Hiring a Small Marketing Company vs a Big Marketing Agency
Digital marketing has become increasingly complex as the way we do business grows with the world online. Marketing your business is no longer about placing a few ads and waiting for customers to walk through your door. It involves website design and development, search engine optimization (SEO), and so much more. That’s why hiring professionals is crucial to successfully marketing your business.
Because of the multi-faceted nature of digital marketing, you might assume that hiring a large marketing agency makes the most sense. It would seem more people = better marketing. If that’s true, why would anyone hire a small marketing company or a marketing freelancer instead?
5 Benefits of Hiring a Small Marketing Company or Freelancer
The reality of working with a large marketing firm may not be what you’d expect. In fact, there are many valuable benefits of working with a smaller marketing company or even hiring a marketing freelancer or contractor instead.
1. Cost
Without exception, a large marketing agency will cost more than a smaller marketing company or freelancer. Naturally, agencies have more overhead costs and more people on the payroll. Because of this, some agencies require a minimum account budget. For example, they may not take on any new clients for less than $4,000 per month.
Smaller marketing companies and freelancers, however, have less overhead costs. Because their own budgets are smaller, they’re more willing to take on smaller projects and accommodate smaller marketing budgets. If that describes the needs of your business, the cost factor alone may steer you away from a large agency.
2. Flexibility
How often do things go exactly according to plan? It’s rare, even in marketing. Maybe you start on a marketing campaign only to learn a competitor is using the same angle. You want to change your messaging, as you should. But can your marketing expert accommodate those changes?
A large marketing agency has many clients at once. They schedule projects well in advance and assign them to account managers with strict deadlines for each task and stage of the project. This is necessary to keep all projects on track and all clients happy. Some agencies will refuse change requests or charge significant fees to cover overtime pay and extra expenses to accommodate your request.
Small marketing companies and marketing freelancers don’t take on as many clients at once, so they have more flexibility in their schedules. They’re far more likely to adapt to changes on the fly based on the needs of your business at the moment.
3. Attention
It’s not uncommon for a large marketing agency to assign 50-100 accounts to each account manager. Can one individual give undivided attention to that many accounts? Can one individual-working only 8 hours each weekday as an agency employee-give each of those accounts the time and attention they need to get the marketing services they deserve?
In an agency with hundreds of clients, it’s reasonable that higher-paying clients receive the most attention. Remember, these agencies have much higher overhead costs. They have a bigger budget to maintain each month. This means that bigger businesses draw more focus from these marketing professionals than small business clients.
When you work with a smaller marketing company or a marketing contractor, you’re more likely to have their undivided attention when you need it. For smaller professionals, every client is as important as the next one, regardless of the size of their account. And in most cases, you’ll have direct access to the individual who’s handling your project.
4. Expertise
There’s a natural perception that larger marketing agencies mean greater expertise. People assume more team members mean more intellect. After all, “two heads are better than one”, right? There’s an assumption that the big agencies only hire the best of the best.
But the reality is that, in many cases, the expertise of a smaller marketing company or a marketing contractor is superior to that of a large firm. Why is that?
Consider this: An agency often has a lot of experience. They may even have prestigious “claims to fame” with a list of big-name clients under their belts. But if you were to evaluate each individual on their team, would they be the best the industry has to offer? Often, they’re excellent general marketers, but in today’s online world, successful marketing demands specialists.
Small marketing companies and marketing contractors are specialists. They become experts in specialized areas – web design, web development, SEO, content writing, etc.- and they develop a network of specialists they work with for the skills they need help with. You still get a whole team, but it’s a team of specialists instead of a team of generalists.
5. Personal
Personalized care is harder to come by with each passing day. Large marketing agencies struggle to provide truly personalized service because of the processes required to accommodate their large clientele. Don’t misunderstand this – a large marketing agency can absolutely produce exceptional marketing solutions for your business, but, by necessity, it tends to happen more on their terms than yours.
In contrast, a smaller marketing company or a marketing freelancer cares for each client personally. The flexibility they have, and their ability to focus completely on one client at a time, allows them to provide truly customized services that best fit the needs of your business.
We talked to Vincent Tudor of WYK Web Solutions and SEO Pros Canada. He said, “My clients are my family. I care for each of them personally. For me, helping their business grow is directly responsible for the growth of my own business. Because it’s truly personal for me, I’m willing to work more hours. I’m not limited by 9-to-5. My business is literally my life.”
Need to Hire Marketing Experts?
Are you looking for a marketing solution with the benefits a smaller marketing company or marketing contractor can provide? Do you need an affordable marketing budget, flexibility, undivided attention, the expertise of a specialist, and personal care? Contact WYK Web Solutions or SEO Pros today!
