Like many entrepreneurs, your approach to digital marketing is probably a DIY approach. As a small business owner, you are used to working by yourself or with a small team of freelancers to get things done. The thought of hiring a marketing agency for small business might be intimidating.
The good news is, hiring a digital marketing agency is not only more cost-effective than an army of freelancers, but it also comes with the kind of success guarantee that only an experienced digital marketing agency can offer.
When you hire a digital marketing agency, you are hiring the best and brightest minds in digital marketing. In addition to personnel, a digital marketing agency has the tools, programs, and networks necessary to get you the best possible results.
It can be hard to know exactly who to hire. Is it better to hire a full service marketing agency or one that focuses on a specific area of digital marketing? Should you hire a local agency near you or hire a remote marketing agency with great reviews?
Let’s dive into those questions.
Table of Contents
How to Choose a Marketing Agency For Small Business
Things to Consider Before Hiring a Marketing Agency
Types of Marketing Agencies
SEO Agency
Social Media Marketing Agency
Influencer Marketing Agency
Final Thoughts
How to Choose a Marketing Agency For Small Business
In today’s consumer-first world, there are an assortment of marketing agencies to fit the needs of every type of business. From fortune 100 conglomerates to single person operations, you are bound to find a marketing agency that will fit your specific needs.
As a small business, you may already have an idea of where your customers are and how they find your business online, and may simply want ways to amplify your existing digital footprint. Or you may be like so many who don’t have a clue where to look or how to start. Either way, choosing the best marketing agency for your specific concerns is crucial for your success.
To start with, you will want to consider what your needs are. Do you need to focus on one area of marketing because of budget constraints or because you already know where your target audience lives online? Or are you unsure and want to target multiple online platforms at once. Depending on your needs, you may want to hire either a full-service marketing agency or one that focuses and is highly proficient in one area of marketing.
If you’re unsure, you may benefit from seeking the advice of a trusted mentor or marketing consultant who can help steer you in the right direction. A marketing consultant can help you pinpoint where to start and the best ways to go about it.
NEED SOME HELP FINDING A MARKETING AGENCY?
Ready to hire a marketing agency that will focus on your specific needs, I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
Things to Consider Before Hiring a Marketing Agency
There are a few things you’ll need to consider before hiring a marketing agency for small business. First and foremost, try to have a good understanding of your needs. That could be difficult to do for business owners who don’t understand a ton about marketing their business. As I mentioned before, it will save you time, money and headaches if you were to speak to a mentor or marketing consultant who can help you figure out the exact areas of marketing you need to focus on.
Knowing your areas of focus is the first step and will save you time by narrowing down your search to specific marketing agencies that focus on what you need. Once you know your areas of focus, then you’ll need to find a reputable agency with good reviews, case studies and a good track record. These things should be visible on their website.
Next, you want to consider hiring an agency that has worked with clients like you or in similar industries. Each industry is different and sometimes that means an agency may need to possess unique skills and experience to market properly for your specific industry, depending on which one you’re in.
You may also want to consider the size of the agency. Typically, you can receive more personalized attention when choosing small to mid-sized agencies that aren’t loaded down with a ton of clients. Next, let’s dive into a few popular types of marketing agencies. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
Types of Marketing Agencies
SEO Agency
What can a search engine optimization (SEO) marketing agency do for your small business? SEO is a tried and true marketing effort for all businesses, especially small businesses. With SEO marketing, you can set your budget firmly without worrying about hiccups or added expense.
So, where does an SEO agency come in? What keywords will you need to use to position yourself?
These are the questions your SEO agency will answer for you.
An SEO marketing agency is an expert solution to your search engine marketing needs. Everything from keyword research, backlink building, budget allocation, and traffic analysis can be managed effectively by an SEO agency.
The most valuable thing in the life of an entrepreneur is time. Your time is the one resource you will always struggle to find enough of.
While it is possible to navigate the murky waters of search engine optimization, you save precious time and money when you engage an SEO agency.
Social Media Marketing Agency
Whether you have a brick and mortar presence or operate 100 percent online, you need a social media presence for your brand. While you might have personal accounts on Facebook and Instagram, you will quickly find that your business needs its own social media accounts to compete with the many options available to your segmented customers.
That’s where social media marketing comes in.
You will want to hire a social media marketing agency to manage these platforms and all their particular quirks. If you choose a full-service marketing agency, make sure their internal team can adequately handle each platform you want to focus on and have a track record of success for each of those platforms.
You don’t want mediocre Jack and Jills of all platforms but skilled at none. Each social media platform is different and therefore you want a team who are experts on each. Otherwise, it will be a waste of your time and money and a cause of your frustration and distrust.
It may be wise to choose an agency that has high-level skills on one platform such as a LinkedIn marketing agency. Before making any hiring decisions, you should be sure of which social media platforms will best suit your needs. Don’t make any assumptions because you could be way off the mark when it comes to the social media platforms you need to focus on.
Influencer Marketing Agency
Now, let’s talk about influencers.
One of the most important parts of social media marketing is social proof. Wielding the power of a brand ambassador on social media is a great way to define your brand and impress your market. For that, you may want to consider an influencer marketing agency.
Just like marketing agencies, there are influencers who can represent you across multiple platforms and then there are some who specialize on specific platforms. Your approach should be the same when it comes to finding the best influencers for your brand. If multiple social media platforms will benefit your business, then choose an influencer who can handle those various channels. But if you need hyper-focused attention on specific platforms, it may be in your best interest to find an influencer who has great influence on specific platforms.
Again, if you’re unsure, talking to a mentor or marketing consultant could be of great benefit to you.
Final Thoughts
You might prefer to hire a digital marketing agency near you. While it might feel conventional to get in the car and drive to an in-person meeting, there aren’t many advantages to hiring an agency based on location.
It doesn’t matter much where your marketing agency is based, only that they work hard for you and have a proven track record that shows they can get the job done.
You want an agency that has something in common with your brand and can tell your brand’s unique story in a way that appeals to your ideal customers. It’s not all about geography. In order to represent your business and engage with your customers, you need a marketer who understands your background and matches your values.
Of course if you just so happen to be a passionate, hard-working self-starter based in Miami, FL then yes, you should absolutely be searching for a digital marketing agency near you.
All kidding aside, choose an agency that will be the best fit for your brand.
NEED SOME HELP FINDING A MARKETING AGENCY?
Ready to hire a marketing agency that will focus on your specific needs, I’m here to help. Book a call with me today!
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