marketing: Improve Clicks and Open Rates 
• How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads
• 8 Steps to Kickstart Your Online Advertising with Facebook and Instagram

 

Until next time, happy marketing friends!

Meredith, Top Rope Media

 

Creating your first Google Ad

 

You may think Google Ads are extremely complicated to set up and actually see conversions from your effort.  And this is often why many small businesses and non-profits do not use them as part of their marketing strategy.  However, this DIY tutorial will give you everything you need to set up your first Google Ad!

First, if you haven’t read the earlier blog in the Google Ad Series, Getting Started with Google Ads, read it now!  Next, we know you came here for an action plan, so let’s get you set up with your first DIY Google Ad!

 

1. Select Your first Google Ad Goal

 

Once you’ve set up your Google Ads Account, you can click on the blue plus sign to create a new campaign.  Next, you will be asked to select your campaign objective.

Now then, decide whether you want to drive traffic to your website, generate more leads, or simply create brand awareness.

 

 

2. Select Google Ad Campaign Type

 

Next, select your campaign type.  This means choosing your ad type- so a display ad, a video ad, or a Performance Max ad…If you’re not sure of the difference between each, go back and review the first blog in our Google Ads series.

You’ll have some sub-campaign choices to make and then you can move to the next steps!

 

3. Set up Your Google Ad Budget and Choose the Location You Want Your Ads to Be Shown

 

The next steps are to name your campaign, set your Google Ad budget, and the dates you’d like your ad to run.  You can have your ad run continuously until you decide to turn it off.

We recommend starting with a small Google advertising budget.  $5-15/day until you get the hang of it.  $5/day is perfect if you’re a small business and have just a little wiggle room this season!

In this step, Google may show you a few examples of a daily budget amount, with your estimated reach and link clicks per month.  You can also create a custom amount.  Either way, pay attention to these numbers- the estimated number of people reached and the estimated number of clicks.  Write them down.  Revisit them to see if your Google ads are performing as expected.

 

Some things to think about:

 

1. Is this a limited campaign- just a few weeks long?  Or, will this be ongoing?
2. Do you have the time now to manage a campaign and check up on it every day?  If not, can you put someone in charge of running it for you that already has ad experience?
3. Did you know you can change your budget or pause your ad at any time?

 

Then it’s time to select what locations you want your ads to be shown.  Are you targeting a local market?  Or more wide-ranging?  Keep in mind, to make your Google Search ads most effective, you’ll want to dial in that location!

 

 

4. Dial in the Demographics: Identify the People You Want To See Your Google Ad

 

At this point, you can create more parameters around the demographics or the types of people you would like to be shown your first Google Ad.  This means choosing age, gender, parental status, household income, etc.

Following this, you can select keywords, content topics, and other placements to further narrow down your audience.

 

Identifying Google Ad Keywords

 

Be specific with your Google keywords and keyphrases here.  As an example, if you’re selling camping gear, what specific types of camping gear?  Is it for sleeping, cooking, or hiking?

In addition, selecting a single keyword like ‘camping’ could get you lots of clicks. However, it may not get you conversions if you’re directing the wrong customers to your website.  In addition, you’ll be paying for all of those clicks!

Therefore, we recommend using long-tail keywords.  What is a long-tail keyword?  Here are some examples: “best mountain bike for kids”, “cold weather sleeping bag” or “easy to use camp stove”.

How do you create a list of good long-tail keywords for your ad?  In this step of your first Google ad campaign creation, you can enter the name of your product or service, or your website URL and Google will help you by providing lots of relevant keywords.  Select which Google keywords you want to keep, and remove the ones you don’t.  Add a few keyphrases of your own and then move on to the next step!

 

Need more tools to help you find good Google keywords and Keyphrases:

• Keywords Everywhere
• Keyword Planner
• Moz
• SEMRush

 

Remember, be as specific as you can.  Therefore, if you’re selling bicycles or cycling gear, be strategic with the types of bicycles or gear you are selling.  Examples:  “men’s road bikes for sale”, “clothes to wear cycling”, or “padded bike shorts”.  Keep in mind, not everyone knows cycling gear as cycling kits, bibs, or jerseys!

 

 

4. Upload Images or Videos and Write Your First Google Ad Copy

 

Now onto the fun stuff…selecting photos, videos, and word-smithing your Google headline and descriptions!  Have some images and a video or two in mind. And have copy ready that you are using on your website, in email campaigns, or for social media posts.  You’ll be very limited with the number of characters you can use in the copy: 30 characters for headlines, 90 characters for descriptions. 

Once again, be strategic and give people as much information as you can, but remove excess wording, punctuation (Google does not like exclamation points), and anything that’s unimportant.  Often, we’ll look at what posts are performing best on social.  We may also keep an asset list of the copy we are using, and what’s performing well.

After your first Google ad is up and running, a selection of best-performing headlines and descriptions will be created for you automatically.  You can view it under the Asset Details of each ad.

At this point, if you have questions and want to book a consult with us to walk you through setting up your first Google Ad, drop us a line, and let’s chat!

Want to learn more about our services to identify everything from the right audience to the best copy and imagery?  Read on to see which clients we’ve supported with Google advertising!

 

 

6.  Track Your Progress

 

After you publish your first Google ad, stay engaged with the platform.  Ensure your ad is approved and begins the learning phase.  This could take 48-72 hours or longer.  However, please know your budget will not be spent during this time.

Once the ad says ‘Approved or Eligible’ you are on your way!  If you’ve run ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, your ads may have been approved and running much more quickly.  With Google, ads can take longer to get approved and go through the learning phase.  Therefore, stay patient and check in every day.

