I got into one of those conversations a couple of weeks ago. You know the ones: something is so obvious to you and yet you don’t seem to make your point clearly. No, the conversation wasn’t about politics although it does seem as if most political conversations would fit my description. This one was about buying search ads but it just as easily could have been about Facebook, Twitter, or any number of other easily accessible digital tools.
At one point, the other party mentioned that they could do what I and a couple of others who are assisting them are doing on their behalf far less expensively either by doing it themselves or by hiring a “kid” part-time. Putting aide that in essence a consultant is part-time help, I remembered the old joke about Henry Ford and Tesla identifying a problem area in 5 seconds – it’s $1 for making the mark and $9,999 for knowing where to make it. A good thing to keep in mind and let me explain.
It’s true that anyone can learn to use Twitter or Facebook for marketing. After all, nearly all of us are on one or both of those platforms. But communicating with your friends isn’t the same as using them to business ends. Reading an analytics report and spitting out numbers isn’t the same as using it to provide actionable data to answer business questions. Running ads on a “self-service” ad platform isn’t the same as understanding how to use it efficiently (and why it often takes a little time to make the planets align for high-converting, low-cost ads).
You can buy me exactly the same kitchen equipment as Thomas Keller or Eric Ripert and my food will NOT taste as good as their food. You can let me behind the wheel of Jimmie Johnson‘s car and I won’t be able to drive it as fast. Give me Phil’s golf clubs and I still won’t shoot under par. Sure, I know how to cook, to drive, to play golf. But having the same tools as an expert doesn’t make me one. The tools may be free – the knowledge and expertise on how to use them is what you’re paying for.
Am I making my point?
Consult Keith 