One of the biggest mistakes anyone could make (in any area of their life) is assuming they can do it all. We promise – this is a direct train of wasted time, misplaced resources, and all-around disappointment.
And when a lot of entrepreneurs get into business, asking for help (the right help) can be hard. So hiring a marketing agency helps to simplify it all by only needing you to ask for help – once.
Because the world of marketing is constantly in flux with algorithms, platforms, technology, and branding, hiring a marketing agency is a cost-effective way to delegate that stress and get the support you need, all while growing your business and strengthening your brand visibility, AND generating revenue.
What is a Marketing Agency?
A marketing agency (*like StellaPop) is a one-stop shop for nailing down some key skills in SEO, design, branding, strategy, ads, PPC for eCommerce, social media management, and content creation.
They will literally step in and bring your entire vision to life, from conception to strategic growth.
Marketing agencies typically focus on strategies that focus on tangible growth through SEO and hard data, with a numbers-driven approach to where to invest your time and resources – and why. Agencies can easily see what’s working vs. what’s not and then pivot quickly.
Standard Marketing Agency Services
Agencies tend to focus on 3-4 key areas of strengths and services but can offer a huge scope depending on the size of the team. Business owners maintain complete control while getting expert advice on things they typically wouldn’t have the first clue about:
The Marketing Strategy:
Having a strategy and intention behind every minute and dollar invested is critical to business owners. Agencies help develop the overarching, data-driven marketing strategy that informs the rest. Having the right strategy in place often makes, or breaks, a business.
Content creation:
Filming, editing, and creating video stills regularly ensures your business has professional content, on-brand aesthetics, and an opportunity to enhance the customer experience by providing education, information, and entertainment.
Social Media Management:
Designing, scheduling, and implementing a social media strategy means finding and connecting with your customers with great visuals, branding, and content. Social media is the quickest, most effective way to connect and create a brand community – critical to ROI, growth and loyalty.
Data + Analytics:
Agencies provide expert data analysis across various platforms and new software – constantly staying up-to-date on the latest information and technologies to help drive growth, sales, visibility, and ad-spend. Data is what brings home the bacon.
Graphic Design:
Agencies with graphic design in-house can bring your vision full circle, updating and refreshing your digital assets, templates, social media, imagery, and website with on-brand, aligned visuals.
Benefits of a Marketing Agency
Access to Experts:
Agencies bring together a melting pot of experts with different skills to create a well-rounded scope of creative and technical professionals, covering a range of needs and growth opportunities.
Cost Effective
Building an in-house team is a huge commitment financially. Hiring an agency scales back on your financial investments and instead drives those resources back into your business. With increased marketing spend, businesses drive ROI and growth instead.
Perspective that isn’t Personal
Even though an agency is invested in the success of their clients, they don’t take it all so personally. They bring a birds-eye view into what is and isn’t working. They can confront issues and offer solutions where an in-house employee or owner couldn’t.
What to Look for When Hiring a Marketing Agency
You’ve gotta be selective with your friends, and agencies are no different.
Hiring an agency creates a symbiotic relationship that needs to really work to work. It is an essential investment into any business and needs to be the right one, the first time (if not, that’s okay, but think twice, act once is the move here).
Here are our Top 5 Things to Look for in an Agency
1. Client Retention Rate:
Look at their client history: do they have a huge turnover, a small or incomplete project list? Do they have long-term clients, broad-scope projects for each, and testimonials they can share?
2. Expertise:
For example, Stellapop offers both technical and creative expertise across branding, marketing, technology development, graphics, design, and overall management and retention techniques. We are a one-stop, one-investment kind of place and like to keep long-term relationships.
3. Transparency
It is critical to know exacts on budget, costs, billing practices, hidden fees, contracts, and the rest. How transparent an agency is with you UPFRONT will create trust and a strong foundation from the beginning.
4. Portfolio:
You need to see to believe, and a strong portfolio should do exactly that. Take a deep dive into the agency’s past creative, websites, design, ads, and whatever else you can find/be provided, so you have something tangible.
5. Chemistry:
Chemistry is the intangible part of hiring an agency – either it’s there, or it’s not. Shiny portfolio and glowing client list or not, you need to make sure there’s creative chemistry with whoever you hire so that the chemistry can be brought to life.
Ready to know a little more?
