There are countless web tools and applications that help small companies and startups bootstrap their way to success by promising automated DIY marketing and design solutions but they’re not a magic bullet.  Marketing and design are most effective when backed by a very thoughtful (i.e. human) strategy, so before you sign up for the automated-software-dujour, consider this:

Time is money

As an entrepreneur, you’re probably short on that very precious commodity called “time,” so automated tools sound like a perfect solution. However, these tools do require a heavy time investment both initially (in the find it/vet it/learn it stage) and beyond (in the build it and manage it stage), so you’d want to be sure you can devote at least 6 hours a week to creating and overseeing campaigns.

Automated tools don’t consider your brand strategy and they don’t choose marketing content based on honed and focused messaging. They’re simply robots that post the content, period, leaving you to do the grunt work of finding the right content and crafting the right message to accompany it.

Money is money, too

The fact is that no one is giving away a brilliant automated marketing or design tool for free.  There may be a free version, but it is likely a bare-bones condensation of the tool they’ve developed for paying customers – and trust us, those customers pay well. Full-functionality marketing automation software can run into the tens of thousands.  Even if you’re considering a much cheaper option, remember that money spent without a thoughtful plan for how to use each tool is essentially money wasted.

Marketing and design automation tools are more likely a great fit for medium to large businesses that have already developed a structured marketing strategy and have the resources to task a staff member with the oversight of the campaigns.  If you’re considering such a tool, be sure you have the time in your week to plan and execute campaigns that are on-brand and focused.

Part of what we do, once we agree on your marketing and brand strategy is leverage as much automation as possible, freeing you up to focus on your business.  Should something go array, we’ll be there to tweak it and see it to success, so you don’t have to worry.

Is automation even appropriate for your business?  It maybe, even if you don’t think so. (And if we truly feel it isn’t we’d be more than happy to tell you so.)  Like the NY State Lotto says, “Hey, you never know” well, today you can: let’s talk.

**Our blog is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes. (And sometimes venting about topics such as sub-par experiences and/or individuals who wear Vibram Five Fingers to dinner parties. You know–the usual.) To write our articles, we use our experiences, the experiences of others and various other resources including but not limited to the wild wild web, the Encyclopedia Britannica (what? you didn’t buy the extended library collection of 1989?) and/or The Magic 8-ball. (Kidding. But maybe not.) That said, our advice doesn’t come with any guarantees. By visiting this site, you’re essentially signing a contract that says that you understand that we make no guarantees, and you won’t try to sue us or report us to your cousin, who just got his/her law degree and could use the practice. Because that would be awkward and not cool. 🙂