Sometimes, running a business can feel like juggling chainsaws. Between sales leads, production, HR, research and development, and keeping the lights on, marketing can feel like an afterthought. But when you drop your marketing best practices, you run the risk of cutting your business off at the knees. That’s where digital marketing agencies (like Savy) can come in handy. So, how do you know if it’s time to bring in the pros? We’ve got a few telltale signs and brand milestones to help you make the decision.
Signs It’s Time to Outsource Your Marketing
You’re not sure where to start
Should you update your website or build brand awareness through your social media channels? Should you invest in a local commercial or hone your paid ads to reach your target audience? What about email marketing? And are direct mailers dead? There are a lot of moving parts in any marketing strategy. Luckily, digital marketing agencies specialize in building roadmaps to help you take the first step. And the one after that. And on, until you reach your goals.
Marketing tasks are something you dread
According to a recent survey we took here at Savy Agency, if you dread doing something, you’re 1,000 times less likely to do it well. Ok, that number might be a bit hyperbolic (we do work with writers, after all). But the logic holds up. If your heart isn’t in your blogging or if social media is just a box you’re checking each week, that your work will reflect that disinterest. Here at Savy—and in digital marketing agencies around the world—we’re passionate about what we do. And it shows in the work we produce.
You’re in over your head
You don’t have to walk, talk, sleep, and breathe marketing to get a good foundation under your brand. In fact, there are plenty of useful tools, sites, and tutorials available to help you iron out the basics of a good marketing strategy. But at the end of the day, marketing is still a complex (and rapidly changing) industry. It’s all about your comfort level.
You can think of it like any other job or hobby. A backyard mechanic might be comfortable changing the oil in your car but would never try to replace a head gasket. Someone who dabbles in woodworking could carve a beautiful figurine. But they should probably hire an expert to build their house. The same goes for marketing: do what you can, if you have the time and energy. But if you get in over your head, a digital marketing agency can help you get back on track.
You don’t know how to measure your success
Without the right metrics, it’s hard to gauge whether or not your marketing efforts are paying off. A lot of marketing’s success is qualitative, marking it hard to quantify. How do you measure the warm-fuzzies that your heartfelt commercial inspired? Or the impact that your new packaging had on brand recognition? How do you turn 2,000 followers on Facebook into sales? Not only digital marketing agencies have the tools to quantify your brand’s metrics. But they also have the experience and insights to tailor your strategy based on those measurements.
Sales are stagnant, or you’ve got no quality leads
If your team is spending more time weeding through spam calls than making sales, it’s time to switch something up. Getting the right content onto the right channels helps your ideal audience and consumers find you. Plus, with targeted marketing, you can capture consumers at different points in the sales funnel. By casting a wide net over a niche audience, you’re more likely to generate quality leads.
How Digital Marketing Supports Brands at Every Stage
Let’s look at this another way. Sometimes, it isn’t about your relationship with marketing. It’s about your brand’s relationship with the world. A digital marketing agency can help your brand navigate specific milestones, including launching, rebranding, and up-scaling.
Launching Your New Brand
Thousands of new brands launch every year. And up to 90% of them will fail within the first 12 months. Only 1 in 10 will succeed in the long run. We don’t want to burst your bubble or leave you discouraged. But it’s important to know the odds that you’re up against when launching your new brand. At Savy Agency, we help new brands find their vibe, their people, and their piece of the industry pie in a few crucial ways.
Brand positioning and identity
There’s nothing quite like building a brand from the ground up. Whether you come to us with a business plan or just the whisper of a concept, we’re here for it. During the brand discovery and positioning process, we’re able to take a holistic look at your industry. We identify your target audience and the best ways to connect with them. This is where we’re able to get granular (remember: wide net, niche audience). Is your service best suited for vegan Gen Zers who shop at thrift stores and own Maltese dogs? Or is your product best suited for Millennials feeling nostalgic for the 90s?
During this discovery phase, we’ll help you ask the right questions, find the most relevant data, and direct your energy towards the right consumer audience. The result? A brand that launches with a bang, not a fizzle.
Brand voice development
When it comes to marketing, consistency is key. Today’s consumers have a lower tolerance for inauthenticity than past generations. That doesn’t mean you need to wear your heart on your sleeve or have your personal views on blast 24/7. But it does mean your brand needs to communicate with a single, authentic voice across all channels. Here at Savy Agency, we help brands discover that voice. Then we put it into a living, dynamic document that grows alongside your brand.
Integrated marketing campaigns
It doesn’t matter how great your brand looks and sounds if you’re not reaching the right audiences. Luckily, a digital marketing agency like Savy gets your content on the best channels for your brand. Using data and research, we can create a strategy that meets your ideal audience where they’re at. An integrated marketing campaign ensures that your brand stays consistent across all channels—from social media and email marketing to paid ads and business cards. Plus, it helps you maximize ROI. Instead of yelling into the void, you’ll be speaking directly to the folks who want (or even need) to hear your message most.
Reimagining Your Existing Brand
You know the phrase If you’re not growing, you’re dying? The same is true for your brand. Whether you’re rolling out new products, refreshing your image, or expanding your market reach, Savy Agency can help.
Logo redesign and tagline development
Aesthetics change over time. Need proof? Look no further than mullets and acid wash jeans. And while your logo might hold enormous sentimental value (especially if it’s stayed the same since the beginning), it can also contribute to your brand looking outdated. At Savy Agency, our design team specializes in helping dated logos step into the present without losing their heart.
Similarly, an updated tagline can recenter your brand’s values, differentiators, and decision drivers. Just consider how the evolution of Airbnb’s tagline supported their growth as a company. When they first hit the market, Airbnb encouraged their patrons: Feel Ordinary With Us. As one of the first apps of its kind, this was revolutionary. While hotel brands were pushing luxury and novelty, AirBnB was getting back to the basics. Ordinary people opening their ordinary houses to ordinary travelers.
As the company grew, so did their mission. They went from an ordinary startup to a global community of travelers. Their updated tagline (Belong Anywhere) shows the evolution of their values and mission.
Website redesigns
Even if it ain’t broke, you can still fix it. Just like an outdated logo or tagline that hasn’t grown with your brand, an old website can hold you back. The role and function of websites has changed considerably in the last few years. They’re not just where your customers look up your phone number and address. They’re where your audience goes for information, to feel a sense of community, and (increasingly) where they buy and review your products or services.
Your website is also your brand’s face in the digital world. A clean, professional, modern website shows that you care about your brand’s appearance. Plus, a website redesign can improve your user experience, boost site speed, and create a mobile-first experience.
Scaling Up Your Brand
Ready to grow your business? A digital marketing agency can help. Through ongoing support services—blogging, social media management, email marketing, and more—agencies strategically increase your reach.
Agency support services
We cannot stress this enough: marketing is never a one-and-done situation. It’s an ongoing relationship between your brand and your audience. If you’re lost digital communication was a Facebook post last year, your audience might be feeling a bit ghosted right now. Ongoing content marketing, including blogging and social media, keeps your brand relevant. It helps build brand awareness, which leads to better brand recall. Plus, content marketing gives your brand a voice. These are all important aspects of scaling up your brand.
So, is it time to hire a digital marketing agency?
While we can see the value of a marketing team at every stage in your brand’s growth cycle, we’re also a little biased. In the end, you have to be the captain of your own marketing future. But we can help guide that decision-making process! If you’re interested in a brand evaluation, get in touch with our team. Together, we can make something new.