6 Signs It’s Time Your Business Should Partner With a Digital Marketing Agency

Signs you should use a digital marketing agency

Examine the following six signs to determine whether it’s time to bring in expert marketing assistance. 

1. Your current marketing strategy isn’t drawing quality leads.

If your business isn’t amassing new leads and customers, the most likely reason is that they haven’t heard of you. People unfamiliar with your products and services are unlikely to stumble upon your business, even if your offerings would be ideal problem-solvers for them. 

Generating quality sales leads is crucial for a business’s survival. If your influx of prospects and new customers is slow or nonexistent, your marketing and advertising strategies could probably use help. 

Your current ads may be unenticing or you may not be running ads at all. Maybe you’re not taking advantage of social media marketing strategies that would place your business in front of its target audience. Whatever the reason for your stagnant customer growth, a marketing agency or expert can help you reach the people most likely to buy your products and services, boosting lead generation and, ultimately, increasing sales. 

2. You don’t know much about marketing.

You’re a business owner with unique talents and strengths. If marketing isn’t one of them, that’s OK. It’s standard for businesses to outsource human resources, shipping, customer service and more to free up internal resources. Outsourcing marketing to an expert is a smart strategy when your attention is spent better on other aspects of your business. 

Many highly qualified marketing agencies and experts can assist your business with the following strategies:

• Creating a market research plan
• Targeting demographics
• Developing brand awareness campaigns
• Strengthening your company’s reputation
• Using social media marketing

Your professional marketing partners will create strategies to help your business face whatever issues it’s up against. Their insights are invaluable and you’ll be free to focus on running your company.

3. You’re struggling to define your brand.

Branding is crucial. Consider your shoes, clothing, smartphone, computer and other everyday items. You’re likely surrounded by purchases informed by your brand perceptions. 

Can you define your business’s brand? If nothing comes to mind immediately, your brand could probably be stronger. Brand building marketing agencies — particularly digital marketing specialists — will address branding issues specifically to help you develop a clear identity. They’ll work with you to boost your brand’s visibility so that potential customers see you and seek out your products and services. 

4. Your marketing budget is lower than you’d like.

A small marketing budget can indicate two things: You’re not prioritizing marketing or your profits prohibit an adequate marketing investment. In either case, a marketing agency can help.

Unfortunately, your products and services won’t sell themselves. They need visibility and expert strategies to ensure the right people see and resonate with them. Marketing agencies can work within your budget constraints to help you get the most bang for your marketing buck. They often have access to artificial intelligence marketing tools and other technology that can take your marketing efforts to a new level. You’ll gain a deeper relationship with your audience while staying compliant with regulations — and crushing the competition. 

Your business will struggle if you lack marketing and advertising strategies. When you have expert marketing on your side, you improve your chances of success. 

5. Your marketing efforts are scattered and disjointed.

Are your social media marketing efforts scattered haphazardly across various platforms? Is your social media presence at odds with how your website portrays your business? If so, your marketing process is badly in need of unification and a digital marketing agency can quickly get you aligned and focused. 

While your business likely needs multiple social media accounts, you probably don’t need to be everywhere. A digital marketing agency can help you focus on the best social platforms for attracting your target audience. For example, if you’re targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha, focusing on TikTok and Instagram — instead of randomly running Facebook Ads and LinkedIn efforts — can help you maximize your marketing spend. 

An agency can also ensure your online presence is cohesive across social channels and aligns with your website design. Agencies have the knowledge and wherewithal to understand the best marketing approaches based on industry, brand and target audience. They can also bring a fresh perspective if you’re in a creative rut and introduce new elements seamlessly.

6. You’re having trouble focusing on your business goals.

Even if you have excellent marketing instincts, you’re a business owner who must maintain processes, create new products and services and expand your audience. Implementing and managing a marketing strategy takes valuable personal resources, including time and energy, which may be better served elsewhere. A digital marketing agency can take your ideas and goals and launch them on a path to completion and success — while you focus on running your business and meeting your business goals. 

