Marketing & Everything Else: You Get What You Pay For by Toli Cefail

So often prospective clients come to me and expect me to perform online marketing services for them for free. If they don't want it for free, they want it for some rediculously low price like $99 or something.

I don't understand it. I'm still trying to guess what the thought process is.

I mean you wouldn't expect another professional such as an attorney, doctor or accountant to deliver services to you for free right? You wouldn't expect to put ads in a newspaper for free right? Investment bankers, ad agencies (when the buy rate is low) all get retainers right? So why not an internet marketing professional?

I have a few theories:

1. There is a glut of apparently "cheap" internet marketing information and tools on the web. So people expect professional internet marketers to fall in to that same category.

You've seen them. The web pages that go on for days talking about the "MIRACLES OF THEIR SYSTEM" and how you can "Get RICH Instantly" for "NO MONEY" and "NO WORK" are everywhere. YAY!!

These programs, tapes and e-books, etc. usually sell for under $300.

Well, if you have the time to invest in learning from them and implementing their suggestions, great. Go for it. But if you want professional help ...

2. The internet being apparently entirely technology driven has the feel of software. So people treat it like a piece of software and think it's effortless.

Yes. It's effortless like a gymnasts routine. If you've been doing it for 20 years you can make it look easy. But if you want that expertise on your side...

3. Some small business people who are not used to working with real professionals don't understand the etiquette of working with professional marketers and consultants and other types of experts in various fields. So, like children, they have to learn the hard way that if you want real professional results, you have to behave like a company that gets those kind of results (and budget accordingly).
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Well those are my theories on why some companies don't want to pay properly for professional marketing services.

This is not to say that no companies realize the value of professional marketing done right. My clients do and they are plenty. But it's fascinating to me how many small businesses there are that DON'T recognize the value. Perhaps this is why they stay small.

In any case, if you are trying to market a product on the internet or otherwise, do not underestimate the value of professional internet marketing consulting and services. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is still true today.