FAQs about Virtual Marketing

Below is a list of our frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not on this page please contact us

Do you require a length of contract?

We do not require a length of contract from our clients like other consultants might. Our philosophy is that if we living up to our end of the bargain, you will want to continue using us. Typically we work with clients to establish what needs to be done in 30 or 60 day increments.

Will I manage the marketing initiatives?

More often than not, we removed that burden from our clients so they can focus on the part of their business only they can do.

Are we buying hours from you like a typical consultant?

The easy answer to this question is no. You are buying results. When we meet with you for the first time, we go over this in detail to show you how we make sure we are taking care of your marketing needs.

How much does your services cost?

Not trying to dodge a good question, but it truly depends on how much marketing you need and how aggressive you want to be in accomplishing it. If you are currently looking to hire a full-time marketing director for your company, your needs lend themselves to a hirer level expert in the field vs. say if you are hiring a marketing assistant. Our pricing structure is built the same way. More complex and higher level needs are priced higher. When you contact us for an introductory meeting, we will go over all of this with you.

How are you less expensive than a full-time employee?

If you are hiring a marketing manager, depending on where you are in the country, you could spend anywhere from $55 – $70 on just salary for that position. That does not include benefits, training, operating expenses and more. Adding those to balloon your expenses to over $100,000 per year. In addition, if you are looking to have marketing initiatives completed such as ads designed, your website redesigned or launch an email marketing campaign, that marketing manager probably will not have the skills to create all of those items. $8,000 per month for a marketing manager and they can’t create the pieces for you?

That’s where we are different. Not only would our costs be less than what you are paying the marketing director, we handle all the strategy, management and execution of your marketing initiatives for that price. MUCH more cost effective – wouldn’t you agree?

What is an outsourced marketing department?

An outsourced marketing department is an organized group with cross disciplinary talents built to function on an as needed basis. With Three Hats Marketing, the department (and your marketing needs) are directed and managed by a client manager. They act as a single point of contact for the client.

Do you provide individual marketing services?

We very rarely work with a business who just needs one marketing service. Typically our clients need solutions to a bigger business problem and that is best served by multiple marketing tactics. If a single service is what your company needs, we do have businesses that we can refer you to.

Will you work with existing marketing employee?

Absolutely. Quite frequently our customers have other marketing resources that can be leveraged to keep costs down. Often times though, our marketing department resources will be more cost effective than staff you have internally, but each situation is different and if the client prefers to use a current in-house resource to execute certain tasks, we can accommodate.

Can you help with sales as well as marketing?

In many ways, marketing and sales go hand and hand. And as a result, there are two ways we can typically help your sales efforts. One is if we do our marketing for you properly, the results will make your sales efforts more successful. Marketing to ideal clients will bring more qualified prospects to your sales team. Secondly, many times we have assisted clients with sales materials that help their staff move prospects through the buying process quicker and more effective.

Where are you located?

We are located in Indianapolis, Indiana. For most of our clients, our location is irrelevant as we can facilitate all of their marketing without having to ever be on-site. Meetings can be facilitated through conference calls or better yet, video conference calls over the internet.

Do you marketing through social media tools?

Yes we do offer clients help, but often times, social media tactics are not appropriate for your business. Three Hats Marketing will help you assess your business, then determine if social media marketing is right for you, and if so, put together and execute a plan.

What areas of the county do you work in?

We work with clients all over the country. Our process allows us to direct, manage, and execute your marketing strategies from our location in Indianapolis.

Do I still manage my marketing budget and expenses?

If this is something you are currently doing and would feel more comfortable doing so, then we would encourage you to continue. Many of our clients have grown comfortable with our ability to manage their budget and expenses for them. We know what they have to spend to grow their business and we work within that budget to optimize their marketing for them. It removes another burden for them so they can focus on other aspects of their business.

I don’t have a current marketing budget. Can you help me determine what is appropriate?

Absolutely. Our client managers have developed budgets for many types of businesses at Three Hats Marketing. We would work with you to determine what your goals are, what your timeline for those goals are, and offer our expert opinion at budget ranges to consider.

How often do we meet?

With most of our clients we communicate by email or phone weekly. Some we even communicate with daily. In addition, we have regular status review meetings either by phone or in person. We feel each situation is different and we establish the frequency of communication required at the beginning of each month.

How often do we pay you?

We invoice our clients at the beginning of each month to cover the next 30 days. At this time we establish our plan of what we need to accomplish for you, so you understand specifically what you are getting for your money.

What is the difference between you and an advertising agency?

Typically an advertising or marketing agency acts only as the creative part of the team. If they are prepared to execute any of the ideas, they typically outsource it to a partner company. In addition, the rates they charge are much higher in relation to what we charge because we don’t separate out the cost for strategy and creative from the cost of the execution.

Is there any part of my marketing you WON’T manage?

There are two facets of marketing we do not do at Three Hats Marketing – media buying and high end video production. If you are curious as to why, ask us.

Will you work in my office?

We would be glad to schedule office hours if that is your preference.

Do you do marketing plans?

Yes, marketing plans are one of our specialties.

Do you have references?

Yes, we would be happy to provide you a list of references at your request.

What industries do you work in?

There is not a limit to the industries we work in. Our marketing process allows us to learn what we need to learn about the industry to quickly be effective. At the end of the day we are looking to market to either a business or an individual, regardless of the industry. We are very effective at both.

What size businesses do you typically work with?

We have worked with everything from startups to $35 million companies.