How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency (and Why You Still Need One)
- Makiko Ara
Do you really need a digital marketing agency? I think so, but I can’t argue there’s an element of bias there.
Maybe you’ve got an internal team that’s handling your marketing efforts. Or perhaps you’ve got some good freelancers that keep your content needs met each month. You might even be considering using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to handle your copywriting needs. Whatever your reasons, you may legitimately feel that a digital marketing agency is not for you.
But what if you’re wrong?
I’ve worked in marketing for longer than I’d like to admit. I watched clients race to modernize and automate their marketing and then swing back toward focusing on messages with a human touch. Today, the pendulum is swinging back to tech again.
Adapting to the continually changing trends of the B2B marketing world is no small feat. Regardless of whether you’ve got an in-house marketing person (or team!), it may be time to consider working with a digital marketing agency. Not your jam? Keep reading. At TPM, we’ve worked with many prospects who initially resisted outsourcing their marketing efforts but came around to the idea once they understood how they could benefit.
What Do Digital Marketing Agencies Do?
Digital marketing agencies promote your brand, product, or services to your audience using a variety of online techniques, strategies, and platforms. But there are different types of digital marketing, and not every agency offers the same services.
What TPM Does
TPM is a full-service marketing agency that offers our clients support across all digital marketing channels, including web design, email, social media, paid ads, content marketing, sales enablement, and partner marketing.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Digital Marketing
Understanding what a digital marketing agency does is all well and good. But it doesn’t necessarily explain why you should consider working with one. What benefits can your organization gain from partnering with an agency instead of handling your marketing internally?
If You Have a Marketing Team
You can still benefit from working with a digital marketing agency if you have an internal marketing team.
- Augment your capabilities. Depending on the size and specialization of your in-house team, an external team can help fill gaps in your skillset or support your staff during intensive campaigns.
- Stay current on trends. Digital marketing agencies invest heavily in staying up to date on the latest marketing trends and strategies. Partnering with an agency means you don’t have to worry about the time and money it would cost to have your own staff attend workshops, conferences, and training courses.
- Get a fresh perspective. Even the most talented, skilled marketing professionals need another set of eyes on their strategy and assets once in a while. Nothing is less effective than a marketing team stuck in a rut.
Acknowledging where your strengths lie and where you fall short is vital to developing and maintaining an effective marketing strategy. There’s no shame in partnering with a digital marketing agency instead of taking it all on yourself — some of the biggest tech companies are doing it.
If You Don’t Have a Marketing Team
- An outside perspective on your business and its audience
- The ability to focus your time and resources on your growing business (instead of chasing leads)
- Expertise and understanding of the latest marketing trends and tools
- Scalability that allows you to ramp services up and down as your needs change
- Lower costs than recruiting, hiring, and training a team of your own
- Comprehensive digital marketing strategy and campaigns
The Benefits of Working with TPM
The team at TPM has decades of experience working with B2B organizations of all sizes in the technology space. Our deep knowledge of cloud, digital integration, and fintech tools means you’ll spend less time trying to make sure we understand what you do. And our commitment to staying current with the latest marketing trends — even developing our own methodology — means you can count on us for campaigns that deliver results.
How to Choose the Right Digital Marketing Agency
Pro Tip: Not all full-service digital marketing agencies are the same. Don’t assume that “full service” means that team does everything. Ask about specific services that you are interested in and look for someone with experience in your vertical to reap all the benefits of hiring a digital marketing agency.
1. Starting Your Search
These guidelines can help you narrow your search for a digital marketing agency that suits your needs.
2. Finding the Right Partner
Once you’ve narrowed down the list of potential partners to a few marketing agencies that seem to have what you need, it’s time to dig deep into what they can do for you. This is not the time to take a chance or go with your gut — interview any agency you’re considering the same way you would when hiring new staff. Make sure to talk to at least some of the team you’ll work with.
Look for a digital marketing agency that:
- Has experience in your industry or vertical
- Can provide samples of their work as well as reports on performance
- Explains how they measure campaign success and why they use that method
- Provides contact information for previous clients you can ask for a reference
Choosing TPM as a Marketing Partner
We’re proud of our work — and it shows. You can find samples of our works, case studies with detailed metrics on performance, and numerous customer testimonials on our site. And if you have any questions about what we do and how we do it — just ask.
3. Asking the Right Questions
Finding a digital marketing agency with demonstrated success is a great start — but it doesn’t guarantee they’re the right partner for you. Use this list of questions to help determine if the firm you’re considering will meet your needs.
4. Setting the Price
How much you’re willing to spend on external digital marketing services will depend on your needs, existing resources, and budget. Digital marketing agencies can work on several different pricing models — make sure your contract includes one that makes sense for your organization.
TPM’s Pricing Structure
At TPM, we work with companies of all sizes — from startups to international enterprises. Whether you need some help promoting a major launch or event, want assistance building a marketing strategy that you can take over once it gets rolling, or need some extra marketing muscle for the long-term, we can help.
Check out some examples of our project-based, foundational, or ongoing marketing packages or get in touch to discuss your needs and budget.
TPM: Your Digital Marketing Agency
Regardless of the size and scope of your business, odds are high you could benefit from the support of a third-party marketing expert.
At TPM, we work with B2B technology service providers of all shapes and sizes to help them develop effective long-term marketing strategies that deliver results. We use our proprietary XYZABC methodology to help build campaigns that let you stand out from the competition and engage your audience.
Whether you need a temporary boost to help kick-start your marketing efforts or a long-term partner to keep your messaging fresh and powerful, our team is here to help. Let’s chat about your digital marketing needs.
