Marketing in today’s ever-changing digital landscape requires highly specialized skills and in-depth knowledge. As a business owner, you might find that you are focused on the day-to-day operations that keep everything running smoothly, leaving you with little time to acquire the skills needed to run a successful marketing campaign. That’s where a full-service marketing agency comes in. For a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house marketing specialists, you can partner up with a well-rounded digital marketing team, saving you money in the long run, increasing your ROI, and giving you time to do what you do best, running your business and keeping your customers happy. Let’s explore why partnering with a great marketing agency can help you make a big impact without breaking the bank!

Full-service marketing agencies serve as strategic partners, guiding businesses through the complexities of the marketing landscape and helping them achieve their objectives with maximum impact and effectiveness. With comprehensive, personalized services, like crafting compelling brand stories, designing eye-catching visuals, running strategic digital campaigns, and engaging with audiences on social media, marketing agencies aim to provide a holistic approach that covers every aspect of your marketing needs. Here are some reasons why working with a marketing agency is a cost-effective way to promote and grow your brand.

1. Streamlined Communication and Coordination:

Working with a single agency ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common goal. A dedicated account manager serving as your primary point of contact means you can enjoy clear and consistent communication throughout the entire process. This not only saves you time and effort but also helps lower the risk of misunderstandings and miscommunications, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective marketing campaigns.

2. Comprehensive Expertise and Specialization:

One of the biggest perks of partnering with a full-service marketing agency is the chance to work with a diverse team of experts with specialized marketing skills and knowledge. From branding and design to digital marketing, content creation, and beyond, these agencies have the expertise needed to execute a successful marketing campaign with precision and effectiveness. Rather than relying on multiple vendors or hiring in-house specialists, partnering with a full-service agency gives you access to specialized marketing services all under one roof. This not only saves you the hassle of managing multiple relationships but also ensures that your marketing efforts are consistent and aligned with your business goals.

3. Cost Savings Through Economies of Scale:

By bundling multiple services together, marketing agencies are able to offer more competitive pricing than individual vendors or specialists. Because full-service agencies handle a wide range of clients and projects, they can spread overhead costs across their client base, further reducing costs for each individual client. This means that you can access high-quality marketing services at a fraction of the cost of hiring multiple vendors or building an in-house marketing team, making it a cost-effective choice for businesses of all sizes.

4. Strategic Guidance and Planning:

Full-service marketing agencies don’t just execute marketing tactics; they also provide strategic guidance and planning to help you reach your business goals. Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales, these agencies work closely with you to develop a customized marketing strategy that aligns with your objectives and budget. From conducting market research and competitor analysis to setting goals and defining KPIs, full-service agencies take a data-driven approach to planning and execution, ensuring that your marketing efforts are targeted, measurable, and effective.

5. Scalability and Flexibility:

Whether you’re a small startup looking to establish your brand presence or a growing enterprise looking to break into new markets, a marketing agency can adjust their services to meet your needs and budget. From launching targeted campaigns to managing ongoing marketing initiatives, full-service agencies offer the flexibility to adjust strategies and allocate resources as needed, allowing you to adapt and to seize new opportunities as they come up.

Think of a marketing agency as your trusted companion, equipped with a wide range of tools and expertise. With a dedicated team of professionals by your side, you can navigate the world of modern marketing with confidence, knowing that you have a trusted partner committed to your success, offering guidance, support, and expertise every step of the way.

If you’ve ever wondered how you can maximize your business’ potential and impact, have you yet considered partnering with a full-service marketing and advertising agency?

As the landscape of business continues to change and evolve, the distinction between marketing and advertising needs to become less blurred. While both are integral components of any successful brand strategy, understanding the nuances of both elements and learning to harness their synergies can make all the difference.

Goal-oriented entrepreneurs and business owners need a comprehensive solution to the success of a business more now than ever. The solution? Full-service agencies.
Full-service marketing agencies offer the solution and holistic approach required so entrepreneurs can more easily navigate the complexities of modern marketing and advertising.

