17 Jul DIY Now, Pro Later: Finding Your Marketing Sweet Spot
Here’s the thing most marketing agencies won’t admit: You can do your own marketing, and then call in the pros later to level it up. Really. We love it when folks do that, and if you’re just starting out, you’re likely to hear us say it right to your face.
At Advokate, we’re all about scrappy small businesses, artists, makers, and entrepreneurs with more grit than budget. You’ve got hustle and heart. And nobody knows your business better than you do. That’s why starting with DIY makes so much sense.
If you’re just starting out, DIY marketing is often the smartest move. It saves you money, puts you in the driver’s seat creatively, and helps you get a feel for what your audience clicks with. Think of it like building the house of your brand. You’re pouring the foundation, framing the place and putting walls and roofing up. We’ll be here when the time comes to add the plumbing and electrical, maybe even that second story you dreamed about and to polish it up with the crown molding and help you throw the party where you can show it all off.
Some of our favorite clients came to us after figuring things out on their own. They had homemade logos, Instagram posts built in Canva, websites they patched together late at night after their day job. And we didn’t start over. We built on what they already had.
Nobody knows your business like you do. We’re experts in design and marketing, but you know what your clients want. You know what’s new every day or what goes on behind the scenes. We can help you hold up a mirror to help tell you what’s interesting to outsiders about your business, when you might not know since you’re in the thick of it every day.
But at a certain point, things shift. Maybe your business has grown, but your branding hasn’t kept up. Maybe your website feels dated, or your social media is stalled out. Or maybe you’re just spending too much time making content and not enough time doing the thing you actually started a business to do. That’s where we come in.
We call this the “level up” moment. And it’s one of our favorite stages to jump into.
You might be ready for some pro help if you’re feeling stretched thin, or your visuals and messaging aren’t matching the quality of your product. If you’ve got goals but aren’t sure how to get there, if you just want everything to feel more polished and consistent, or if you just want to get back to doing your thing offline, we can help.
And let’s be clear: We respect the effort you’ve put in. We see the value in your hard work. We take what you’ve built and help you dial it up.
That might mean cleaning up your visuals, sharpening your messaging, optimizing your content so people can actually find you, helping you look at your analytics to see what’s landing, or adding in systems and templates so you’re not reinventing the wheel every week.
Here’s a great example: Lucky Puppy Rescue. This is a hard working team of volunteers with talent. We know puppies are social media gold and they were doing a great job of posting regularly, but there was a disconnect between so many different people stylistically. So we hopped in, created some Canva templates and brand guidelines, streamlined which programs to use including end screens, and now it’s tightened up and everyone is on the same page and the brand can really shine.
So what’s the sweet spot? It’s different for everyone. Some clients hand everything over to us. Others want a bit of support and a few pro touches here and there. Maybe you’re great at writing but hate visuals. Maybe you’re a social media rockstar but you need help with your website. Whatever your jam, we’re here to fill in where you need us and help you toot that horn.
If you’ve been doing your own marketing and you’re ready to kick it up a notch, we’d love to talk. Our first meeting is just $25. We’ll look at what you’ve got, figure out where you want to go, and leave with a to-do list that makes it all feel do‑able.
Because around here, we believe done is better than perfect, and smart plus scrappy is a winning combo.
Let’s collaborate: advokate.net/date
