We go back and forth about budgeting much money for small business advertising at Sunriver Metal Works. The few times we have boosted a post on Facebook has had dismal returns. But then maybe we weren’t going for the right audience. Or maybe we didn’t put enough money on it. Or maybe we didn’t use the right post. Or maybe we didn’t construct a good Call-To-Action.
Who’s to know. Oh, that’s right – we could HIRE a social media firm to advise us on the best way to do it. And probably set up the ad campaign for it. The question is whether the money spent would generate the kind of business you want in the long run.
The First Question Is, Do You Want More Business?
We have been fortunate enough to organically grow the custom metal work business we have currently. We started off slowly the first few years. Then Pat self-taught herself better ways of naming media photos, products, and posts. It’s been a two person business from the beginning. Mike focuses on the design and production, and Pat focuses on the website and administrative aspects of the business. Over the nearly four years we’ve been in business, we have developed a steady flow of custom work. It’s easy for people to contact us from the website, and we respond to them quickly. We’re not afraid to try new things. In fact, we LIKE new things. What we have currently is almost more than we can keep up with. So why should we spend money on small business advertising?
The Second Question Is, Can You Maintain Quality If You Get More Business?
Since we are a small business, we can only handle so much business. We don’t want to hire employees and add another level of administrative burden on our small company. That’s just another reason we don’t advertise. We are grateful for the people who find us on the internet. They seem to like what we do. We still enjoy what we do. Getting too big may create more burdens than we want. Employees don’t always have the same viewpoint you do about the product you create.
Lastly, How Long Can You Keep The Spark?
As mentioned before, we still enjoy what we do. Having a business at your home means it’s always there. Sometimes you work more hours than you should. But that means that you can also fit some free time in during the week. We try to take a few days off here and there, but we’re usually basing our destination on connectivity rather than location. We like to respond to contacts within 12 hours or less. Self-imposed restrictions, but restrictions none the less.
So Back To the Original Question – Is Small Business Advertising Worth It?
For us right now – no. If you’re a small business startup, we recommend hiring a company to help you construct a standard campaign. Figuring the ins and outs of advertising is best left for the professionals. Not to mention the frustrations (and waste of money) trying to DIY!