Why work with a marketing agency?
For many businesses, especially small ones, the idea of hiring an “agency” feels like an incredibly daunting one. An agency, really, is quite simply a collective of creative individuals across multiple expertise.
But how can a marketing agency benefit your business? And why should you consider hiring one in the first place?
A marketing-focused approach
When small to medium-sized business owners look to an agency for help, they are very much looking from within the business. The owners themselves have built the business from the ground up, putting in blood, sweat and tears! And so, seeing their business from a different perspective can often be tricky. Hiring a marketing agency offers not only just that - marketing - but also fresh insight, from a new perspective.
Experts in our field
Each professional at a marketing agency will be an expert in their field. This could be SEO, content marketing, social media, PR or design - all of which come together to form the perfect team. Of course, there may also be account managers, directors and so on, but nevertheless, you’ll be met with a range of creatives.
How can they benefit you? Well, let’s say you’re looking to refresh your branding. You’ll more than likely meet with an account manager who will look after your project, as well as a graphic designer who will help you to create the perfect brand image.
This will include discussing your USP, your values, and all those exciting things that bring your business to life. The things people remember you for, the reasons why they continue working with you or continue to recommend you. Let’s face it, we all know referrals are crucial.
Establish objectives and a way forward
No matter the size of your business, you need to have goals and a plan on how to hit them. If you’re running a business yourself, marketing it and at the same time looking to grow, you’ll quickly burn out. When you’re working with an agency (like us!) we’ll steer you in the right direction, help you form a marketing strategy and set objectives for moving your business forward.
Free up your team (and your team’s)
It’s easy to become a little overwhelmed with your marketing, especially if you’re running a small or medium-sized business. However, saying that, even the most well-structured of marketing departments can feel as though their workload is getting out of hand. By partnering up with a marketing agency, you can quickly outsource some of your marketing needs, enabling you to focus on other projects - including the day to day running of your business.
Marketing agencies are often a great fallback for those who may be experiencing problems within their current marketing structure, even for something as simple as a member of staff on annual/maternity/paternity leave.
Cost effective
When marketing is not your forte, it can be difficult knowing where to spend your marketing budget. You may be focusing on the wrong social media platform, spreading yourself too thinly across multiple channels or targeting your audience in the wrong manner. Putting it simply, there’s no point throwing money down the drain.
Sure, hiring a marketing agency has its costs, but for that fee, you’ll quickly have access to pick the brains of a whole team of marketing professionals. Cool, huh?
So, instead of throwing your budget away on wrongly-placed ads, hire the people who know.
Tailored marketing packages
No single solution covers the needs of every organisation. With this in mind, an agency will mold a marketing package to suit your needs and bring the best possible results. Your strategy may work across Instagram, your company blog and LinkedIn, but if you haven’t nailed your target audience first, you could quite easily be sending content out on deaf ears. Here at Second Mind, we are just that - your second mind - ready to bounce ideas off of, collaborate with and form a strategy with.
In-house VS agency
Why choose an agency? Or why not? Well, of course, working with marketing professionals poses many benefits, with many of the most common listed above.
Things to consider:
Agency costs.
Internal processes that may differ from yours.
Know your strengths and weaknesses/be open to discovering where you require the most assistance to get the most out of your agency.
Do your research to find the right agency for you.
Ready to get started? We’re here to help.