The benefits of partnering with a digital marketing agency

Business owners will find many genuine benefits when working with a digital marketing agency, including the following:

• A marketing agency will understand the latest trends: Digital marketers are current on the latest online marketing and advertising trends. Thanks to frequent algorithm changes, social media platforms and search engines constantly evolve, so digital marketing strategies must also change to stay effective. Your digital marketing agency’s job is to keep abreast of new trends to get you the best results. The agency will understand things like Instagram best practices, running promoted tweets on X (formerly Twitter), holding Facebook Live Q&As and much more.  
• A marketing agency brings you a reliable team accountable for your success: A good digital marketer will answer any questions and concerns about your marketing campaign. You may wonder about success metrics and key performance indicators or worry about how to craft campaign messaging. Your marketer will listen to and address your concerns. Additionally, they’ll send detailed reports on each campaign’s success and effectiveness. You can measure your digital marketing ROI to best direct your marketing funds. 
• A marketing agency lets you focus on growth: When you hire a digital marketing agency, you can focus on what you do best — growing the company. You’ll free up time and energy to focus on other business areas. Most companies using a digital marketing agency need that extra time to deliver their products and services to a whole batch of new customers generated from new campaigns. 
• A marketing agency helps you gain objectivity: A third party will see your business with fresh eyes, bringing objectivity to your marketing plans. Seeing how an outsider views your company’s products or services may be eye-opening. This insight can trickle into other business areas as you develop new products or services that meet consumers’ needs. 
• A marketing agency has all the latest tools: Marketing agencies have an arsenal of professional and tech tools to streamline your campaigns. They can also choose the best software for your unique needs. Businesses that hire marketing agencies can benefit from not paying additional monthly costs to keep up with software updates and personnel training.
• A marketing agency will handle staffing: Your agency is in charge of appointing team members to work on your account and can upscale or downscale the team depending on your needs. You won’t have to deal with the ebb and flow of marketing staff.
• A marketing agency works for you: You are ultimately in charge of your marketing, while the agency is responsible for making your vision a reality. Even if you aren’t excellent at marketing strategies, the best digital marketing teams will work with you to generate and execute great ideas.

How to find the right digital marketing agency 

Choosing the right outsourcing partner can feel overwhelming. However, following specific steps can ensure you find a trustworthy agency to help you achieve your marketing goals.

Step 1: Create a shortlist of potential digital marketing agencies. 

Research top digital marketing agencies online and get recommendations from businesses in your industry. You may prefer a local agency you can meet with in person; however, the nature of digital marketing agencies means you can likely work with one anywhere. 

Step 2: Ask detailed questions.

Narrow your candidate list by asking essential questions. Your specific business and industry will generate unique questions, but the following will apply to most businesses: 

• How long have you been in business?
• What is unique about your company?
• Have you worked with any clients in my industry?
• Do you currently work with any of my competitors?
• What types of marketing do you specialize in?
• Do you have enough resources to meet our needs?
• How long is onboarding?
• What tools do you use?
• How do you choose who we work with?
• Do you outsource any work and to whom?
• What content will I be responsible for?
• How frequently do we meet?
• What can I expect to receive each month?
• Do you have a limit on revisions?
• How do you measure ROI?
• How can I contact you and what is the average response time?
• How do I cancel service with you?
• Do you bill by the hour or by project? 
• Can you be put on a monthly retainer or will you have varying costs?

Step 3: Get and check top agencies’ references.

Some agencies will emerge as stellar candidates. However, even if you like all their answers, they must provide references to businesses they’ve worked with and projects they’ve completed. Checking their references will help you better understand the marketing agency’s professionalism, values and response time in a crisis. 

Ask references the following questions: 

• Does the marketing agency consistently communicate campaign ideas?
• Does it convey campaign results promptly?
• Does it share campaign metrics and help clients evaluate the success of its marketing efforts? 
• How does the agency handle revisions?
• Are its team members professional and creative? 

Additionally, examine campaign examples, such as social media, email and ads, to get a feel for the agency’s work.

Step 4: Finalize your budget.

Hiring a marketing agency can save you significant time and money, but you must still adhere to a monthly budget when choosing one. Determine what you are comfortable paying and see if it aligns with your top pick. If it doesn’t, consider cutting costs in other areas or pricing additional agencies.

Step 5: Choose an agency and invest in the relationship. 

Choose the digital marketing agency that best aligns with your goals and budget. You should feel positive about the relationship and look forward to working with your outsourced team. 

Hiring a marketing agency isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it endeavor. While different business owners will have varying preferences for involvement levels, communication is critical. You must carve out time for consistent communication so you clearly convey your goals and work together to maximize your ROI. 

To ensure you maintain a good relationship, consider the following best practices: 

• Provide the agency with any requested information or resources, such as logos, branding guidelines and copy, promptly.
• Pay your bills on time. 
• Take an active interest in the agency’s work and your marketing endeavors. 
• Provide the agency with feedback — both positive and constructive — to ensure your marketing campaigns live up to your expectations. 

Build your business with a marketing partner

There’s no guarantee of success in any business. However, improving your marketing and advertising strategies can get your products and services in front of more potential customers, boost sales and increase your chances of success. If marketing isn’t your area of expertise, consult with professionals to create a plan that meets your goals. 

Kimberlee Leonard contributed to this article.