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So, you’ve decided that you want to grow your business and need marketing expertise to get to the next level. Or, maybe your in-house marketing coordinator or marketing manager just put in their 2 weeks notice and you’re reevaluating how you want to move forward with your marketing efforts. Lastly, maybe you’ve been trying to juggle everything as a small business owner and you simply don’t have the time (or desire) to attempt to maintain your marketing efforts any longer. Do any of these sound familiar? They’re all from real conversations we’ve had with clients.

Whether or not you should hire a digital marketing agency will vary depending on your needs. There are pros and cons to hiring a digital marketing agency, just like there are when hiring a full time marketing employee.

First, let’s dive into the digital marketing agency spectrum.

Digital Marketing Agencies Vary

People who claim to be marketers or have a digital agency, are a dime a dozen: it’s a crowded industry. As you begin your search for a digital marketing agency that’s best for you, you’ll soon realize there’s a wide variety of different types of marketing support.

For example, there are recent college grads who are looking for freelance work, there are folks who attended a marketing seminar and decided that they can be digital marketers, there are boutique agencies, marketing freelancers, and XXL digital agencies.

All of the above options serve a purpose. (Although, I do suggest being weary of those who attend a digital conference and are suddenly digital marketers. I promise, it doesn’t work like that!)

Bellrae Marketing would fall into the boutique marketing agency category. Although, I’ve always struggled with the word “agency” because it feels like it implies something that we aren’t. Having worked full time for another company where I have hired marketing agencies to work with, I understand how it can feel. Every marketing agency that I hired made me feel like I was just a number to them. I felt pressured to conform to their processes instead of them supporting me as their client and making my life easier. After all, isn’t that what your marketing consultant or marketing agency is supposed to do?

At Bellrae Marketing we don’t treat you like we’re a large digital agency. We have our own systems and processes, but we adapt to yours as well. You’re the hero in our story and we want to do all that we can to support your business. We’re in the business of impacting as many lives as possible, and we help you do the same.

Why You Need a Digital Marketing Agency

Hiring a digital marketing agency like Bellrae Marketing, can be a great solution for a lot of different reasons. If you’re ready to grow your business and need marketing support a digital marketing agency can be much more cost effective than hiring a in-house team or even a single in-house marketing person. When you hire a marketing agency in Richmond, Virginia, like Bellrae Marketing, you don’t have all of the overhead that comes with hiring a full-time employee.

Another huge bonus is that you get access to a full-service marketing team for the cost of one full-time employee. You maximize your investment. Not to mention, when you partner with Bellrae Marketing you receive over a decade of modern marketing experience. Hiring a full-time person with that same level of experience would cost you double or even triple!

That said, there are certainly things that an in-house marketing person can do that will differ from a digital marketing agency. For example, having an in-house marketing person gives you more control over that individual. When you work with a digital marketing company you must be on the same page with communication, expectations and boundaries. Perhaps you like the idea of hiring a full-time person so all of their time and effort goes into your company, we totally understand that, but could argue that working with a variety of clients and others in your same industry allows us to stay up-to-date on marketing trends and what works for clients like you.

A Hybrid Marketing Approach

There is a third option that works quite well and that’s a hybrid approach that includes an in-house marketing person AND a digital marketing agency. That’s right, the team at Bellrae Marketing can work with you even if you have an in-house marketer. We love it! If you have a digital marketing coordinator that you want to invest in and groom to run your marketing department one day, we can coach and develop them. Think of us as a remote CMO or Marketing Director.

We’ll teach them everything we know and keep you informed along the way. Or, maybe you have a Marketing Manager who is drowning in day-to-day marketing tasks and can’t focus on big picture items. We can help them too. We can off load the day-to-day marketing tasks from your marketing manager and help them help you grow the business.

It doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario. You can have it all!

Other Reasons to Hire A Digital Marketing Agency

If you’re an established business with a proven product or service that’s ready to take your company to the next level, then a digital marketing agency could be a great fit for you. If you’re a start up business and are looking for minor support, a freelancer may be a better fit for you as it could be a more cost effective option. However, always explore your options. You might be surprised once you find the right company for you. Remember to pay attention to how you FEEL when you’re speaking with potential digital marketing agencies, because the truth is: there are so many of us. Some better than others, but it comes down to the right fit for YOU.

The Bellrae Marketing team would be happy to answer any questions you have or chat about your marketing needs. Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch, or follow us on Instagram!