Rather than viewing these components as separate entities, full-service agencies recognize the interconnectedness of the overall marketing strategy and advertising tactic, making it easy to leverage the two in tandem for your maximum impact.

Below are 5 ways that a full-service digital marketing agency can more fully help you grow and succeed:

1. Unification of Brand Development

At its core, the value proposition of a full-service agency lies in its ability to provide a unified approach to brand development and promotion.

By integrating marketing and advertising efforts under one roof, entrepreneurs and businesses are guaranteed consistency across all points, from print ads to social media campaigns. This meld not only strengthens brand identity but also enhances overall brand perception, fostering trust and credibility among consumers, customers, and audience members.

Full-service agencies also offer a depth of expertise that extends beyond traditional marketing and advertising channels. With access to a diverse team of specialists – including strategists, creatives, analysts, and more – businesses can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience to address their unique needs and challenges.

Whether it’s developing a comprehensive marketing plan, executing targeted advertising campaigns, or optimizing digital assets for maximum visibility, full-service agencies provide a breadth of services that cover every aspect of brand promotion.

2. In-Depth Support

In addition to the expertise brought to the table, full-service agencies also offer a level of flexibility that is unmatched by traditional marketing firms or in-house teams.

These agencies can tailor their services to accommodate a wide range of budgets, timelines, and objectives for small businesses with limited resources to large corporations with complex marketing needs.

If you’re looking for ongoing support and assistance, full-service agencies will confidently adapt to meet your evolving needs and goals. This ensures that your brand remains agile and competitive.

3. Scalability

Perhaps the most compelling element for collaborating among the full-service agency model is the potential for innovation and growth.

By consolidating your marketing and advertising efforts under a single umbrella, businesses can maximize collaboration and creativity, driving groundbreaking ideas and strategic initiatives that will propel them ahead.

With access to a full spectrum of resources and capabilities, businesses can comfortably experiment with new technologies, explore emerging trends, and push the boundaries of traditional marketing and advertising tactics.

4. Cost + Team Reduction

Partnering with a full-service agency also helps reduce marketing and backend effort costs significantly.

One of the primary ways in which full-service agencies drive cost savings is through efficiently streamlined operations. When you’ve consolidated your marketing and advertising efforts under the same roof, businesses eliminate the need to manage multiple vendors and coordinate separate campaigns. This consolidation not only simplifies the administrative burden but also reduces overhead costs associated with managing multiple external relationships.

So whether it’s combining website design with social media management or bundling search engine optimization (SEO) services, businesses are offered package deals that help move along the growth and efficiency of operations and campaigns.

And, instead of hiring and training an in-house team or relying on freelancers with varying levels of expertise, businesses can fully tap into the collective knowledge and skills of a dedicated team of professionals at a full-service agency. This not only ensures high-quality work but also minimizes the risk of costly mistakes or missteps that can arise from inexperienced personnel.

5. Gain a Better Understanding of Your Audience + Their Needs

Partnering with a full-service agency empowers businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their target audience through comprehensive data analysis, strategic insights, and audience segmentation techniques.

Full-service agencies can provide businesses with valuable insights into their consumer behaviors, preferences, and trends, offering helpful insights that will enable businesses to develop more targeted and personalized campaigns that resonate with their audience on a deeper level.

Whether it’s crafting personalized email campaigns, creating targeted social media ads, or developing custom landing pages, this agency model can help businesses more confidently craft the right campaign to deliver highly effective marketing communications that drive results.

Full-service agencies will also help businesses by conducting thorough market and consumer research to gather qualitative insights and feedback directly from the target audience. This data will provide businesses with a better understanding of their audience that goes beyond numbers and metrics. Once armed with this comprehensive understanding, businesses can make more informed decisions when refining their marketing strategies to build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their audience.

