pros and cons of advertising agencies.
Answers
The Pros
#1: Creative Minds
Creativity is at the top of any discussion on the pros and cons of hiring a marketing agency. Most marketing agencies have creative directors with a lot of experience when it comes to creating marketing campaigns. Under those creative directors, there are whole teams of talented copywriters, designers, and animators waiting to showcase their creativity. These people can take a simple business concept, such as selling products and turn it into an advertising masterpiece, a website, or billboard that provokes thought and admiration.
Even if you think of yourself as a creative person, your advertising talents can hardly be compared to those of experts with multiple years of experience in the industry. Chances are you won’t be able to create a memorable campaign on your own. And just one of those campaigns is enough to put your business on the industry map for years to come. You can always check the Cannes Festival of Creativity to see what creative minds are capable of.
#2: Areas of Expertise
A full-service marketing agency has whole departments dedicated to different aspects of marketing. At the head of these departments, you will find senior managers with years of experience. Whether you need a new website, a TV commercial, or social media management, your agency can provide you with all these services.
This is very important, as omnichannel marketing allows you to cast a wider net and reach a broader audience. Managing all aspects of your brand helps you create a stable and distinct brand image.
Agencies also have quite a few different experts on staff outside of marketing. Need a pro designer to spruce up that old sales presentation? There’s a designer for that. What about that tired website? Work with the agency’s development team to bring it up to modern standards. This is one of the magical parts about agencies. The cost of hiring one or two people can net you so much more skills at your disposal.
#3: New, Different Ideas
Being in your business for a long period, you can start revolving around the same ideas all the time. Your campaigns start to look alike, and you keep using the same words to describe things. You keep trying to come up with new creative ideas but it starts getting more and more difficult. This is completely expected. After all, we all have our own writing styles and ways of thinking, and there is a limit to how long you can produce quality content when trying to promote the same thing all the time.
#4: More Time for You
Hiring a marketing agency allows you to focus your attention on other things. Rather than monitoring Google analytics every day and hunting for freelancers to design your social media posts, you can concentrate on macromanagement. This is vital to your business growth. You need to let go of the idea that you have to be involved in all aspects of your company.
The Cons.
#1: The Expenses
A marketing agency is also a business. This means it has its own salaries, taxes, and other expenses that need covering. To do this, it has to set a price for its services. However, most agencies are transparent about their prices, and their invoices are very clear and honest. They may also be willing to make compromises regarding their fee structure, so you may end up paying less than you expected.
That being said, an agency will almost never provide a service for free. Even after a year of cooperation, if you need them to produce an extra Facebook post, they will likely charge you for it. Out of all the pros and cons of hiring a marketing agency, the cost is the most likely deal-breaker if you can’t justify or afford it.
#2: Lack of Industry Experience
Some agencies have only worked in a small number of industries. If you come from a niche industry, there is a chance some marketing firms know nothing about your field. Have this in mind when looking for an agency. Look at their previous work and make sure that they have worked with clients from your field before.
In the beginning of your professional relationship with a marketing agency, they will need more guidance and monitoring. However, as time goes by, they will learn more about your business and industry. Eventually, you will be able to lean on them for all of your marketing activities.
#3: Different Clients, Different Priorities
While you are focused solely on your business, your marketing agency has a lot of different clients. Recent studies show that SEO specialists in large agencies personally handle as many as 17 accounts. Some of them may pay for more services than you, which means they get more attention and enjoy a higher priority status. This can sometimes lead to project deadlines being pushed.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏs
#: ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴍɪɴᴅs.
ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴠɪᴛʏ ɪs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴏғ ᴀɴʏ ᴅɪsᴄᴜssɪᴏɴ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴs ᴏғ ʜɪʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɢᴇɴᴄʏ.
#: ᴀʀᴇᴀs ᴏғ ᴇxᴘᴇʀᴛɪsᴇ.
ᴀ ғᴜʟʟ-sᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɢᴇɴᴄʏ ʜᴀs ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛs ᴏғ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ
#: ɴᴇᴡ, ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ɪᴅᴇᴀs.
ʙᴇɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss ғᴏʀ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ʀᴇᴠᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.
#: ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ.
ʜɪʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɢᴇɴᴄʏ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡs ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ғᴏᴄᴜs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢs.
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ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴs
#: ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇɴsᴇs.
#: ʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴏғ ɪɴᴅᴜsᴛʀʏ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ.
#: ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴄʟɪᴇɴᴛs, ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴘʀɪᴏʀɪᴛɪᴇs.
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