Guides
How To Choose The Right Marketing Agency For Your Small Business
Emma
Nov 23, 2023
8 min read
Introduction
Many small businesses handle their marketing independently, saving the cost of hiring an external team. It is not a problem given there are a variety of SaaS tools to help create and execute marketing strategies.
However, modern marketing is not just about posting monthly blog posts or running the occasional paid ads. It is a complex, multifaceted affair that covers SEO, social media, email, PPC ads, content creation, and much more.
And in most cases, small businesses simply do not have the bandwidth or the expertise to tackle all of that on their own as they scale. That is where marketing agencies come in to do the heavy lifting, driving campaigns that exceed expectations and boosting conversions.
The right marketing agency gives you a recurring return on your investment. Let’s
With the right marketing agency, your investment returns to you many times over. Let’s walk you through the most important questions you need to set in place and ask the agencies when evaluating them.
Table of content
Many marketing agencies ask for a six-month to a year commitment when you start. This is normal, as seeing results from a marketing campaign usually takes a while.
Make a choice based on how much flexibility you are looking for (i.e., whether you would like the option to swap agencies after just 3-4 months).
Work on smaller projects before committing to a long-term engagement with the agency. For example, it could be a 3 month website/landing page redesign project to give you an understanding of how the agency functions.
Hiring an agency is a huge responsibility as it’s a long-term commitment both in terms of investment of time, effort, and money.
If you have never worked with an agency before, it might be worth hiring a freelancer or a full-time marketer. But how effective is that? Here is what you must remember:
Our recommendation: Do you have anyone in your organization to coordinate with the marketing agency or freelancer? There’s a learning curve for the marketing agency/freelancer and needs active participation from your end. Start by hiring a generalist marketer who can manage the external vendor on your goals, requirements, and brand positioning.
During selection, assess whether the agency has the necessary tools to meet your marketing objectives. Ideally, it should have set processes using the best tech stack to keep up with industry trends and effectively manage varied marketing initiatives. Here are the specific functions that an agency’s tech stack should cover:
What tools does the agency use to communicate internally and with its clients? Does it use Skype, Slack, or Marketing Teams? Does the agency check in with clients weekly, monthly, or quarterly? How does it share progress reports?
Metrics Watch and Agency Analytics are popular tools for client reporting. Transparency is key.
Since client websites are one of the important things that a marketing agency works on, it must have a solution that facilitates collaboration, allowing clients to review and provide feedback.
Superflow, for example, enables users to leave comments in the form of text, audio, or video recordings directly on staging or production websites.
Auto-categorize comments, assign priorities, respond to each comment, and manage all comments across all websites in one place.
In addition, Superflow for live design reviews through live huddles or “flock mode,” ensures real-time feedback and faster decision-making.
Superflow works on all devices and browsers and integrates with project management tools like Asana, Monday.com, and Clickup.
Its ChatGPT integration, which helps generate compelling headlines and product descriptions, is a feature not provided by any of the Superflow alternatives in the market.
Superflow makes website collaboration seamless and efficient for the agency and its clients.
HubSpot is popularly used to automate social media posting, newsletter marketing, and ad campaigns.
The agency should be familiar with popular tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or UberSuggest.
WebFX, one of the best small business marketing agencies offers the full suite of marketing services, from SEO to social media, and they have generated over 7.8 million leads and $3 billion in revenue for their clients.
Notable clients: Ferdon (a Barclay brand), ABWE International, PBZ Manufacturing.
Why we like them: They offer web design services too, which can be a boon for small businesses looking to build a brand and optimize organic traffic.
The Atlanta-based creative performance marketing agency focuses on full-service social media marketing to take your online brand to the next level. Since 2011, Lyfe Marketing has helmed over 2,000 successful social media campaigns across the States.
Notable clients: Westmar Lofts, Cardinal Group Management
Why we like them: They create custom ground-up strategies for small businesses new to social media, as well as businesses that have been doing it for a while but are not seeing the numbers they want.
This is one of the best small business marketing agencies for lead generation. Cleverly does all the heavy lifting regarding reaching your dream prospects on LinkedIn, and they’ve generated $37.6 million in client revenue.
Notable clients: Bambee and LeaseLock
Why we like them: They specialize in lead generation.
Favoured is especially ideal for small businesses looking to capitalize on the power of social media and partner with micro-influencers.
Notable clients: Elvie and Jafa
Why we like them: They focus on the entire customer journey, from content ideation to creating authentic brand advocates.
As a digital marketing agency for small businesses, Sixth City Marketing specializes in boosting traffic and sales using SEO, PPC, web design, social media ads, and CRO. It caters to industries such as manufacturing, eCommerce, construction, and dental practices.
Notable clients: Kent State University and TYKMA Electrox
Why we like them: They craft an online marketing strategy customized for your challenges, goals, and target audience.
A small business marketing agency can be an indispensable partner in your growth journey, whether you’re just starting or scaling up efforts. Delving into the fine print about its marketing tech is also vital before inking a deal. And when it comes to website management, Superflow is a must-have.
When it comes to the tech stack, Superflow simplifies collaboration and enables quick stakeholder feedback during website design and development, a key service that most agencies offer.
[Start your free trial](https://app.usesuperflow.com/?_gl=1*vodh71*_gcl_au*MTM1MzkzOTgyLjE3MDAxMjg4MzE.) today to see how it can be a powerful tool for efficient project workflows.
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