Marketing is Hard
Let’s be honest: getting results from your marketing is hard. It’s not guaranteed to work, it’s time-consuming and often expensive to get it right. If you don’t have the right skills, knowledge, and experience, you could spend a lot of money without seeing results.
When it comes to marketing your business, there are usually only 3 options, doing it yourself, hiring employees, or partnering with a freelancer/agency. All 3 options have their own set of pros and cons. Doing it yourself is often the most affordable option, but it is almost always the most time-consuming. Hiring an employee is a riskier option because employees can leave and take their knowledge and skill sets with them, but it frees up your time. Partnering with a freelancer or agency is a good option because they are experts in their field and can get results quickly, but it can be more expensive than doing it yourself, and you may have less communication than you would with an employee. Here are a few things to consider when deciding if an agency is a good fit for your business.
Why Marketing Agencies Are a Good Idea?
Experience + Expertise = Success
Agencies have experience and expertise. An experienced marketing agency has been operating in this industry for years, which means they know the ins and outs of the business. They’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work. They’ve tried different strategies to help brands like yours grow, so they can help you develop a successful strategy.
Networks, Experts, & Resources
Agencies are like the swiss army knife of marketing. When you hire an agency, you’re getting access to a team of experts—a team that would be expensive to hire and manage on your own. Agencies have a group of people working together and sharing their knowledge and expertise on your business. Marketing agencies are often part of an extensive and exclusive web of marketers, agencies, influencers, freelancers, and other businesses specializing in helping brands grow that you would otherwise not have access to.
Latest Trends in Digital Marketing
The marketing industry is constantly changing. New techniques, technologies, and trends are being developed every day. The only way to stay competitive in this ever-changing world is to keep up with the latest trends and techniques. That’s why agencies are constantly educating themselves on the newest developments in digital marketing so they can bring you the best of what’s new in this industry. With teams of experts working hard to constantly learn new things, agencies can offer you the latest and greatest strategies available today without you having to lift a finger.
Budgeting & Business Needs
Agencies often have many packages to suit your individual needs and budget. They can also offer various services, including social media management, content creation, editing, digital marketing strategy development and implementation, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns on Google or other platforms like Bing Ads, local directory submissions and much more. Some agencies will offer smaller packages at lower costs tailored to your specific business needs. A good agency will work with you to create a package that will get you the best results for your budget without overspending.
Agencies Have Proven Results
As soon as you see the results of an agency’s work, it will be pretty clear whether or not they are right for you. Marketing agencies can be easy to find online and in print. If they’ve had a lot of success with their clients, you know that their process works and their strategy is sound.
Using an agency, you can avoid hiring and training employees who aren’t yet experts in their field or gambling on the performance of an “expert” hire. Agencies like ours have a proven track record with many clients over the years, proving their effectiveness.
Why Marketing Agencies May Not Be For Everyone
Most agencies start with long-term contracts and set minimum spend requirements. This means that if you are on a tight budget, it is unlikely that an agency will be able to help you. Another thing to keep in mind is whether you can afford an agency’s services without draining all your cash reserves.
If you’re not sure if an agency is right for your business, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do I really want someone else to control my marketing?
- Do I want to be tied into long-term contracts or minimum spending requirements?
- Can I afford the services of an agency without draining all my cash reserves?
Finding an Agency That Fits Your Company Culture is Not Easy
Finding an agency that understands your business and is a good fit for you is crucial. The team at the agency should be able to create a strategy that is tailored to your company, and they should be able to deliver results. You want to ensure that the agency has experience working with businesses like yours, or at least similar ones in your industry. You also want them to be able to help you achieve your goals, so make sure they’ve done this before or have a process and strategy that you believe in.
Long-term Contracts and Minimum Spend Requirements
Agencies often have minimum spending requirements, which means you’re required to spend a certain amount on their services each month or year. This can be anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per month, depending on the agency’s size and experience. Some agencies offer monthly retainers instead of minimum spending so that you pay a set amount every month regardless of how much work is being done for your company. Some agencies also charge by the project instead of having both an hourly rate and a flat fee for projects (which is great for small businesses).
Final Thoughts
A good marketing agency can be an invaluable resource for your business. They’ll help you identify the right strategies, build your brand, and scale your market share with minimal effort on your part. But they can also be a large investment, and it’s important to understand what you’re getting for your money. The next step is to decide whether or not you want to hire a marketing agency. If you do, then be sure to do your research and find one that is reputable, has the experience, and understands your business’s culture.
If you’re still uncertain of whether or not you would find value in working with a digital marketing agency vs. hiring a team or handling these tasks on your own, we’d love to set up a call to talk through our own process to help you gain a better understanding of how we operate along with others in our industry. We love helping clients, but we also love helping to keep people informed about our rapidly growing and changing industry. Contact us today!
