Hiring an outside marketing agency is a big step, but it’s one that pays huge dividends when the timing is right. Partnering with the right firm at the right time produces greater results at a cost significantly less than hiring specialists in-house. Let’s break down 5 signs that indicate it’s the right time for you to outsource to a digital marketing agency.
1. You’re in Over Your Head
You are the expert when it comes to your company and its products or services, but are you equally expert in successful online marketing? If not, don’t worry… you’re not alone. Not everyone who is adept at developing a remarkable product, service or team is adept at marketing. And even those who are fabulously cross-skilled find they don’t have enough time to devote to doing it all with excellence. As platforms expand and integrations are more robust, managing changes becomes challenging. This is true for startups, new product launches, and established brands looking to increase engagement and growth. If you’re in over your head, it’s time to focus on your strengths and get the help you need.
2. Sales are Sluggish
Lagging sales are an indicator of missing or ineffective marketing. If there’s a market for your product and service, you have a good sales team and competitive pricing, but sales are not improving as desired, it may be time to sit down with an agency. Some variances are seasonal or due to larger economic changes. [Hello, COVID-19 shutdown.] But some companies thrive through even the most challenging of times. When you’re not seeing the results you should be seeing, it’s helpful to evaluate your marketing strategy with a team of professionals. A digital marketing agency will bring a team with varied backgrounds, experiences and specialties. This can help tremendously when your outreach and sales depend on combined technical and creative skills.
3. Your Website’s Not Getting Enough Traffic
A website with low traffic numbers can also indicate incomplete or unsuccessful marketing efforts. Operating a business is more than a full-time job. Most business owners are pressed to manage their time to do all that comes with overseeing planning, operations, finance and more. They don’t usually have bandwidth left to take on creating and executing successful marketing strategies. If your website traffic is on the decline, it can signal that it’s time to meet with a digital marketing agency. Having a team in place that’s dedicated to your brand’s marketing, optimization and growth goals will help keep you out of cycles of decline and restarting again.
4. You Don’t ❤ Marketing
An audience will detect a lack of passion and creativity in your marketing. It shows in the quality of your ads, blog posts, emails, landing pages and social media. What’s more, if you don’t love it, it’s a lot of work to keep up with the many channels and components. Marketing agencies live for – you guessed it – marketing! By handing your marketing over to a team of pros who enjoy it, you are adding fuel to the life blood of your business. If you just can’t get excited about how to redesign that sales sheet or what you’re going to post in social media next, it’s time to talk to a digital agency about help.
5. Results Aren’t Being Measured
As a business owner, you know “what gets measured gets improved.” You are likely tracking sales, expenses, profit and loss – important business metrics. But, if you aren’t measuring social engagement and website analytics, you’re missing huge opportunities to gather intel from your audience. You are missing metrics on what’s working and what’s not. It’s important to understand marketing metrics and know how to interpret what they mean. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with the metrics, then it’s time to hire a digital marketing agency. They will take the time to evaluate your metrics and your audience and put together a strategy to help your business succeed.
The decision to transition from in-house marketing to working with a digital marketing agency is a big one. An agency that fits your values and prioritizes your goals will be an asset for your business. At 17blue, we value working cooperatively with our clients and enjoy helping them reach and surpass their marketing goals. If you’re ready for a free consultation with our team, let’s talk.
