Outsourcing work to a third party marketing agency is something that is becoming a lot more common these days. For any small business owner, it’s a mere question of time and money.
Sure, you can start hiring people to create an in-house marketing team. Or, you could use your marketing skills to do the job yourself. However, few business owners will have the time or energy to put into creating first class campaigns. The simple fact is they have far too many other business critical tasks on their plates.
So, the only choice for many is to outsource marketing functions. And there are, essentially, two routes you can go down: a large, traditional marketing agency, or an independent, boutique service. Today, we’re going to take a look at the benefits of using the latter – so read on to find out more.
Specialist knowledge
Boutique agencies are renowned for having expert knowledge of a particular field in marketing. So, let’s say you run your marketing campaigns yourself, but are struggling with the digital side of things. You might need to find an agency to help you with your SEO or social media, for example. It tends to be the case that a boutique agency lives and breathes their fields, much more so than a larger company. You will be accessing specialist knowledge that understands every last development in the industry. They can often offer far more insightful strategies.
Flexibility
Big media and marketing agencies are all about process and routine. As with any other big business, there is a methodology behind everything they do, and many people needed to perform their duties. Boutique agencies, however, can often offer a more bespoke service, that doesn’t rely quite so much on process and method. Boutiques can be more flexible, change faster when needed, and adapt to different conditions.
Cost
When you hire a traditional marketing agency, you incur a lot of expenses. You are paying for large teams, flash offices, and expensive software, amongst other things. With boutique agencies or even one-person enterprises, the costs are far less. They can offer you a similar, specialized service with fewer overheads – meaning a cheaper cost.
The personal touch
Larger marketing agencies work with dozens – maybe hundreds – of clients at a time. Boutique agencies, however, have a much smaller roster, meaning they can dedicate more of their time to you. You will also find that when you work with a boutique agency you get much more time with the project lead. In a larger company, you will often have an account handler or someone from a junior position working on your marketing.
Innovation
Boutique agencies are much more relaxed about thinking outside of the box than their larger competitors. As we mentioned above, the bigger firms tend to be restricted by the process, and will often avoid trying new tactics and methods of doing things. If you want innovation and something different, you should always use a boutique agency.
Working with bigger marketing companies isn’t all bad, of course. There is a prestige involved, and they will have access to many different types of resources that can benefit your campaigns. But, as you can see, a smaller, boutique agency can make much more of an impact. Choose wisely – and let us know your thoughts!
