Agencies for Digital Marketing – Are they Worth the Money?

Searching through agencies for Digital Marketing?

Asking yourself if they are worth it and wondering why you can’t do it yourself?

Digital Marketing is time consuming and also costly if not done well.

Should you do it? Yes!

Should you do it yourself? Probably not…

Lets break down Agencies for Digital Marketing and how you can pick them for your business.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is a multifaceted strategy aimed to target, reach out to, and build relationships with customers online, across a broad range of channels, ultimately getting them to make a purchase and more purchases in the future.

The results of digital marketing are dramatic. Blogging alone can help brands bring in 67 percent more leads compared to those that never post. SEO also boasts a conversion rate of 14.6 percent, which is dramatically higher than the 1.7 percent conversion rate that traditional outbound methods deliver.

Digital marketing services consists of the following tactics:

• Content Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Video Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Online Advertising
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Marketing

A digital marketing agency employs a wide variety of different tactics, strategies, and online tools to help a business attain its marketing and sales goals. This can make planning and executing a successful digital marketing campaign a challenging prospect for most solopreneurs and smaller marketing departments.

Given the scope of digital marketing, it’s helpful to look at the most popular types of digital marketing agencies and the services they offer.

7 Types of Digital Marketing Agencies (and What They Do)

Choosing a digital marketing agency can be challenging if you aren’t familiar with the industry. Some agencies specialize in one industry or service, while others offer a broad range of services. Remember that the best one for your business will depend on your budget, your digital marketing goals and objectives, and how hands-on you want to be in your digital marketing. Below are seven of the most common types of digital marketing agencies:

1. DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY

A digital marketing agency reaches customers online through omnichannel marketing, multichannel marketing, or single-channel marketing. With multichannel and single-channel marketing, agencies interact with customers in one or multiple channels such as websites, blogs, email, social media, and more. Omnichannel marketing refers to marketing that provides a seamless customer experience across channels and devices throughout their lifecycle. A digital marketing agency typically won’t offer traditional marketing services.

2. FULL-SERVICE DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY

A full-service digital marketing agency tends to be larger than most other types of agencies and offer a variety of digital marketing services. Businesses often partner with full-service digital marketing agencies because they have the experience doing specific projects that the businesses need done, such as lead nurture campaigns or a website redesign. These agencies can also bring added muscle to existing marketing departments at a lower cost than it would take to build them out with new hires.

3. INBOUND MARKETING AGENCY

An inbound marketing agency offers inbound marketing tactics and strategies, which differ from traditional outbound strategies. Inbound agencies seek to position a business online where customers can find them, build trust over time, and eventually generate sales. Inbound strategies can yield significant results over time, but they typically require a longer time horizon (six months to a year or more) before leads and sales “hockey stick” up.

4. SEO AGENCY

Digital marketing agencies that specialize in SEO (search engine optimization) help their clients’ websites and website content to rank high on search results. They will have specialists perform the following:

• Keyword research
• Website audits
• Backlink audits
• Website and blog content
• Metadata assessment (checking the quality of URL, title tags, meta descriptions, etc.)
• Video description optimization
• Link building
• And more

An SEO company will utilize a variety of data analytics and website developer tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEM Rush, and SEO Moz. SEO agencies are always early adopters of search engine optimization best practices, including compliance with Google’s ever-changing search algorithm.

4. DIGITAL AD (PPC) AGENCY

Paid search, also called paid advertising, is the other way to generate traffic to a business website. Unlike free organic traffic, paid traffic involves spending money to bid on keywords and ad placement on search results. Digital ads can appear on websites, search result pages (SERPs), and social media channels. 

Digital ad agencies know how to produce attention-getting, keyword-filled ads that conform to the best practices of the digital platforms on which ads appear. Popular services include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube ad creation and deployment, and Google Ads Manager account creation and maintenance.

5. ONLINE AD AGENCY/PPC AGENCY

Paid search, also called paid advertising, is another way to generate traffic to a website. Unlike free organic traffic, paid traffic involves spending money to bid on keywords and ad placement on search results. Digital ads can appear on websites, search result pages (SERPs), and social media channels. This can bring you leads quickly, but your campaign must be properly set up to reach your target audience.

Digital marketing agencies that focus on online ads know how to produce attention-getting, optimized ads that conform to best practices. You may choose to hire an online ad agency alone or in conjunction with other agencies as part of a broader online strategy. While PPC can perform well on its own, it works best when paired with a less expensive long-term strategy that can capitalize on the paid traffic you generate.

6. SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY

Companies turn to social media agencies when they need help with establishing and maintaining a social media presence. Social media agencies can manage and produce social content and set up advertisements on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They will also offer services related to responding and reacting to customer interactions on social media platforms. They may also offer influencer outreach for cross promotion or affiliate marketing.

7. WEB DESIGN AGENCY  

A web design agency is composed of creative designers who build customized and optimized websites or web pages for businesses. Web designers will handle the look, feel, and functionality of the pages, whether it’s for a brand new website, a website redesign, or a smaller project. Common services offered by website agencies include user experience and user interface (UX/UI) design and research, image creation and storage, web development, and web hosting.

What Does a Digital Marketing Agency Do?

Companies work with digital marketing agencies because of their expertise in online marketing. Agencies know the latest trends, best practices, and best tools and strategies that are needed for digital marketing success.

Below are specific things to expect when working with a digital marketing agency:

DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCIES GROW ORGANIC TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE

The overall goal of any digital marketing endeavor is to generate as much organic traffic to one’s business website. Marketing professionals at digital marketing agencies know the ins and outs of inbound marketing, customer journeys, and search engine search algorithms. When you work with a digital marketing agency, organic traffic (traffic from people who find your website online via a search engine search) to your website will increase. Your website will attract more leads with fewer costs. These leads will also be better quality leads that will increase the probability of them making a purchase. 

DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCIES GENERATE SALES-READY LEADS

The professionals at digital marketing agencies will know your business, your marketing goals and objectives, your sales funnel, and your ideal targeted audiences. Additionally, they will also be knowledgeable in various inbound marketing tactics such as content marketing, social media marketing, web design, and search engine optimization. 

In your sales funnel, different inbound marketing tactics are more effective than others based on where leads are within your sales funnel. When working with a digital marketing agency, you’ll be able to get the right message delivered through the right online medium, at the right time to each lead within your sales funnel. A digital marketing agency will help you generate sales-ready leads by moving leads from the top of your sales funnel to the bottom. 

DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCIES EXPAND YOUR BRAND REACH

Your customers are online. You know that and every digital marketing agency knows that. Since digital marketing agencies specialize in promoting brands online and creating online relationships with customers, they know how to expand your brand’s reach online. By working with a digital marketing agency, your website will get better visibility from keyword research and buyer persona development done through the agency. If you employ a digital marketing agency to undertake your social media marketing, your brand will also gain additional online presence on various social media platforms. 

DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCIES IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

The digital marketing agency you choose should feel like an extension of your internal marketing team. What your internal marketing lacks in terms of specialized digital marketing knowledge and time, your digital marketing agency partner will address. 

A digital marketing agency will also catch weaknesses in your current digital marketing activities. If your marketing team is small, chances are you won’t have the expertise your unique digital marketing campaign needs to be effective. For example, you need to web design, SEO, public relations, email marketing, and social media marketing. You may not have the expertise in all these areas. 

At Yokel Local, on the other hand, we offer a full scope of digital marketing services: 

• Search engine optimization
• Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
• Social media marketing
• Marketing automation
• Content marketing
• Facebook advertising
• PR services
• Email marketing
• Video production
• Event coordination
• Website development

Is a Digital Marketing Agency Right For Your Business?

Before hiring a digital marketing agency, it’s important to first assess your company’s needs. Do you need help with overhauling your content, implementing some SEO changes, or redesigning the UX for your website? Then you’ll want to evaluate your company’s own marketing skills, strengths, and capabilities to determine whether an agency, and what type, can benefit your business. Do you already have an in-house team that needs some help or is all of your marketing outsourced?

Once you’ve asked these questions, you’ll have a better idea as to whether or not working with an agency is the right choice. You’ll also know what kinds of digital marketing services your business needs.

Top 5 Mistakes Companies Make When Hiring a Digital Marketing/SEO Agency

Keep an eye out for the following mistakes when choosing your digital marketing agency:

MISTAKE 1: FALLING FOR SHINY SEO PRESENTATIONS

This is a big one, and one that’s really easy to fall for. You should have learned not to judge a book by its cover back in elementary school, so dig up those skills and put your critical thinking hat on. The theory is, if a digital marketing agency creates these beautiful, high-tech marketing pitches for you, you’re going to get the same for your customers.

