So, you have this brilliant business idea, you have done your research and know there’s a market. You get the company set up and are ready to go. Then nothing. No customers, no inquiries, no-one visiting your website.
The reason for this is simple – you have missed one crucial element of starting a business. Marketing it. Without marketing your products or services, no-one knows they exist and that’s also one of the key parts for small and medium enterprises to grow beyond their current level.
The majority of businesses won’t fall into the trap of ignoring marketing as they build their company, but many will get confused by all the different options and unsure of which is best to reach their audience. This is where working with marketing specialists can be a huge boost to your company.
All the main areas of marketing and is a full-service digital marketing agency. This means you can almost entirely hand over your marketing to them once you have sat down with them to plan what marketing approaches you want to take. Because they understand the marketing options available, you don’t need to learn it all yourself.
When you work with a full-service marketing agency, you get a lot more than tips on a few pieces of content to create and a quick PPC campaign to boost customer numbers.
The process starts with the creation of the marketing strategy which is going to be delivered over the course of a set time frame. This lays out the goals, strategies and tactics that will be used and lets you see where you need to do anything to contribute.
The service also includes website design and creative services where needed. This means the company can ensure the website you have is responsive and will help with marketing, not hinder it. It also includes creating the assets needed for use in marketing if you don’t have in-house designers. This can even include some animated videos and corporate presentations.
Perhaps the most important element of working with a marketing agency is the ability to develop and expand on what is working to move into advanced strategies to further grow the business.
Search engine optimisation is a classic example. This will start with basic elements such as creating keyword-rich content that answers a question your audience has. It will also involve getting backlinks from other websites to this content to boost its profile. Advanced strategies maybe things like guest posts, paid advertising on search engines or joint ventures.
Marketing automation is another area that SMEs may often need but can sound terrifying. This service will help with everything from creating new leads and nurturing them to advanced sales strategies – all of which have large elements of automation in them.
If you can’t decide which is best, PPC or SEO then review this infographic.
One of the hardest parts for SMEs is understanding all the data generated in marketing and how to use this to change the strategy going forward. A top agency will offer comprehensive reports and a deeper understanding of what is happening with the marketing strategy and how it can be changed going forward.
Having a marketing strategy is one thing – having an effective one that adapts to the results it provides is another. As a small or medium-sized business owner, there is a lot to do and that’s why outsourcing this crucial area of the business is one of the first things most companies do. By working with a locally based expert, you can also have that face to face element that helps you feel confident in your choice.
By Paul Gordon