Introduction
Hiring or outsourcing professional services such as digital marketing can allow you to work on the things you are good at. Digital marketing agencies have experience, that way the tasks that are not your primary focus can be left to the experts.
Professional services that you can outsource range from digital marketing, accounting, commercial law, website development and design, and IT support, to logistics.
In the case of digital marketing services, they help businesses to better market themselves online through activities such as search, social media, and paid channels. In a recent article by SME South Africa it is noted that digital marketing is a strategy that builds more trust in your brand and opens up wallets. There are many ways to influence buying decisions online, which include brand awareness, thought leadership and targeting the right audience.
Other activities you can outsource to a digital marketing agency are brand development, logo design, website design, e-commerce setup and creative services like copywriting, content development and motion graphics, out of your hands.
Signs that your business might need help with its marketing or digital marketing, include:
- You are not gathering sales leads nor selling products via your marketing channels.
- One of your goals is to increase brand awareness and you feel that what you are currently doing is outdated.
- You have an online audience (kind of) but you don’t have insight into their behaviour nor do you understand how to convey the message that you want to solve their problems.
Main Features
Some of the key functions that a digital marketing agency can perform are:
Web development involves the building and maintenance of websites. Some of the core services this includes are domain and hosting registration, website maintenance, plugin development, website design, CMS solutions, custom coding, and the setting up of e-commerce websites.
Services include copywriting services, content development, SEO content development, video and photography, animation and motion graphics, and brand development services.
This deals with the creation of visual content to convey a message. Services offered under the Graphic Design umbrella include company logos, corporate identity, brochures, email signatures, logo design, letterheads, promotional material, website design, landing and page design.
Marketing involves the creation of content and experiences to attract and entice customers. There are two types of marketing: inbound marketing and outbound marketing.
Inbound marketing makes use of SEO social media, blogging, viral marketing, influencer marketing, content marketing, paid search marketing;, opt-in email marketing, and webinars.
Outbound marketing makes use of PPC ads, TV/ Radio ads, display ads, trade shows, print ads, cold calling, and media buys.
As part of marketing management you also have the following functions: marketing strategy, marketing plan, campaign concept, marketing promotions, project management, advertising and public relations.
Professional services offered by digital marketing service providers include social media management, email marketing, e-commerce setup, lead generation, Google Ads, and SEO services.
Pricing
Costs are usually based on the scope of work per project for services. This is what the pricing structure can look like:
Once-off campaign versus monthly retainer – Service fees can either be paid once-off for a specific project or campaign or on an ongoing basis, usually recurring monthly or quarterly, also known as a retainer.
Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right service provider can be tricky if you don’t know what you are letting yourself in for.
Consider the following:
- Marketing goals and anticipated outcomes
Consider why you are looking for help and make a list of your goals and the desired outcomes. Do your research or speak to a professional. Next decide which goals arethe most important, this will help especially if you have a set budget for marketing and are not able to commit to pay for all the services that are offered to you.
Ask yourself the following questions: How much are you willing to spend on a marketing agency? What services do you need (that aligns with your immediate goals)? What marketing channels do you already use? Eliminate companies that offer services that cost much more than what you budgeted for.
It’s important to consider what services each agency specialises in and whether they align with the services you are seeking. Look for social proof such as reviews and testimonials and previous work done. Many companies now also offer a free consultation that can help determine if they are the right fit.
It’s important to consider whether you will enjoy working with an agency. Keep an eye out for their level of professionalism, timeliness and how they respond to feedback.
Professional services benefits:
- Access to experts and specialists – get expert guidance to make the right marketing decisions for your business.
- Generate leads and boost sales – increase sales by attracting customer attention online and get strategies for increasing conversions.
- Get insights – get insight into customer data and online behaviour to help improve your sales and marketing strategies.
- Improved customer service – use social listening tools and engage with your customers online through social media management.
- Convenience – allows you to focus on running your business and frees up time to work on more important aspects of your company.
