Why Small Businesses Should Partner With an Agency

Sometimes clients ask us why small businesses should partner with an agency rather than handle their content marketing inhouse. While both options may be effective, there are numerous benefits for small businesses who partner with an agency.

Creating and implementing an effective content marketing strategy requires time, skills, and expertise. In addition, some of the more sophisticated techniques also require expensive, specialized software or equipment. A Marketing agency may be the perfect solution in balancing a small business budget with the need for specialized expertise.

Marketing Agencies Have the Expertise and You Have a Business to Run

The campaigns and content run by the big brands usually involves a team of experts. This applies even to a seemingly simple social media campaign, but when images or multimedia content is involved the team grows. Any given campaign may require a writer, a designer, a web developer, a photographer, an audio engineer, voice over actors, etc. Even simple campaigns using just one or two staff require specialized content marketing expertise.

As a business owner you may develop the expertise to manage a blog or social media channel, however, that process would distract you from other aspects of running your business. Hiring an in-house team may not offer the best return on investment.

Working with an agency provides access to a team of experts at an affordable rate. Even small boutique agencies with a small staff easily access specialized professionals to collaborate with on specific projects. Success for any small business involves forming relationships and strategic partnerships.

Agencies Have Professional Tools That You Don’t Want to Pay For

The most effective marketing involves sophisticated assessment and evaluation methods. For example, A/B testing usually requires software designed to serve alternate versions to each segment of your audience. The software also provides analytics to help you identify which version resonates with your audience. Social media listening may be done manually, but it is more efficient and effective when you use specialized social listening tools.

As your business grows, at some point your marketing strategies also have to scale. Agencies typically use tools a small business owner may find prohibitively expensive for one campaign.

In addition, some content requires expensive equipment and software to create. For example, a broadcast quality video campaign requires expensive cameras, audio equipment, and lighting. While you may have some success without professional equipment, your content may be even more effective if it looks professional on a high resolution phone or device display.

Marketing agencies Have the Time to Focus on Making You Look Good…

Working with an agency frees you to focus more on your running your business and less on creating content to promote it your business.

Since marketing agencies focus on helping businesses find customers, they develop efficient workflows in addition to the necessary expertise. For example, an experienced website designer will create a professional-looking, well-functioning website much quicker than even a skilled amateur who also happens to be running their business. An experienced writer will create content more efficiently than a small business owner writing at night after putting the kids to bed.

Agencies Help You Scale Your Marketing as You Grow

Often small businesses combine marketing with an administrative role. For example, the office manager might write blog posts and social media posts in addition to all the other duties. Sometimes this results in disappointing results as that person is spread too thin and often content marketing is not that person’s professional strength. Hiring a marketing agency might actually save money since it frees that in-house staff to focus on other core elements of their job  while providing someone with marketing expertise to your team.

Outsourcing lead generation, advertising, or content marketing activities allows you to use the same tactics and strategies that help larger brands dominate the marketplace.

Your Agency Team Offers Fresh Perspectives on the Latest Trends

The right agency can offer the best of both worlds. Often their creative team is up on the latest trends in content marketing and digital marketing. They have seen different techniques that worked for different companies. As they get to know your business, they may see possibilities you didn’t know existed. This fresh perspective may help your business grow to the next level.

When working with a small agency, you enjoy the personalized service that small businesses are known for. Your relationship with that agency may grow along with your business until it feels like you have your own team of experts.

There are many benefits to forming a strategic partnership with an agency. Small businesses save time, money, and frustration through a relationship with the right agency.  These are the key reasons why small businesses should partner with an agency.