Is DIY marketing and design devaluing your brand?

When times are tight and the budget is feeling the pinch, getting stuck in and DIY-ing your marketing and design may seem like a cost-efficient solution in the short term. But can have long-lasting effects in the long run. 

Why investing in marketing matters

Investing in your marketing gives your brand a solid foundation to operate from. A professionally developed brand manual informs things like your brand personality and tone of voice, your colour palette, fonts and design and underpins everything you need to know to set your marketing budget.

A strategic plan outlines your vision and goals with a roadmap of how to get there and how much it will cost.

Social media alone isn’t marketing – there are so many channels to choose from, each with plenty of tactics and opportunities to leverage leads and sales – but do you know which one will be suitable for reaching your goals?

Budget branding or DIY Disaster 

Potential clients and customers are savvy and astute – they know what they are looking for. Every single kind of interaction you have with them matters. They won’t want to align themselves with your brand or spend money on your products or services if their experience is inconsistent.

Think about the brands and businesses you interact with, support and prefer to use. What is it about them that you love, that makes your life easy that gives them credibility?

The difference between professional and DIY is immediately recognisable. It sends a clear message. What message do you want to send?

Investment vs Expense

Since the world was catapulted into the remote age during the pandemic of 2020, the surge of do-it-yourself marketing tools has flooded the stratosphere. 

DIY marketing and branding can be successful if you already have a strong understanding of strategy, design and execution. 

But as a business owner, one must ask, will you realistically have the time? 

So if you do choose to go the DIY route, have a clear understanding of the long-term impact of time spent working in your business instead of on your business.

• Will your messaging be precise, polished and consistent?
• Will your look and feel align with the high-level quality of your brand?
• Will your customers and clients continue to feel like they are getting value for their well-earned money?

If you are a premium quality brand with prices to match, your customers need to feel comfortable to part with their money. But they won’t if you give them a budget experience.

Business branding for every budget

DIY marketing and design comes with the risk – not that you are providing a budget experience for a premium brand – but that you are devaluing your brand in the long run.

Investing in marketing and design with a professional team can set you up for success. You’ll have the ability to make data-informed decisions with strategic guidance and creative direction through even the toughest business season.

Speak to your creative team about professionally designed branded templates that can be reused for everything your business needs. Such as:

• Social media templates
• Email newsletters
• Blog templates
• Basic adverts
• And more.

DIY Marketing Tips

• Set up marketing campaigns that you can re-use at set times of the year
• Invest in a suite of branded Canva template designs that you can manage in-house
• Schedule time with your design team to keep your templates fresh and up to date.

You can keep costs down in many ways but still stay on point with your marketing and design. Not sure where to start? Ask us how!