Why Digital Marketers Don’t Run Businesses?

Not every digital marketer is a suitable startup or agency founder. Here’s why.

Different Categories Profiling In Various Niches

Digital marketing includes a number of different categories profiling in various niches, such as:

  • SEO
  • Social media marketing
  • Copywriting/content marketing
  • Email marketing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Influencer marketing
  • PPC
  • Conversion rate optimization

Some may include other forms of advertising, PR, web design or other tangible areas covered by certain professions.

Leveraging The Power Of The Company

Working as a marketer for an existing organization results in leveraging the power of the company – their brand and workforce, along with the capital.

That means:

  • You are not starting from scratch.
  • There’s an existing business with a (proven) business model that works.
  • There are different team members who can support the marketing needs.
  • Budget is allocated on marketing activities.
  • There is traction that you can amplify instead of bootstrapping and creating your personal and professional brand from the ground.
  • Senior management or C-Suite has already tried certain strategies and has a rough plan in mind that could be refined and executed.
  • There are existing clients (even if its the company alone) that you don’t need to pitch, negotiate with, close, report to – at least for the most part.

Larger organizations also employ several marketers – or even multiple marketing departments. You can collaborate with colleagues and learn from their experience.

Prepare A Business Plan 

A marketer interested in entrepreneurship or a starting a small business has to prepare a business plan and create a unique offer for the market.

  • If it’s a product, there’s a lot of work (and cash) that goes into the product itself before starting.
  • If you’re selling marketing services, it’s already a commodity – competing with everyone else out there requires a lot of time and hustle, as well as building a portfolio at discounted prices over the first months or over a year.

The new business owner(s) is in charge of creating a company, dealing with accounting, sales, the company’s own marketing (with different verticals maintained on a regular basis), technology, legal activities, negotiations, managing a portfolio of clients…

It’s a long list.

Hire Employees

You’ll likely need to partner up with other marketers profiling in different areas of the business. Or hire employees. This gets even more complicated – going through the entire job application process, vetting candidates, conducting interviews, on-boarding and training new people and ensuring that you can afford to pay their salary.

Sure, some marketers are eager to work for themselves and act as consultants or freelancers. They may start a marketing agency and partner up with former colleagues.

But running a business is completely different than starting in an established organization that hands you a business plan or a portfolio of clients, offers you a steady paycheck and fixed working hours. That’s why most people prefer to get a job and do what they truly enjoy instead of dealing with logistics and administration – and stressing over the monthly expenses.