Working with EPIC

Epic Marketing understands the need for highly effective strategies and innovative moves for the success of a business or brand. As a full-service agency, we offer a wealth of resources and expertise (from this list and more) to help businesses thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

With a dedicated team of seasoned professionals and a comprehensive suite of services, technology, and resources, Epic Marketing is uniquely positioned to address the diverse needs and challenges of businesses across various industries.
One of the key ways in which we can help you and your business flourish is through our strategic (and interconnectedness mindset) approach to marketing and advertising, allowing us to develop tailored strategies that drive results.

We also offer a comprehensive approach to your brand development and promotion, ensuring consistency and cohesion across all elements of your business. As we provide end-to-end solutions that cover every aspect of your brand growth, we save you time, resources, and effort so you can continue to focus on what you do best – running the business.

Additionally, Epic Marketing is committed to delivering unparalleled results and driving measurable ROI for its clients. Through ongoing analysis and optimization, we work to ensure that our strategies remain aligned with your objectives and that we adapt to changing market conditions.

We work to deliver tangible outcomes that propel businesses forward. With a track record of success and a dedication to client satisfaction, Epic Marketing is the right partner of choice for businesses looking to thrive in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing digital world.

The benefits of using Epic Marketing as your full-service agency extends far beyond mere convenience or cost-effectiveness. Once you embrace the strategic advantage of our integrated marketing and advertising model, your business can unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and success. So no matter if you’re a startup looking to ditch the guesswork or an established brand seeking to stay ahead of the curve, partnering with Epic may be the key to realizing and reaching your full potential.

How to Hire a Marketing Agency

Hiring a marketing agency is a big step for any business. Whether you are a big or small company, entrusting your marketing endeavors to an external team can be daunting. Finding a good agency is an investment. It takes both money and time to find the right fit. And like all things, you run the risk of making the wrong decision. This is not meant to scare you, but to highlight the importance of thorough research and effective vetting. Before jumping into the “choosing an agency” process, it is best to start by asking yourself some basic questions.

Big Picture Questions

These big picture questions are meant to help you look at your business and its needs in a broad manner. Details are important. But a big picture focus identifies the framework of your marketing goals. Understanding why you want a marketing agency and your intent with that agency can set you on the right course when it comes to actually hiring one.

Are You Ready For An Agency?

Whether or not you’re ready for an agency is largely determined by what you’re looking for. A good rule of thumb is if you’re looking to check off tasks, consider hiring in-house marketing help. If your goal is to develop brand strategy and campaigns, opt for hiring an experienced marketing agency. The driver behind hiring an external team is they can look at your business from an outside perspective. They can use their industry knowledge to develop a marketing plan and strategy that you may have never considered.

Why do you want to hire an agency?

Your intent behind hiring an agency is indicative of whether it is the best idea or not. If you’re looking towards an agency because you’re frustrated with your sales and want an immediate fix, hiring an agency would be a waste of time and resources. Marketing is a long-term game with effects that are often felt further down the line. If you’re looking to set in place a foundation and plan for continued advertising, an agency partner can offer you that blueprint.

Long-term goals with the agency?

Consider your long term goals with an agency. Are you looking to develop a campaign for a specific product? Do you want to run ads for the foreseeable future? Figuring out what you want long term from an agency will not only help you choose the right fit but will also help the agency better serve you and adjust their strategic marketing plan to meet your needs.

Detail Oriented Questions

Now that we’ve covered the big picture, onto the details. Marketing is an industry that plays heavily on specifics. Your type of business, brand, and definition of success can all help you select the right agency for what you need. You will soon find that different agencies have different specialties and operate in different ways. Some of these will inevitably not be right for you. Establishing a selective set of needs will make your options more targeted.

Local or not?

The location of your marketing team depends mostly on your type of business and your preferences when it comes to meetings. For the most part, location-based companies, like storefronts, restaurants, or local services, prefer to work with a local company. A local company has a better idea of the advertising market in that specific area and can offer location-specific insights. If your business is entirely online, the location of your team may matter less. This being said, for either type of business, if you prefer to meet face to face and often, a team that is in your local area is better. 

What kind of agency are you looking for?

