What Makes A Good Marketing Agency Good
Defining A Marketing agency
Before we begin, we have to make clear the distinction between a Digital Marketing Agency and a Traditional Marketing agency.
Traditional Marketing refers to any type of marketing that isn’t on the internet. From print, broadcast, direct mail, phone, and advertising like billboards or signs, to newspapers, mailers, business cards, radio and T.V., and all in between, this method of marketing helps manually reach targeted audiences in real life. There was a time when this was the only kind of marketing that existed, but with the digital revolution came a second juggernaut in the form of digital marketing. What’s the difference?
Digital Marketing has become a behemoth and has over taken Traditional Marketing for some time now. Digital marketing, otherwise known as, online marketing, refers to all marketing efforts that are digitally produced for the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and other online sites like digital business directory web sites such as Yelp, or Home Advisor to connect their brand with potential clients.
Birdie Digital Marketing Agency is both traditional and digital, which is one thing that makes us unique. We have many years of experience in print publication media and graphic design for store fronts and billboards, and have been in the digital space for well over a decade.
This means there isn’t much you could through at us that we couldn’t handle. This is also why our specialty is complete brand creation and management. At BDMA you can, all in one meet your graphic, digital, paper, and print design needs.
Marketing Agency Trends and Trajectories
The “Why” of Digital Marketing?
In 2020, global marketing spend reached $1.3 trillion, with digital marketing spend hitting $214.3 billion. Today those numbers have increased drastically as the need for remote workers has increased. In the last couple years, marketers, more than ever embraced digital transformation. This, as they adapted to constantly changing virtual and hybrid business landscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Ad Spending: According to Magna Global, the U.S. ad market rebounded in 2021 with ad dollars growing by 25%, totaling $284.3 billion.
Driving the growth in ad dollars will be digital “pure play” media which will grow by 35% in 2021 and total $162.4 billion, accounting for 57% of total ad dollars. Among digital segments, search will lead with $98.6 billion, (+39% from 2020) accounting for over one-third of all ad dollars invested in media in 2021. Magna reported social media generated $58.8 billion in ad spend, increasing by 36% from 2020, one-fifth of all ad dollars spent in 2021 will be allocated to social media.
It is clear to us this market will only continue to grow which means if your not already on board with a real marketing agency, your competition likely is and your being left behind. Let’s not let that happen. Register now for a free consultation! Click Here
What You Need To Know
As indicated, their are a lot more people trying to cash in on the digital marketing revolution, and that means you have to be careful who you select to represent your brands marketing. Where theirs money to be made, there you will likely find some sharks as well. If you want to choose the best marketing agency partner, you need to understand what a marketing agency does and what services they provide. You need to understand what a good approach even looks like versus an armature one. At Birdie we have a 3 phase, 10 step approach that keeps things simple but yields great workflow results for both us and the client. Please have a look at the infographic below, then we break down each of the steps, and in this alone we give you a great qualifier for discerning whether or not your marketing agency or prospect one is any good.
Birdie Digital’s 3 Phase 10 Step Marketing Process
Phase One: The Planning Phase
1. The Discovery Period
This 1st step is not often heard of. Most people think of marketing as a product. You buy marketing and your phone then rings. That’s not how it works in all cases. This holds true for start ups more than anything else.
The Discovery Period is a period of time, (up to 3 months for huge projects,) where we gather all the data we can from you, your industry, and your competitors. We also conduct an official interview discussing your goals and vision as it relates to your brand. For those with existing web presences this time is also most important. It’s the time we take to figure out what you have in place and in this we come to know your brand, and it’s current state, know your systems, preferred work flows, and technology.
2. Research & Analysis
Next we launch into the Research & Analysis period. This is where we thoroughly analyze all the data and in this discover what more we may need to research in order to move on to the next steps. We might discover that you actually have a competitor you didn’t even realize you had. Or maybe we discover that your server is in bad shape and in need of major optimization before starting the new project, for instance. This is very important because your competition is who we aim to defeat, and you can’t build a castle on a bad foundation; lest, it later has issues compounding creating extra work and sinking extra dollars. No one wants that. This time also helps us to know what we don’t know, or helps us to ask the right questions so that communication channels are not cluttered with so many of the wrong questions based on not knowing something we should have known.
