How to hire a marketing agency for your startup
Learn how startups can hire a marketing agency to help them launch and scale their brand.
As a startup or small business owner, you want to stand out and make your mark in the marketplace. This is not an easy task, especially if you’re competing against more prominent brands. One of the best ways to improve your odds is to hire a marketing agency (may we suggest our sister company, Olivine Marketing) to help tell your brand story and showcase your product in the best light.
There’s just one problem: choosing a marketing agency is complicated.
There are tons of agencies vying for your business and it’s hard to know what to look for when choosing one. Apart from that, you also need to know what *you* need from your marketing agency. This post will shed some light on the agency selection process and describe 7 types of marketing agencies you can hire. But first, the big question:
Why should you hire a marketing agency for your startup?
When you're trying to get your product into the market, you need to move quickly and skillfully. Trying to handle marketing in-house can cost you critical mistakes that you can’t avoid without industry experience. Here are some of the top reasons why you should hire a marketing firm for your startup:
#1 Expertise
Many new startups don't have the in-house expertise to run end-to-end marketing campaigns on their own. A marketing agency can advise you on how to break into the marketplace and leverage the right channels for maximum impact. Based on their experience, they can tell you what works and what doesn't so there’s less guesswork and more strategic execution.
#2 Specialization
Some agencies specialize in a particular industry (like health, beauty, or finance), product category (like clothing, food, or software), or business type (like e-commerce or B2B). Specialist agencies can give you a headstart by helping you find new partners and potential customers.
#3 Leverage
A good agency partner can be more cost-effective when it comes to reaching your target audience thanks to their long-standing partnerships with media owners across different channels.
#4 Data and analytics
Agencies provide data-driven insights that improve your marketing strategy and assets like landing pages, social media ads, and product copy. As a startup, you might not have a dedicated analytics department to measure and track large volumes of data, but an agency likely does.
So, when should you hire a marketing agency? The answer is simple: as soon as possible. The earlier you start making strategic, data-backed decisions, the faster you can engage your target audience and sell more.
7 types of marketing agencies
There are many marketing agencies out there. But how do you know which one is right for your business? One way is to start thinking about which part of the marketing process you’re struggling with and hire an agency to help you overcome that roadblock. Here are 7 categories of marketing agencies to consider for your next partnership:
#1 Branding and creative agencies
Brand identity is an essential part of running a business. Your brand image will determine how people perceive your company and whether they decide to buy your products and services. That’s why startups need a branding and creative partner to help them design an identity that resonates with their audience. A creative agency can help you create your logo, website interface, business cards, brochures, advertising campaign visuals, and other marketing collateral.
#2 Media buying agencies
A media buying agency buys ad space on different platforms for your campaigns. They negotiate special deals with their media partners to get you more bang for your buck. For example, a media buying agency might get you a good deal on TV ads or help you set up a sponsored post on a major news outlet. They might then get billboard placements all over your city and get your ad onto radio spots to maximize your campaign's reach.
#3 PR agencies
A PR agency can help you build your company’s reputation and visibility.
They do this by leveraging their long-standing relationships with media outlets, bloggers, and influencers within and outside your space. Public relations firms often also specialize in crisis management and investor relations and may focus on one type of client, such as tech companies or e-commerce startups.
#4 Search engine optimization (SEO) agencies
An SEO agency builds your company's online visibility by improving your search rankings to drive more traffic to your website. An SEO agency can improve your website’s technical elements, optimize your existing content library, and work on building valuable links with other high-ranking websites. SEO is a long game that yields significant results when done right, so walk into any SEO engagement with the understanding that you’ll need to invest both time and money before you start seeing meaningful results.
#5 Social media and digital marketing agencies
A social media or digital marketing agency can help you reach your target audience on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. They create organic content for your feeds and also use paid ads to generate visibility for your brand, based on a robust digital marketing strategy.
The best social media and digital marketing agencies work on your content copywriting, graphic design, email marketing automation, analytics, and paid advertising campaigns.
#6 Web design and app development companies
Your startup needs a website, but creating a well-designed, easy-to-use, secure, and robust website can be challenging. A web design company can handle your site’s technical development, including coding, hosting, domain names, and security. This also contributes towards your inbound marketing goal of lead generation and marketing automation.
Creating a mobile app tied to their main product or service is also crucial for many startups. A mobile app development agency can build an app for you on different platforms (such as Android and iOS), work on your app monetization strategy, and manage your app store presence while providing ongoing analytics and customer support.
#7 Integrated marketing agencies
An integrated marketing agency offers a combination of the above services under one roof. This means they can help you with everything from social media marketing and app development to PR and media buying campaigns. An integrated marketing agency saves you the hassle of dealing with multiple service providers for separate campaigns. However, this often means that they’re not experts in any one service and likely outsource some work to specialist agencies.
