Is it worth it to hire a local digital marketing agency? | Hummingbirds

Is it worth it to hire a local digital marketing agency? Key takeaways: There are multiple pros and cons of hiring a digital marketing agency. If time is limited or your plate is already full, agencies are a great resource to get more accomplished. Agencies can be expensive. Have you ever asked a marketer about their experience working with agencies? You’ll get a wide variety of opinions! Making a decision whether or not to hire a digital marketing agency comes down to five main things: knowledge, time, money, workload, and risk. Let’s dive into each one! Agencies are knowledgeable The primary reason for brands to work with agencies is to tap into existing expertise. It’s easy to know what you want to test, but it’s more difficult to know how to actually test it. Agencies specializing in specific marketing activities like branding, social media ads, etc. have the knowledge and experience to go from idea to execution. Time is limited If you know how to do a task, the second primary reason for working with agencies is time. There is simply not enough time to take on multiple jobs, do the jobs well, and still achieve a healthy work-life balance. If you find yourself stretched on time or keep putting off tasks you never manage to get to, there is likely a marketing agency that can help. Money considerations Agency work is historically expensive. Oftentimes, managers find themselves deciding between hiring an agency or another employee because the fees can add up quickly. One thing to remember is that you don’t pay agencies benefits, PTO, etc., which often balances the scale. On the other hand, having a person work full time on something like paid ads is significantly different than having an agency spend a few hours on it per week, and the results might show that. Spread out the workload For SMBs especially, employees often have too much work on their plates to add more. Even if you can carve out time to set up an ad campaign or reach out to influencers, it takes significant energy to manage them through campaign completion. Agencies can handle the entire process for you from planning to delivering reports. On the flip side, agencies can also be weighed down by work. Oftentimes, when managing accounts, the amount of attention they give yours directly correlates to the amount of money you spend with them. Make sure that the agency you choose will give you the time you need for a successful campaign. Less risk for trying new tactics Testing different marketing strategies is key to learning what works and what doesn’t for your brand. But it’s called testing for a reason because it doesn’t always work – and we shouldn’t expect it to. Investing heavily in building an internal team might lead to failure. Opting for an agency is often a safer choice because they come equipped with preexisting tools and resources. If the agency’s work succeeds, you can then consider building out a team internally. Next steps for hiring a local digital marketing agency If you’re ready to work with a digital marketing agency, check out this article from Entrepreneur to get started. Not ready but still want to enhance your local marketing? Consider partnering with local influencers – one of the most effective (and trendiest!) ways to drive results for local businesses.