Not all marketing agencies are built the same. There are full-service agencies that offer all marketing services and there are more specific agencies that specialize in a specific part of marketing whether that’s branding, content marketing, digital marketing, video production, social media marketing, web design, etc. If you’re looking for a specific service, say you want solely TV commercials or promotional videos, you may opt for a video-specific agency. If you’re looking for multiple agency services, a full-service agency may be the best fit. This way, all your services are sure to look consistent as they are all produced by the same team.

What are you looking to accomplish specifically?

It is important that your specific goals align with the goals of your marketing team. Different agencies will have different opinions on how to go about marketing your product or service. If you find that an agency is too far removed from what you want, it may not be the best fit. While it is important to keep an open mind when discussing marketing with marketing experts, sometimes it just doesn’t line up. Having a specific list of needs or goals ready to discuss can help guide you towards the right choice.

Steps To Hiring A Marketing Agency 

Now that you have asked yourself some basic questions, it’s time to start the process of hiring an agency. It is important not to rush this process. Hurrying through the steps and hiring an agency quickly can not only lead to a loss of time and money but could significantly impact your business. When looking at different agencies, take your time, do your research, and be confident in the decision you make.

Research.

Good research is the foundation to finding the right marketing agency. Start narrowing your field by searching for specific elements you want, whether that is industry, location, price, etc. As you find potential contenders, start putting together a list. Be sure to look at individual agencies’ websites and their past work. Often the website will have a section of case studies or portfolios that outline past projects, processes, and results. Check out client reviews and testimonials to see how other companies would rate their experiences.

Request.

Once you’ve gathered your well-researched list, send out what is called a request for information (RFI). An RFI is an incredibly useful document for both parties. It allows you, the potential client, to outline your business’s background, needs, and wants. And it provides a place for you to collect information on the agencies you’re looking at. The agency that receives the document can now see exactly what you are looking for, and provide any information or numbers that were asked of them. These documents act as digestible summaries of your potential options.

Compare.

This is where the real selection starts. The requests that you collected in the previous step are an excellent launch pad for comparison. You have a snapshot of budgets, skills, and agency services that you can compare and contrast. This is the step where you begin to decide what factors are more important to you. Maybe you have a strict budget and the agency that offers the most within that sum is the best option. Or maybe you’re most interested in skillsets and willing to pay a little over what you had originally settled on. Ultimately this is where you look at all the research and resources that you collected and take your pick.

Start.

If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You have a new marketing agency. Now the fun starts. Your first meeting with the new team can be exciting and nerve-wracking. This is where you can start to outline the plan for your company’s marketing strategy. You’ll go over the different services and goals for each, and see how the team begins to develop your blueprint. This meeting is important for you to confirm that you’re confident in this decision. And remember, if it doesn’t work out, it’s okay to break up!

Marketing Agency Red Flags

When you’re on the agency hunt, it’s important to be wary of red flags. Here are 5 telltale signs to look out for when considering an agency.

They overpromise results

Marketing is a game of patience and consistency. If an agency promises you success immediately, you may want to consider why they would need to oversell.

They lack proof of past success

An agency that is confident in their abilities and has the results to prove it will post it to their site. If you can’t find any proof of success for an agency, it may mean it was never there to begin with.

They have poor communication

If an agency has poor communication at the very beginning, it won’t be there at the end. A lack of communication is a lack of transparency, and that is not something you want.

They use a lot of buzzwords

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the basics of what an agency is helping you with. If all you hear are big, fluffy words and no explanations, it’s best to find someone else.

They have little to no client retention

They say the proof is in the pudding. In marketing, the proof is in the past clients. If an agency shows little to no client retention, the issue isn’t the clients, it’s them.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a marketing agency is an investment. It requires you to dedicate time, money, and energy. It is important to take your time, be thorough, and do your research. But, successful marketing efforts offer excellent return on that investment. 

It may seem daunting, but we hope these steps ease some of those nerves. And if you’re looking for some help, fill out the contact form below. We look forward to chatting with you.