What to look out for when investing in marketing training: A guide for small niche businesses

When you’re looking to improve your marketing to help grow your business, you have several options as a business owner. You can… 

• Outsource your marketing to an agency or external marketing team 
• Hire a marketing manager or internal marketing team 
• You or a team member can do some marketing training 

For a lot of small businesses though, the reality is that bringing on an agency is just too expensive and hiring a new employee just isn’t viable because you only need them 1 day a week to begin with. When that's the case, the responsibility falls on upskilling in-house. 

So, when you’re ready to grow your business with some marketing training, what are the important things to look out for so it doesn’t feel like a waste of time and money? 

Top tips for investing in marketing training 

Investing in marketing training can significantly boost your business's growth and visibility. Here are our tips to help you feel confident in your decision and make the most of your investment:

1. Know what you want to achieve with your marketing before you start talking to different training providers. Are you looking to improve your skills in a certain area of your marketing; like social media or SEO? Are you looking to create a strategy in preparation for that first marketing hire? By knowing what outcome you’re looking for, you have the best chance of achieving a return on your investment. 
2. Talk to more than one training provider. Just like you wouldn't buy the first house that you view, doing your research and talking to a couple of different marketing training providers is the best way to make sure you’re confident in your choice. 
3. Be realistic about how much time you can commit to your training (and your marketing after you’ve completed the training!). There’s nothing more frustrating than signing up for something and then never getting around to it. Or worse, learning loads on a course, having tonnes of ideas and not getting a chance to put your ideas into action. 
4. Pay attention to the training format and make sure it suits your way of learning. Will you keep yourself accountable for self-guided training? Would you benefit from in-person workshops? Do you prefer learning in a group setting or one-to-one? 
5. Check the training is relevant and applicable to your business. This might seem a bit obvious, but a lot of marketing training programmes are geared towards bigger businesses with a big team and a generous marketing budget. Now this doesn't mean that you won’t pick up lots of useful skills, but you might be left wondering how to apply all the new skills you’ve learned to your business given your size. Don't be afraid to ask who the course and syllabus have been designed for if it's not clear in their marketing.
6. Pick a budget and stick to it. It’s so easy to get swept up in all the excitement of a new experience, but make sure you find some time to take a step back for a quick reality check. Is the cost of the course realistic? And are you going to get a return on your investment? 
7. Ask about support after the course is complete. While the course itself provides valuable knowledge and skills, ongoing support can significantly enhance your ability to apply what you have learned effectively. When choosing training, ask about the type of support available, how they can help keep you accountable, and what additional resources are available. This will help maximise your investment and achieve long-term success.

When investing in marketing training, it's important to explore all your options so you can be confident in your decision. If you have any questions about your marketing needs, get in touch with our team today at ros@rosconkie.com.