How hands-off are most “turnkey” solutions? Here’s what they don’t tell you.

If you’re like me, you see a lot of offers promoting marketing solutions. And I’m just an employee. If you’re running your business, I’ll bet you see even more. Many of them sound great, and some actually are. But they are often more work than you expect.

People like to make it sound like all you have to do is sit back and reap the rewards of their service. But the truth is that even turnkey marketing requires a commitment. What you put into it is what you’ll get out of it.

Here are some examples.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Several factors go into optimizing a web site for search engine traffic, and some of them can be pretty technical. Because of this, most businesses who can’t afford an internal team outsource their SEO to an agency or consultant. But that doesn’t mean it’s a completely hands-off approach.

You still need to provide input on the search terms for which you want to rank for, the phrasing your target audience is likely to use, the goals for your individual pages, and so on.

If creating and promoting content (such as a blog or guest articles) is part of the SEO plan, you’ll want to provide direction, or at least, review the work. You have a better understanding of your brand, your clients, and their needs than anyone you are likely to hire.

Social media

This is another area that often requires personal attention to ensure authenticity. While an agency or consultant can help you devise a strategy and create and schedule posts, you need to respond to comments, make sure the wording is consistent with your brand voice, and turn interactions into meaningful results.

Remember, social media is just one part of your overall marketing plan. It’s up to you to make sure that it aligns with the rest of your marketing and sales activities.

Personally branded magazines

While we take a lot of the work and expense out of creating a customized publication, it’s not a magic bullet. We develop the content, print it with your custom images and text, and mail it to your clients. It’s a great tool for relationship marketing, but nobody can build relationships for you.

The people who have the most success with our magazines use them as a reason for following up with their clients and other people in their spheres of influence. They use the articles as ice breakers or simply call the people on their mailing lists to say that the latest issue is on its way. This gives them a great (and consistent) opportunity to start conversations and ask for referrals.

When choosing products and services for marketing, the key is to balance cost, both in terms of dollars and of time, and set realistic expectations for yourself. Remember, the individual pieces of the marketing puzzle should fit together as a whole. To make that happen, one person should oversee and manage the entire processes.

If you are a relationship marketer, then you are most likely to be that person. Sales and marketing go hand in hand, so you can’t just say that you’re not a marketer.