6 Benefits of Hiring a Local Internet Marketing Agency for Your Business
Written by Ross Bryant
Internet marketing is becoming an increasingly popular method to help your business grow brand awareness, leads, sales; you name it. And, if you’re already implementing it into your marketing strategy, you might’ve come to the realization that it’s tough to manage on top of everything else you are doing.
Because of this, it’s so much easier for things to go wrong while doing this. Money oftentimes goes wasted due to campaigns being thrown together at the last minute with weak copy and design. Not to mention, crummy targeting while playing an absolute guessing game as to who to push content out to.
So, because of how easy it is to make those blunders as an entrepreneur focused on your own business, it’s important to know when you need to ask for help—especially if you’re not seeing any results from your current marketing campaigns.
And, one way you can push the weight of all of this off your plate, while steering your strategy in the right direction, is by partnering with a local internet marketing agency. I know what you may be thinking: “But, this doesn’t seem that hard. Now you’re telling me to hire an agency that does all that work for me?”
Hear me out, though. If things are going great for you and you feel 100% comfortable managing your Internet marketing efforts in-house, keep it going.
Yet, know when to outsource your efforts if you feel it’s taking time away from your already busy day. It’s okay to ask for help. And, if that’s the case, we’re here to help you take that leap. Here are six benefits of hiring a local Internet marketing agency for your business.
1. Frees up your precious time
This one’s pretty straightforward. We all know you’re way too short on time to add any new tasks to your to-do list. After all, you’re a busy entrepreneur rocking your small business, wearing many hats.
But, you definitely don’t want to slap things together when it comes to building your business. It’s not a task you should be pushing off until the last minute. Especially if you’re not confident enough in what you’re doing.
So, if you’re looking to free up some of your precious time when it comes to scaling your business using Internet marketing, a local advertising agency is your answer. They’ll be able to get the job done at a much quicker rate than you would’ve otherwise been able to.
2. Saves you from breaking the bank
Compared to traditional print methods, Internet marketing is completely affordable. But, only if you do it right.
There's a strong chance the budget will be blown out the window by those who choose to fly by the seat of their pants with their strategy. A local Internet marketing agency can help you steer clear from making this mistake.
When many think of working with an local agency, however, they tack on a bogus price tag to that partnership. But, hiring one to manage your Internet marketing campaigns can actually be less of an expense when compared to the cost of a full-time employee.
Let’s put it this way: if you find a hotshot that can successfully manage all the creative components, technology, campaign design, audience research, monitoring, and performance analyzing, that person won’t come at a bargain.
In fact, Digital Marketing Managers earn an average salary of $62,363 a year. That’s a whopping chunk of your hard-earned money! Meanwhile, a local agency already has a built-in multiple-person team that can get the job done usually on a monthly retainer basis for much, much less than that.
When it comes to placing your Internet marketing strategy in the hands of experts for success that scales, you can’t stick a price tag on that.
3. Offers in-house expertise to take you far
Agencies focus on working with the best-of-the-best highly-skilled team members who have what it takes to provide superior performance and value to clients. And, these team members work on a variety of campaigns for many different businesses. So, they have experience in what works and what doesn’t when advertising to specific audiences.
As if that weren’t enough, they also continue to enhance their skills while participating in training on a regular basis—attending conferences, seminars, etc. Whatever opportunities that are offered to them to help expand their expertise, they’re grabbing them by the horns.
And, no matter the amount of training or classes you take to try and get on their level, these people are pros at what they do.
After all, they most likely have dedicated their careers to the Internet marketing industry and serving their clients. So, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find a leading team of marketers to take you and your business far.
4. Moves quickly to get you the results you want
Agencies are agile—from strategy development to results. They move quickly because they know from experience the best routes to take to achieve peak performance.
The best part? They can have a campaign up and running in a matter of days if needed, which otherwise would’ve taken you longer to do on your own. And, if you change your mind about the original plan, they’ll analyze how the results will be impacted.
They hustle. They have heart. And, they’re constantly adapting and going with the flow. It’s their job. Changes are just part of it. Because of this, if they discover your marketing campaign isn’t trending towards the outcome you both had hoped, they won’t just let it sit and rot. And, then they’ll talk about what could’ve been fixed once it’s over.