What should you do if your first Google ad is rejected? If your ad is rejected, you will receive a notification in your account.  Make the necessary changes and submit it again for approval.

Continue to review your Google Ad analytics over time.  Check up on how your keywords are performing.  Pause ads that are underperforming and increase your budget on those that are performing well.  Need help, call in an expert!

Here are a few more blogs that might help you create more brand awareness and traffic to your website:

• Using Photography and Videography to Marketing Your Business

• How to Find the Right Brand Ambassadors and Influencers for Your Brand

• Social Media Best Practices

• Best Email Marketing: How to Improve Open Rates and Clicks

 

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Creating Ads on Google

 

Are you curious about how to create Google ads for your business?  Or are you paying an agency to manage Google Ads for you and would rather do it yourself? Well if so, this blog will teach you how to use Google Ads to drive traffic to your website and sell more products or services!

First, there are a few things you’ll need in place before you dive in and launch your Google display, performance max, remarketing, or search ad.  Let’s get started!

 

Why Advertise on Google

 

Advertising your services or products on Google, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn can be highly effective.  Why?  These platforms allow you to target certain demographics to ensure your ad is shown to the right people.

In addition, Google processes over 8.5 billion searches per day!  It’s always learning.  Using machine learning to better target the audience you seek and provide a personalized experience.  In the right place.  At the right time.  And, get them to act.  So, whether your customers are at the campground or at the beach, reach them on Google where 86% of searches begin!

 

 

Google Advertising: Things to Think About

 

Paid advertising on Google or other platforms like Instagram or Facebook is not for everyone.  Therefore, you will want to take some time to think about:

• What ad channels are already working for your business?

• Will these Google ads support your overall strategy & goals?

• Do you have the time and budget to dedicate to paid advertising?

 

If you’ve immediately decided that your time should be spent elsewhere, maybe focusing on fundraising or business development, then contact someone on our team to get a quote!  We’ve been producing Google Ads for clients since we started Top Rope Media in 2016.  And we have certifications in both Google Analytics and Google Ads.  Therefore, our team is happy to help you get started on the right path.

 

1. Setting Up and Managing Your Google Accounts

 

First, make sure you have an account set up on Google.  There are actually several different Google platforms you’ll want to set up before you begin.  And, typically, you can use one login to access multiple accounts.  Here are the different Google applications you will need to set up BEFORE you start running Google Ads:

 

• Google My Business
• Analytics
• Keyword Planner
• Search Console
• Google Ads (formerly AdWords)

 

Save the Google Ads account setup for last.  Remember to add a payment method, and ensure it’s properly connected to Google Analytics so you can track your ad performance in both platforms.  These steps can take days as Google will need to verify your business, your website, etc.  Be patient and don’t give up.  Once all accounts are set, you will not need to do too much else to maintain them.

 

Nonprofits: Have You Applied for Google Ad Grants?

 

Before you get too far down the road, if you’re a non-profit, have you applied for Google Grants for Non-Profits?  If you have not applied for a Google Ad Grant, you are missing out on $10,000/month in FREE advertising on Google.  You read that right.  $10,000 dollars of in-kind advertising on Google.  Not sure if you or your non-profit qualifies?  Check out Google Grants Eligibility Requirements.

 

 

2. Decide on Your Marketing Strategy Before Launching Your Google Ads

 

Now that you’ve started down the trailhead.  And got your essentials in place.  What’s the next step?  Outline your Google advertising campaign strategy.  What do we mean?  Make sure your Google Ads campaign aligns with content you may be sharing in your email newsletters, on social media, in-store, or at an event.  Does your Ads campaign contain similar messaging?  Images?  Videos?  Keyword phrases?  Links to the same landing page?

Completing this first allows you to easily move through setting up your Google Ads.

 

3. Select the Type of Google Ad: Search, Display, Shopping, Performance Max or Remarketing Ads

 

Google Search, Display, Performance Max, and Remarketing ads provide some of the best ways to target and reach your potential customers online.  What’s the difference between each?  Here’s a quick breakdown.

 

a. Google Search Ad

A Google search ad is simply text, arranged with a headline, a description, callout extensions, a phone number, etc.  In addition, you can create several different ads within an ad group.

 

b. Google Responsive Search Ad

A Google Responsive Search Ad allows you to add more headlines and different versions of your description.  Once the ad is running, Google learns which combinations of your headlines and descriptions are most relevant to your viewers and are performing best.  Google adapts your content to more specifically match what a potential customer is searching for.  A responsive search ad can certainly improve your campaign’s performance when set up correctly.

 

c. Google Display Ad

Display ads allow you to use both text and images and will display your ad across the Google Network, including millions of webpages, and key platforms like Gmail and YouTube.

 

d. Google Shopping Ad

To generate better-qualified leads for your products, a Google Shopping Ad can show your product at the top of their search!  The Google Shopping ad displays an image, the price, and so by the time a potential customer clicks on it, he or she is much further down the purchasing funnel than your average web search user.

 

e. Google Remarketing or Retargeting Ad

Remarketing ads (also called retargeting) are one of the best-paid ways to convert visitors who have already been to your website.  By targeting your most engaged, and low-hanging fruit, you save money and convert prospects to customers at a more rapid rate! 

 

f. Google Performance Max Ad

Google Performance Max ads allow you to access new inventory, formats, and audiences across all Google channels including YouTube, Search, and Discover.  Therefore with a Performance Max ad, you can get your products or services in front of hundreds of millions of potential customers with a single campaign!

• 8 Easy Steps to Kickstart Your Facebook and Instagram Advertising
• Website Design and SEO
• How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads
• 15 Easy Ways to Create Higher Conversions Using Facebook Ads

 

Thanks for reading!

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media