That’s rarely the case.

SEO agencies that drop a lot of cash into their own sales presentations usually spend less time and effort on their actual clients. Think about it—every company has finite resources, so how they allocate their budget says a lot about their priorities. How many of their employees are in sales vs. client services? For example, the vast majority of Blue Corona’s staff is devoted to client services. If I were you, I’d choose the company with an army of experts instead of an army of salesmen.

Now, it’s normal to get blinded by shiny things. But when you see these shiny marketing presentations, take a deeper look—what’s the content saying? Is it full of jargon? Is it thin? Are you being lured into a bad decision by smoke and mirrors?

MISTAKE 2: FALLING FOR “SECRET SAUCE” PITCHES THAT SEEM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Piggybacking off of the first mistake, the second mistake also involves a lot of smoke and mirrors. If you find yourself leaning toward a digital marketing agency that brags about their “secret sauce” or “proprietary SEO tactics,” run. Don’t walk. Don’t amble. Run as fast and as far away as you can.

Here’s why: There is no “secret sauce” of SEO. The SEO process is well documented and well-understood by thousands of experts across the globe. The only difference between a successful campaign and one that flops is strategy and execution.

In life, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

In digital marketing, if it seems too good to be true, it ALWAYS is. Don’t get sold on empty promises—look for an SEO company with a proven track record of results that matter.

MISTAKE 3: CHOOSING A CHEAP DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY

With digital marketing, you get what you pay for. End of story.

Most cheap SEO services use black-hat techniques like paid links, cheap content, and keyword-stuffed optimizations. Google has caught on to most black-hat techniques and you have a higher chance of being penalized than succeeding with these tactics.

If you’ve fallen in love with a digital marketing company you can’t afford, ask if they’ll do consulting so you’re at least getting the expert advice.

MISTAKE 4: CHOOSING A LOCAL DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE LOCAL

You don’t need a local digital marketing company. No matter what anyone tells you, a good SEO agency should be able to dominate your local market no matter where they are located. The beautiful thing about the web is that it can be accessed from almost anywhere, which means you aren’t limited to local SEO companies.

It is true that there’s nothing quite like face-to-face interaction, so we prioritize in-person meetings and invest in flying our account managers out to our clients on a regular basis. Find an SEO company that cares enough about your business to come to YOU.

That being said, do not sign on with a foreign SEO company unless your target market is in that country. You can buy extremely cheap digital marketing services from click farms and “SEO agencies” overseas, but this will damage you much more than help you. Even if it’s a legit digital marketing company, there are way too many cultural nuances that need to be perfected in order for the language and tone to sound genuine.

MISTAKE 5: NOT DOING YOUR RESEARCH

Picking the top result when you Google “best digital marketing agency in [city]” is not an effective way to pick an online marketing partner. One of the most important steps you should take is to do your research. Look at a company’s case studies. Talk to their current clients. Read their reviews. Read their blog. Does their language vibe with you? Do their clients remind you of your company? Do they have documented results similar to the ones you want?

There is nothing worse than signing on with an SEO agency only to have to switch a year later. It’s messy, it can damage your web presence, and it takes time away from running your business.

What to Ask a Digital Marketing Agency Before Signing On

There are certain questions you should ask a digital marketing agency before hiring them. Before you sign on the dotted line, ask these questions:

1. What process will you use to accomplish our goals, and why do you use that process?
2. What is your reporting and communication process?
3. What do you do when things aren’t working?
4. Are you a certified Google partner?
5. What’s your process for building links and authority?
6. Can you show me writing, website, and ad examples?
7. What metrics do you report on?
8. What level of control will we have over our website?
9. Can you scale these results as my business grows?
10. What experience do you have working with my industry?
11. Have you ever had a client with my exact problems?
12. Who will be managing my account and who will be executing the work?
13. What will the first 90 days of work include?
14. Can you customize my services for what I need most?
15. How do you go above and beyond for your clients?

The Serial Seller Sign-Off

I hope this helps you when trying to decide on agencies for digital marketing.

There are so many different types of marketing agencies now!

Our suggestion is to find a “partner”, an agency who you can trust and rely on.

Once you have that partner, never look back and trust the relationship. A good digital marketing agency is going to help you scale your business quickly and also save you as an individual a massive amount of time that can be spent on other areas of the business.

Need help with your sales & marketing? Book a Call with Us Now!