It is important to note that the Planning Phase is a collaborative effort involving the client. You will need to be available to answer questions as we discover more and more. This, only until Phase 2, then and thereafter you can kick your feet up and let us handle the rest.
3. The Defining Period
This is a period of time we take to then make sense of everything we have gathered, and make sure everyone is on the same page. Also, a good time to establish possible 3rd parties, or partners needed to complete the project, as well as the best platforms for your brand. Organization of assets, graphics, and communication channels would have been defined as well, and we’re ready to move on to the next phase and develop our own core strategy. Remember by now we know everything about what you want. Can you see how these are signs of a real marketing agency approach so far?
Phase Two: Industry Research
4. The Core Strategy
Now that we have become intimately acquainted with your brand, goals, and vision, along with having obtained all the data and assets you may have, it’s time for Core Strategy. This is a period in which we set our stage for success. We determine the best 3rd parties needed, best platforms, best methods, that are relevant to your specific needs. You will find no cookie cutter approaches here.
5. Precedent Gathering Period
In some cases you will want to be unique, but in the world of digital marketing it can hurt you; depending on your niche and goals. This is why the Precedent Gathering process is a great service for clients to take advantage of. This process is one in which we then based on all we have learned seek out other similar brands that are on the cutting edge, are at the spot you dream of and we then use that to develop the design and feel of things. This is the beginning of branding, and the point is that you often need to fit right in with your competitors in terms of style, format, site layouts, typography, color pallets, on and on we can go. We then present our finding in the form of a proposal and you as the client get another opportunity to have your say. We, and our clients are a team.
6. Concept Selection Period
After listening closely to your feedback we then go to work on conceptualizing your brand. We present said concepts and again you select / or work from which ever you prefer. It wont be easy to choose that’s for sure as we believe you will like it all, but again here we believe in this curtesy; to respect clients and make sure they have their say. This then serves as a way point guiding our design efforts along the way.
Phase Three: Launch Success
7. System Mapping
In this period we begin connecting or creating necessary 3rd party accounts such as Google Analytics. We also use this time to deploy and define reporting protocols, and fine tune communication. This would be the Information Technology phase. It also refers to the way in which your web site will operate in it’s notification and conversion methods.
8. Design and Development
Finally things get really fun for everyone. The Design and Development period is where you start seeing the fruits of our labor in the form of tangible deliverables. I.E. Page designs, layouts, content creation and so forth. This is where we become creators and because of the solid foundation we together have built we will nail your dream vision. It’s why we have this process. No one wants delays because design is not congruent because someone did not dig deep enough and therefore we come up short. That doesn’t happen around here.
9. Marketing Stage
This one’s self explanatory but it’s when the machine we have built is finally launched and marketing actually begins. In the beginning your site will be a business card site (a site that only serves to be shown to people via referral,) but as we continue to market your brand that phone is sure to ring.
10. Reoptimize & Repeat
This is where brand visibility really begins growing finally. After initial launch and marketing campaigns we have plenty of new data we must consider. In this we then reoptimize based on what we’ve learned and this process goes on ad infinitum. Rinse and repeat as they say. Only in this you perpetually increase your brands success and up the spiral you go!
What Kind of Services Do Marketing Agencies Offer?
Marketing Agencies commonly offer Web Design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO,) and Social Media Management. This includes all graphic design needs as well. They also, design your social media presence and use those channels like Facebook For Paid Advertising (PPC.) Moreover, they offer PPC on platforms like Google Ads and offer it as a fully managed services. Less common services include, Web Hosting, Digital Business Directory Creation and Management, Content Creation or Copy Writing, and Video Production.
At Birdie Digital Marketing we offer all of the above and more. This is because we’re digital junkies and have a passion for all things in design. Not just visual design, but as you have learned system design, or SEO Design, design design design; to us it’s all the same creative fun! Not bad for putting the food on our tables too. 😉
In Conclusion
We could go on and on but we wanted to give you a major qualifier by introducing our marketing system so that you can know what to expect from an agency, and if you don’t see this level of service coming from your agency, do not sign that contract and call us instead!
