Understanding your investment
By Nikki Dunbar, founder, Nix Collective.
Businesses are constantly balancing the need to attract customers with the challenge of justifying their expenses.
Naturally, marketing is usually one of the first things that comes under scrutiny. The return on investment (ROI) in marketing can sometimes seem intangible, especially when businesses rely on external agencies to execute strategies.
However, just like in the world of fabricators, installers or component suppliers, there’s much more to it than meets the eye…
A window into marketing
Think of a homeowner’s reaction when they question why a window costs so much. “It’s just a frame and glass,” they might say. Yet in the industry, we know that a window’s price reflects far more than its visible components.
It includes design, development, manufacturing, quality control, installation, accreditations and the skilled people involved in each stage. Marketing is no different. At first glance, many aspects may seem straightforward – whether it’s sending an email campaign, writing a blog, or creating a brochure.
But behind these seemingly simple activities lies a web of strategic planning, creative execution, expertise of multiple people and meticulous analysis that ensures they deliver real impact.
So here’s an insight into what your marketing investment really means…
(SEO): beyond keywords
SEO might seem like little more than inserting keywords into a webpage and watching the rankings rise. In reality, it’s a multifaceted process involving deep keyword research, optimising site performance, creating strategic content and constantly adapting to ever-evolving algorithms. Success in SEO demands a blend of technical expertise and creative problem-solving to enhance a website’s visibility and drive traffic.
Content creation
Writing blogs or creating social media posts may appear simple, but effective content creation requires a profound understanding of the target audience, alignment with the brand’s voice and a robust consistent content calendar to maintain visibility and engagement. Whether it’s a thought-provoking blog or a scroll-stopping Instagram post, each piece must connect with the audience and contribute to the broader brand strategy.
PR and articles
PR and articles might be dismissed as just writing and issuing a news story, but the real work lies in creating an engaging story, building relationships with editors and publications and occasionally managing crises. Plus, in the realm of opinion articles, a feature, or an interview, each piece must capture the client’s or brand’s unique voice to place them in a position of expertise.
Email marketing
Sending an email may seem like the easiest way to reach customers, but effective email marketing is a science. It involves segmenting audiences, creating personalised and persuasive messages, designing visually appealing templates, running A/B tests, and analysing performance metrics to refine campaigns. Each email must not only deliver value but also strengthen relationships and drive prospects to take action.
Graphic design
While often perceived as merely creating something visually appealing, graphic design is underpinned by a thorough understanding of brand identity, creative thinking, iterative design, copywriting and proofreading processes. Every design choice, from colour to layout to image selection, must support the intended message and resonate with the audience.
Video
Video goes far beyond simply recording footage. It involves creating a story through storyboarding, scripting, filming, editing, colour correction, sound and adding effects or animations to get to the final product. Whether it’s a product demo, a corporate explainer, or a behind-the-scenes glimpse, videos are intended to resonate emotionally while driving action.
Measurable ROI
And beyond all of this lies the backbone of marketing: data-driven insights. Advanced analytics allows us to fine-tune strategies, measure performance, and continuously improve campaigns. This process ensures that businesses not only attract attention but also achieve tangible results – and therefore understand their investment and can attach an ROI to it.
In-House vs agency
It’s important for marketers to educate their clients about the complexities and value of their work. Transparency is key. By demystifying the processes and highlighting the expertise involved, marketers can shift the conversation from cost to value.
When marketing is handled in-house, tracking the ROI and managing accountability can feel more straightforward. But when it comes to choosing an external agency, it offers access to a depth of expertise that’s hard to replicate internally – however, it can also feel like taking a leap of faith.
The key is choosing an agency that prioritises transparency, results and focuses on clear strategies that align with your goals, and steering clear of the ‘smoke and mirrors’ of flashy statistics, overly complex jargon and presentations designed more to justify fees than to provide clarity.
From SEO to PR, exhibitions to email campaigns, marketing is far from a collection of surface-level tasks. Each activity demands a mix of creativity, technical know-how, and strategic thinking to succeed. By appreciating the complexity behind these efforts and choosing partners who value clarity and results, it helps businesses make more informed choices beyond the superficial cost, and focus on the true worth of the offer and, in turn, confidently understand and justify their investment.