My thoughts and opinions are forming this review of the recent start up of the Cardone Kern Branding and Marketing Agency. I’ll be able to give you my insights as to whether they’re worth your investment, including some alternative options.
I started this blog in 2011 and fundamentally use it to help business owners and prospective business owners make informed decisions. It’s read by thousands of people weekly, and I simply write without the BS and hype that digital marketers typically bring to the table. There’s more about me here.
Lets jump right in…
Cardone Kern Review
Both Frank Kern and Grant Cardone have been in the wealth creation and marketing space for years. Given that this is a digital marketing agency, somehow it would’ve been better to have it called Kern Cardone, since Frank really is the marketing genius and consultant.
Let’s begin with what Cardone Kern is offering. At the moment, it is simply social media management. And…at a whopping $2,800 per month! That’s over $4,000 Australian dollars. For that, they’ll create campaigns and run them for you with split testing, paired with some pretty high promises.
To start as a client, you really need to be selling in a full time, or even beyond a full time capacity. So, their agency is only valuable for 7% of the people reading this review, especially at the price point. But you have to pay to play with the best, and Cardone Kern are the best in the sales and marketing industry. Period.
Upsides include:
- These guys have a shitload of experience with a combined 50 years in sales
- They’ve got results for thousands of people globally with their systems
- You might, if your business is successful, be able to meet these two in person
- The reputation of these two is very high, paired with solid results spanning decades
- These two give away 80% of their content for FREE, so you can learn most of it already
Downsides include:
- The pricing, as mentioned, is extremely high for social media management
- As they’ve just started their digital agency, it’s hard to gauge real results
- There’s no value add-ons on the menu – it’s just social media management
Alternatives to Cardone Kern
As I wrote in the title, there’s cheaper options. I’m giving you 7 of them. There’s always cheaper options, always someone willing to do it cheaper.
Hiring Grant Cardone and Frank Kearn are expensive, so this title is a draw-card for the 93% that want mediocre results in their social media campaigns. For those – I’ve click-baited that title just for you. The other 7% will be investing in the best.
Truth is – cheapest is never the best. It’s a real case of getting what you pay for. I do almost always pay for the most expensive product or service, as my mindset is completely different than most people. I actually want results, and I know where value for money is.
There’s always cheap people out there, and cheap people don’t do well in business. That is, there is a difference between a boot-strapping start up and a person who will never invest in the best, despite being able to afford it. I’m talking about the later crowd.
Some alternatives for cheap people include:
- Learning how to do social media yourself (Very time consuming)
- Getting screwed by the next no-name digital marketing ‘expert’
- Doing nothing, and hoping that your business continues to grow
- Hiring your cousin who does social media for the local bakery (lol…)
- Outsourcing the social media accounts off to another country
- Reading a book on social media, which is probably outdated already
- Getting the new intern or ‘coffee boy’ to play with your accounts
Harsh, but also fair. I hope you’re not in that list. If you are…then there’s an X button on your browser. You should click that now. Cardone Kern isn’t for you.
Advice from a 2x business owner
I’ve built 2 successful businesses, each delivering me a full time income. I’m still a small fish in a big ocean though, there’s plenty of bigger fish, whales and sharks out there. I’m not afraid to admit that, but my success comes with experience. I’ve paid $40,000+ over the last 10 years to work with some of the best minds out there.
Making a decision based on price alone is one of the most foolish things you could do as a business owner. I look at value for money. Sure – I wouldn’t buy a $700,000 car (in reference to both these gentlemen driving their Rolls…) but I would always be willing to pay up for the best. I’ve learned over time, as I mentioned previously, that you really do get what you pay for.
So consider what experience these guys bring to the table, and given that their digital marketing agency is just starting, so they’re looking for business owners who want RESULTS. Therefore, you can be their next testimonial.
I always look at a Return on Ad Spend of doubling my money. $1 in should always equal $2 out. Invest and come on board as a client with Cardone Kern for a few months, and if you see that same or greater results, then stay on board. It’s very likely you will.
Closing thoughts
Anything worth having, doesn’t come easy. Or cheaply for that matter. There’s always someone who’s able to perform the same service for cheaper, but we’re not talking about a lawn mowing service here. We’re talking about really taking your business to the next level, directly from guys with several decades of sales and marketing experience.
They’ve also hired some of the best marketing guns, and have paid them above and beyond the industry rates. Why? They need the professionals that actually get REAL results. And that’s what’s on offer for you….results.
From here, it’s over to you. What you choose to do is completely up to you.
