In today’s highly competitive business landscape, the key to marketing success is the elimination of wasteful spending and effective targeting. Unfortunately, wasteful spending is a persistent problem in the industry. “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” —John Wanamaker, a “pioneer of marketing” People often say that marketing is expensive—but the issue is not the marketing itself, it’s what you do with the funds. Its actions such as hiring the wrong online marketing services, cutting corners, and failing to have a proven strategy that leads to wasted dollars. According to figures released by Rakuten, small businesses waste as much as 26% of their marketing budgets on the wrong channels and strategies. The silver lining is that you don’t have to fall victim to wasted ad spend. When conducted properly, marketing is a cost-effective way to drive your business forward. And realizing a good return on marketing investment starts with partnering with the right people.