As the co-owner of an Internet marketing services firm, you might think my answer would be “yes, you can and should outsource your marketing”. But I couldn’t disagree more: no entrepreneur should “outsource” their marketing. At least not the understanding or thinking behind it.

My definition of marketing is generating, converting, satisfying and re-selling customers. Which is really what any business, by definition, should do. On that basis, outsourcing your marketing would be like outsourcing your business.

Perfectly fine to do, but it would make you an investor, not an entrepreneur.

That does NOT mean you can’t or shouldn’t outsource a range of marketing activities to people or companies that specialize in those activities. But the thinking behind those activities should come from YOU.

YOU should ideally know the most about your target market, what they want, the best way to deliver it to them, and the marketing strategies and tactics to optimally generate, convert, satisfy and re-sell them. By all means engage coaches, consultants and other service providers to help you gain clarity over these issues.

But remember - advisers are there to advise, not to MAKE the decision. The decision making rests with you. And for very good reason… since the buck rests with you too!

Of course, I’m preaching to the converted: you wouldn’t be reading this newsletter unless you took an active interest in marketing. But let this serve as further reassurance that the time you spend learning about marketing is time very well spent.