Nope. That’s not how things work with them. They’ll do everything in their power to come up with ways to improve it—while it’s in progress—to give it the boost it needs to hit the bull’s eye.
5. Keeps you current on the latest marketing trends, without a learning curve
We all know Internet marketing can be intimidating. There’s a revolving door of changes, frequently leaving you in the dust to start back at square one all over again. No thank you.
Where can you ever find the time to read up on all the latest Internet marketing news? And, then apply the updates to your current strategies? You can't.
Luckily, a local Internet marketing agency has your back. They set aside time and energy to stay ahead of trends for the sake of their clients’ success. They must be up-to-speed and follow the latest developments. It’s all part of their job description.
For this reason, the majority of Internet marketing agencies take industry education very seriously, so you don’t have to—setting up Google alerts on trending topics/brands/competitors, lunch ‘n learns, and so much more.
6. Gives you the chance to actually learn…a lot
It’s easy for entrepreneurs like you to get too close to your business, preventing you from seeing your advertising strategy from your customer’s point of view. Having a group of people on the “outside,” aka a local marketing agency, can give you the insight you need to work your way into how your customers think.
From sitting in brainstorming meetings to
getting your hands-on results recaps, you
have the chance to actually learn…a lot.
Marketing terminology will be easier for you to understand, new strategy and social media ideas will sprout up more than ever before in that brilliant brain of yours—the opportunities are endless.
Most importantly, you’ll be able to reflect and rely on those lessons over the years of your business to tackle future challenges that come your way.
Feeling like your business can benefit from partnering with an advertising agency, and are serious about taking the next steps?
Here are some questions you should ask potential agencies in your search to find one that will not only offer a dreamy partnership, but also give you the best return on investment for your marketing dollars.
> How long should my contract be? An agency should be able to understand your business and jumpstart your campaigns. But, it can take time to see the results. Just be sure to protect yourself from getting sucked into any long-term contract gimmicks. Because, as a paying client, you should have the ability to leave the relationship at any time and for any reason.
> What’s included each month with this contract? Contracts vary agency to agency. Ensure the pricing is clear and simple. Determine if you’ll be billed at an hourly rate, project rate, or retainer. And, be aware of what deliverables are to be supplied and when. Most agencies will provide you with a customized timeline on a per project basis. This will help you know what to expect, safeguarding your business from surprises and scope creep.
> How do you handle client communication and collaboration? Communication is key to a healthy relationship. An agency that has implemented proper platforms and processes to manage client communication and collaboration wastes much less time. And, makes you feel like you’re their only client because they’re just that good at it.
> Who will be managing my account and executing the work? This may seem like a silly question, but some digital advertising agencies actually outsource their talent.
> What’s your distinctive culture? When hiring an agency, you’re basically gaining new teammates. Be sure to partner with one that has values and a culture that meshes with your company’s personality. The chemistry should be there, and you should look forward to collaborating with them at any chance you get.
> How will you measure the success of the marketing campaign(s)? Marketing and advertising shouldn’t be a giant black hole on your budgeting sheet that you dump money into. Thus, the agency should be able to support their campaign recommendations with real data—up-to-date, easy-to-understand (non-jargon heavy) reports on how things are going.
Ask questions on benchmarks, metrics, and analytics they use to measure success. Also, be aware of when you can expect to receive reports on progress made towards these metrics.
I’m sure there are many more questions you could ask when evaluating a Internet marketing agency ads. But, this is just a guide. In the end, ask away on those that matter most to you. There’s no such thing as a dumb question. Your brand’s success is at stake.
The bottom line is: many small businesses are outsourcing various tasks, like Internet marketing, to help their business thrive and stay nimble. So, if you’re ready to join forces with a local Internet marketing agency, you’ve got the insight as to how they can help you and what questions to ask during your search.
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Our founder, Ross Bryant, is a veteran of the software and internet technologies market with over 20 years' experience in the business and healthcare IT space. Working with many different companies has given him the insight to understand your needs and the experience to develop the product sets that can help you market your business.
Mr. Bryant has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University of North Georgia and has held executive positions in internet marketing and ecommerce firms as well as served as a Senior Director for a successful "dotcom" in recent years. This experience gives Mr. Bryant the expertise to be to build the marketing focus your business needs to get to the next level.
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