Why Your DIY Marketing Collateral might be Losing You Customers

If you’re an SMB, then DIY marketing collateral seems like a cost-effective solution. Canva and other free design software systems promise fast and easy results, but they’re often not very impressive. In my experience, nothing can eat up your resources faster than DIY marketing collateral, especially in the world of winning and retaining clients.

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Why You Should Just Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Inconsistent Branding

Branding is not just about a logo; it is about an association that creates a visually coherent identity that your clients immediately relate to. DIY options result in mismatched fonts, colours, and layouts that confuse your audience and portray unprofessionalism for your business.

Less-than-great Quality

Too often, people confuse professional design with “pretty” design. It’s all about creating materials that convey your message well. Most DIY attempts fall short, leaving you with cluttered layouts, unclear calls-to-action, and a lack of visual hierarchy that puts off potential clients.

Loss of Trust

Your marketing collateral is a direct extension of your business. If they look amateurish, your audience could expect the same for your services. Trust is difficult to establish but simple to lose, and poor collateral can leave a lasting negative impression.

Missed Opportunities

DIY tools have their limitations. You may not reach the high-end formats or designs needed for competitive landscapes. Such drawbacks can result in lost opportunities to impress important customers or secure bigger deals.

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Lessons Across Domains: The Price of Shortcuts

I’ve witnessed this firsthand: A business that handles its own marketing collateral and thinks it saves them money ultimately suffers as their marketing efforts fail to get leads to convert. For example, a local boutique I worked with was struggling to generate foot traffic even after handing out flyers.

The issue? The flyers were badly laid out with jumbled type and an ambiguous offer. After investing in professionally designed materials, foot traffic jumped 40% in a month.

When to Consider Hiring a Design Professional

There are signs that it’s time to put aside DIY marketing collateral:

• You’re Scaling Up: As your business expands, so do customer demands. Professional attire helps ensure you’re meeting those expectations.
  

• You’re Entering a Competitive Market: You’ll need to create collateral that showcases your expertise and professionalism to help you stand out from the crowd.
  

• You’re Targeting Premium Clients: High-profile clients are high value, but expensive customers expect high-end materials. Presentation investment shows you mean business.
  

• Your Materials Aren’t Working: If your collateral is not delivering results, it’s time to upgrade.

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Return on Investment (ROI) on Professional Marketing Collateral

Spending money on design professionals may seem like quite an investment, but the ROI is undeniable. High-quality materials:

• Increase Conversions: Clean, attractive collateral inspires action among your audience.
  

• Improve Brand Image: A professional, consistent brand is a memorable brand.
  

• Allow You to Focus on What You Do Best: If you hire a professional to handle design, you can spend your time focusing on what you do best.
  

• Establish Credibility: Clients are more likely to engage with a professional-looking business.

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Final Thoughts

It might seem that DIY marketing collateral is the go-to route because it’s easier and cheaper; however, it could actually be costing you clients and opportunities. Quality-designed materials are not just an investment in your brand but an investment in the future of your business!

If you’re ready to take your marketing materials to the next level and stop leaving money on the table, let’s have a chat. I have years of experience helping businesses develop impactful collateral that converts leads into clients and clients into raving fans.