How to choose the right marketing company for your startup
Knowing the type of marketing company you need is only half the equation - you still need to choose the right candidate. The following 5 steps will guide you towards hiring the right marketing company for your needs.
Step #1: Know your marketing needs
Your first step is to define what exactly you need from a marketing agency. For example, do you need help with your website, social media marketing, design, email marketing, SEO, or app development? Are you launching a new product or refreshing an existing one? Put together a requirements document that you and your agency can reference as needed.
Step #2: Know your budget
When you're just starting out, you might not have a ton of money to spend on each marketing campaign. It's wise to choose an agency partner that is responsive to your marketing budget and offers flexible payment plans.
Step #3: Search for marketing agencies in your area or who specialize in your industry
You can find local marketing agencies through Google searches and LinkedIn. You can also find your next agency partner by going to industry conferences or asking for recommendations from your network.
Step #4: Set up a meeting with each agency
Once you've found a few prospects, arrange for a meet-and-greet to see if they are a good fit. These meetings will allow you to talk about your project goals and learn more about the agency and how they work with businesses
in your niche.
Step #5: Evaluate the agencies on your shortlist
After shortlisting a few agencies, it's time to evaluate them side-by-side.
Use the criteria below to guide your selection process:
Range of offerings - As a startup, you'll need several services to get your brand and product off the ground. These include everything from creating a logo and designing your website to performing an SEO audit. An agency that can provide all the services you need under one roof means you won’t have to hunt for different service providers.
Longevity - An agency that's been around a long time is likely to understand your industry better than a fledgling agency. Of course, new agencies can be composed of seasoned veterans from more established ad shops, so balance your need for heritage against the fresh ideas that smaller, newer agencies can bring to the table.
Agency size - Choosing a small agency can sometimes be better than working with a larger one since you'll get more attention and tailored solutions at a lower cost. However, smaller agencies may not have the resources in place to execute large-scale marketing campaigns, so determine what their growth plans are and how they’ll provide any additional services you may need later.
Team expertise - Look for an agency staffed with industry experts with a wide range of experience - seasoned creatives and account managers. Beyond size and longevity, your agency’s creatives’ raw skills will prove crucial to your marketing campaigns’ success over time.
Cost - Agencies have different pricing structures depending on their offerings and specialties. Learn which services come at what cost and what value those services will deliver to your business, based on your marketing budget. You also want to know what payment terms they offer and what minimum length commitments you might need to make.
As with everything else, you get what you pay for, so invest in good marketing to enjoy outstanding results.Awards and commendations - If the agency has won many awards and commendations, that’s a good sign. It indicates that they are committed to delivering high-quality campaign results for their clients.
Online presence - An excellent online presence signifies that an agency takes its brand seriously and is likely to do the same for you. Assess their websites and social media accounts to see if they have relevant content, responsive designs, and sufficient engagement.
Creativity - When it comes to marketing strategies, you never know which channel will be the most effective for your business, so look for an agency that isn’t married to any specific method. You want a partner who will be flexible and willing to experiment to get the results you need.
Red flags to watch out for when comparing marketing agencies
There are certain red flags to watch out for during the agency selection process, including the following:
Red flag #1: They say they can do it all
While most agencies can provide the basics, each agency has a specific set of services they deliver better than others. An agency that claims to be an expert in *every* single aspect of marketing is either lying or outsourcing certain aspects of their workload to third-party partners who may not be as stringent with their output quality.
Red flag #2: They have zero constructive feedback
A good marketing agency will tell you if a campaign or business strategy is not the best approach for your business. If an agency is afraid of telling you that your idea won't work, then it's likely they won’t be honest about your campaign results, either. Remember, you’re looking for a partner that will enhance your overall strategy and that involves some critique.
Red flag #3: They lack hard data about their previous results
A good marketing agency will share hard data that shows the results they've achieved for previous clients. This might include social media engagement data, conversion data for email or PPC campaigns, and web traffic data for
PR or SEO efforts.
Red flag #4: They are vague about their fees
An agency that believes in its work quality will be upfront about its fees and billing methods (after reviewing your requirements, of course). Beware of agencies that have no set benchmarks about their fees for different marketing activities, as you may end up with an unexpected bill at the end of each campaign.
Choose the right marketing agency for your company
Good marketing helps your startup grow, and finding a marketing agency you can rely on during your business’s early stages is vital to your success. With the tips outlined above, you’re ready to find a marketing consultant or partner that can deliver the right results for your brand and budget.
If you want to learn more about how a marketing agency can help you grow your business, schedule a free consultation with The Founder's Marketing Playbook team today or check out our sister brand, Olivine Marketing.
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