In a Google search performed on September 17th, 2016 with the question, “How much does internet marketing cost?” with results restricted to the past year, these were the top 5 relevant results below paid ads:
- You should be spending between 7% and 12% of total revenue.
- B2Bs (business-to-business) tend to spend 5-6% of revenue; B2Cs (business-to-consumer) tend to spend 10-12%.
- Start by spending 4 times the cost of each item you’re selling (assuming fixed or average cost per item or service).
- A spend of $4,500-$15,000 per month for a mix of digital marketing activities is typical.
- It can cost $500-$10,000 per month for an agency to handle your social media marketing.
You get the idea. The top Google results are those sites Google’s algorithm finds to be the most credible and useful to answer the query. This means the general consensus is that to get real results in digital marketing you have a make a significant investment.
$20 PER MONTH?
Why, then, are there companies currently charging $20/month for internet marketing?
We don’t want to name any names – ahem – but it’s clear that these companies are comfortable offering limited service that no informed consumer should expect to be effective.
In other words, for $20/month you can either make a donation to your favorite charity, or to your favorite internet marketing company.
HELP THOSE NEEDY CORPORATIONS
Either way you can expect your money will go to benefit others in need.
If you give to a charity, your money will go perhaps to feeding the hungry or housing the homeless.
If you buy a cheap internet marketing package, your money will go to employing reps to service needy corporations who can now receive a discount on their large-scale, effective marketing operations.
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS …
We’re being pretty sarcastic here. (Okay, VERY sarcastic!) You get the point. Ask any experienced, professional digital marketing consultant whether you can expect to get results spending $20 per month on internet marketing, and the answer will be a resounding “No.”
If you have purchased something like this, don’t feel bad! The good news is that you’re not out much money. It is time to make a change, though. If you absolutely love your rep, talk to him or her about investing more to get more value out of your digital marketing plan.
BETTER YET … TIME FOR A CHANGE
If you’re like most customers of big digital marketing companies, it won’t be hard to part ways. Reach out to a true consultant you can trust to give you good advice. Of course we would love to be your go-to source, but that’s not what this post is about.
We just want you to stop wasting money. To get the help you really need.
And to find a better organization to donate to.