When you get to a certain point in your business, you’ll be ready to scale and take digital marketing seriously. It’s either hire a digital marketing agency, or a fractional CMO. Working with an agency has many benefits that can help your business expand in a major way. If you’ve been considering hiring a digital marketing agency, rather than bringing someone on in-house, this article will help you learn what to expect, how to get the most out of your relationship with an agency, and how to move forward in choosing the right one.
There are many digital marketing agencies available in the world, and many different ways to work with one. When it comes time to consider working with a digital marketing agency, there are many things to take into account.
In this article, we’ll explore the expectations, questions, and how to get the most out of working with a digital marketing agency.
As your business grows and evolves, your strategies must also evolve. So many entrepreneurs and small business owners think that the company they started with has to remain the same company throughout its existence. And that’s simply not the case. There are many small changes a business makes to adapt to changing times, like a global pandemic, without losing the essence and core of the company. A digital marketing agency is a perfect bridge to get to where you’re going.
It’s also important to remember that working with an agency is a two-way road. This is a mutually beneficial relationship where you’re paying for their expertise, and they’re offering you valuable services. Respect is at the core of the relationship, and an agency is not to be thought of as being available 24/7. Unless, of course, that is agreed upon by both parties and compensation reflects that agreement.
There may be many questions you’re thinking about, and we’ll get to the most common questions in this article.
Working with a Digital Marketing Agency: How to Know When You Need to Hire
When you’re considering working with an agency, it can be hard to know when the right time is.
Is it after you’re too busy that you can’t keep up, but have plenty of funds to allocate to an agency?
Is it before you blow up but don’t have a big budget?
Is there a sweet spot?
How do you know which agency to choose?
What questions are common when talking with a digital marketing agency?
How and when will you see results and ROI?
Working with an agency is an investment and a commitment. Both of which have the potential to help your company grow exponentially, however you have to be in the right place to receive this help.
So, how do you know when it’s time to hire a digital marketing agency? The answer to this question will likely be different for most companies. But here are some milestones and situations that can help you determine that it’s time to hire a digital marketing agency:
- You have tons of potential but no time to do market research, customer research, or truly understand where your sales are coming from
- You have no time to promote, and you’re making sales but you know it could be more if you tried
- You’ve hit a plateau on growth and sales
- You have no idea who your customer is or how to speak to them
- The services/products you offer are incredible and really help people, but promotion just isn’t your strong suit
- You’re growing too fast and you don’t have a handle on your customer base, social media, newsletter, or website copy
These are only some of the situations that would indicate that it’s time to work with an agency. Once you’ve decided that your company is in need of the skills that only a digital marketing agency can provide, it’s time to start thinking about your expectations, goals, and the process of this type of business relationship.
What to Expect When Working with a Digital Marketing Agency
Working with a digital marketing agency is an exciting process that can truly help your business grow. However, it’s also important to have reasonable and respectful expectations when working with a digital marketing agency. Having appropriate expectations in working with a digital marketing agency will help you get the most out of the experience. What you can expect for sure in working with a digital marketing agency is that you will gain access to industry expertise that is unparalleled. Working with a digital marketing agency is an opportunity to see what others in your industry are doing and how they are growing. This insight is invaluable and will be worth the investment into a stellar digital marketing agency.
Let’s look at some of the expectations:
- Outsourcing: Working with a digital marketing agency is outsourcing, but not like the kind that happens for a lower cost overseas. This type of outsourcing simply means that within your company and team, there isn’t someone who is capable of doing the job. Outsourcing digital marketing to an agency is a smart and effective move, but it’s important to remember that the agency is not an employee, but a contractor.
- Project Scope: The scope of a project is a clear and concise vision from start to finish. When you have a clear idea of what you’re looking to achieve, this will help manage expectations. Even if you’re not exactly sure what you need or what the timeline looks like, you can still get an idea of the scope of work to present to a digital marketing agency. This would include a timeline, needs, and budget. You’ll also want to go over the overall goal.
- Contracts: Contracts are always to be expected when working with a digital marketing agency. However, they can look very different depending on the agency. Contracts can either be by time, by project, or by monthly retainer. While a digital marketing agency can’t guarantee results or be held responsible for damages incurred while working together, you’ll still want to select the agency you work with carefully and review the contract thoroughly.
- Other Clients: Of course, a digital marketing agency will have several other clients they are working with. This doesn’t mean that your company is less important, but be aware that the digital marketing agency is not working on your projects 24/7. Many companies hire a digital marketing agency and then assume (or act like) they are the only client. This can irritate a team and make communication and results strained.
How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency
If you do a quick Google search for “digital marketing agency” and become overwhelmed immediately, don’t worry. Yes, there are thousands of digital marketing agencies in the world to work with, but that doesn’t mean they’re all a good fit for your company. There are certain things that will help you narrow down the bulk of the results immediately:
- Niche specialty
- Cost and packages
- Commitment and contracts
- Past clients and results
- Experience and time in the industry
- Dedicated team to your company
- Company culture and values
It’s best to narrow down your search to a few different digital marketing agencies and then get quotes from all of them. Typically, a digital marketing agency will need to do a complete audit of your website in order to begin working with you. An audit will tell you how your SEO is performing, site speed, user experience, functionality, and broken links, etc. This will accompany a pitch where the digital marketing agency will tell you the plan they have based on your needs and project scope, and how they can help you.
The World’s Best Digital Marketing Agency
While there are thousands of digital marketing agencies in the world, there certainly is one that is best suited for your needs. You will find the world’s best digital marketing agency, and it will be a perfect fit for your company and needs.
When you reach a certain point in business, delegation and outsourcing may be the best business decision. It can be scary to bring someone else in to help take care of your baby, but trust and reliable communication are key. You’ll soon find that working with industry experts is a huge advantage and can skyrocket your business faster than trying to figure it out alone.
Stay in your zone of genius and hire a digital marketing agency to handle everything else. At Pico Digital Marketing, we pride ourselves on our ability to anticipate needs, deliver measurable results, and treat our clients like family. We know your small to midsize business is your baby because ours is to us as well. And when you work with someone who “gets it” you’re going to be more comfortable handing over the reins so you can focus on what you do best.
Get in touch with us to learn more about the services we offer and how we can help you grow your business. If you ask us, we are the world’s best digital marketing agency! And we are certain that our incredible team of experts across multiple industries have what it takes to make your dreams come true. Being a business owner isn’t easy, and we totally understand the labor of love that goes into growing a company.
