"What does it cost?" What a loaded question.
I'm often asked, what is the cost of hiring a writer or editor? I just finished reading a thread in a Facebook group. The topic was marketing, and the responses were posted by people who have their own businesses. They're not marketers or writers. Someone in the thread wanted to know: Should I hire a social media marketer and writer? (At the core, this is a "what is the cost?" question. People want to know, is this worth spending money on?)
The answers from those in the group made me cringe. The basic consensus was that any monkey could do their own marketing writing. Ouch. And if you wanted to hire someone, you could do it for a song. Double ouch. Above all, it was clear that no one wanted to pay more than what I'd pay a babysitter. The final Ouch. Not that babysitting isn't important...but, really?
Every skill, every craft, and every business has its experts. Experts give results, often in a shorter time, because they know what they're doing. Often through pain, they've earned their stripes and pass on their hard-earned knowledge to you. They know what they know -- and wield that knowledge mightily. Some of us spend years, thousands of dollars in learning and degrees, and hours upon hours honing our craft...to become someone who can serve you well. Such expertise building is the same for all fields. So when it comes to writing, why do we say, oh, anyone can do that? Writing and social media marketing isn't any different, from any other expert field.
I wonder how the "any monkey can do it" belief system looks, applied to other fields.
"I can get anyone to teach (or watch) my kids. I don't need someone trained in child development and education."
"I can get the man down the road to look at my sick dog. I don't need a vet."
"I can get anyone to fill my prescriptions. I don't need a pharmacist."
"I can get the woman down the road to manage my business. I don't need a trained manager."
"I can fill my own tooth. I don't need a dentist."
"I can hire that guy down the road for surgery. I don't need a specialist."
That's not logic. That's not even basic thinking. The phrase, you get what you pay for, certainly applies. I heard a radio show the other day, while driving in the car. It was two guys talking about home repair, much like brothers Click and Clack, the Car Talk guys talk about fixing cars. The two home repair guys were moaning and groaning about the terrible results of a home owner trying to do-it-yourself and save money. Certain things need the expert, they said. In the long run, they said, the home owners end up paying much more in an escalated or new problem caused by the non-expert trying to fix the first issue. Some things just need an expert.
Think about your own business. Whatever you do, isn't there a level of expertise that you own, that you're proud of? I hope so.
What is the cost of not using the expert or giving yourself the edge? Whatever you need, whether it's in home repair or writing, there's a cost up front and a cost, long term. It all depends whether or not you have a short term or long term view.
And to the would-be social media marketers and writers on the Facebook page, I ask you this: If you don't hire that writer to fix the website, craft the words in that email, and help to communicate the brand and passion -- beyond the product -- then what is the ultimate cost to your business?
How many people will click away from the page?
How many people will toss the email into the bin as one more irritating junk piece that lowers their view of you?
How many people won't buy, join, or get excited about your ideas and product?
How many people won't even look at you -- because of the words?
It's about more than just saving money, isn't it? Cost is measured in so many different facets. And writers -- good ones -- make the difference.
Writing for you and me both,
Erin
P.S. This is a shameless post in defense of writers. We're worth it.
I'm often asked, what is the cost of hiring a writer or editor? I just finished reading a thread in a Facebook group. The topic was marketing, and the responses were posted by people who have their own businesses. They're not marketers or writers. Someone in the thread wanted to know: Should I hire a social media marketer and writer? (At the core, this is a "what is the cost?" question. People want to know, is this worth spending money on?)
The answers from those in the group made me cringe. The basic consensus was that any monkey could do their own marketing writing. Ouch. And if you wanted to hire someone, you could do it for a song. Double ouch. Above all, it was clear that no one wanted to pay more than what I'd pay a babysitter. The final Ouch. Not that babysitting isn't important...but, really?
Every skill, every craft, and every business has its experts. Experts give results, often in a shorter time, because they know what they're doing. Often through pain, they've earned their stripes and pass on their hard-earned knowledge to you. They know what they know -- and wield that knowledge mightily. Some of us spend years, thousands of dollars in learning and degrees, and hours upon hours honing our craft...to become someone who can serve you well. Such expertise building is the same for all fields. So when it comes to writing, why do we say, oh, anyone can do that? Writing and social media marketing isn't any different, from any other expert field.
I wonder how the "any monkey can do it" belief system looks, applied to other fields.
"I can get anyone to teach (or watch) my kids. I don't need someone trained in child development and education."
"I can get the man down the road to look at my sick dog. I don't need a vet."
"I can get anyone to fill my prescriptions. I don't need a pharmacist."
"I can get the woman down the road to manage my business. I don't need a trained manager."
"I can fill my own tooth. I don't need a dentist."
"I can hire that guy down the road for surgery. I don't need a specialist."
That's not logic. That's not even basic thinking. The phrase, you get what you pay for, certainly applies. I heard a radio show the other day, while driving in the car. It was two guys talking about home repair, much like brothers Click and Clack, the Car Talk guys talk about fixing cars. The two home repair guys were moaning and groaning about the terrible results of a home owner trying to do-it-yourself and save money. Certain things need the expert, they said. In the long run, they said, the home owners end up paying much more in an escalated or new problem caused by the non-expert trying to fix the first issue. Some things just need an expert.
Think about your own business. Whatever you do, isn't there a level of expertise that you own, that you're proud of? I hope so.
What is the cost of not using the expert or giving yourself the edge? Whatever you need, whether it's in home repair or writing, there's a cost up front and a cost, long term. It all depends whether or not you have a short term or long term view.
And to the would-be social media marketers and writers on the Facebook page, I ask you this: If you don't hire that writer to fix the website, craft the words in that email, and help to communicate the brand and passion -- beyond the product -- then what is the ultimate cost to your business?
How many people will click away from the page?
How many people will toss the email into the bin as one more irritating junk piece that lowers their view of you?
How many people won't buy, join, or get excited about your ideas and product?
How many people won't even look at you -- because of the words?
It's about more than just saving money, isn't it? Cost is measured in so many different facets. And writers -- good ones -- make the difference.
Writing for you and me both,
Erin
P.S. This is a shameless post in defense of writers. We're worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment