How much does it cost to hire a digital marketing agency?

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The business has always needed to advertise their products to increase sales and revenue. In the past, there were only limited means to do so with relatively poor results. An ad in a local paper, a mention on the area radio channel, etc. could only reach a limited number of people. The world of marketing was taken by storm by the advent of the internet.

Far fewer people today spend their time reading newspapers, listening to the radio and even watching cable television than before the age of the internet. While these modes of marketing may still be employed to target a particular demographic, (such as the older generation), they are by and large near obsolete. What has replaced them is a much more effective and comprehensive field called digital marketing.

What is Digital Marketing?

To be clear, digital marketing involves any form of marketing that takes place over electronic devices. By this definition, advertisements on TV and even those on the radio are technically a part of this field. However, the term ‘digital marketing’ is now used to describe only the online marketing methods of this field rather than offline ones.

So, what are these online methods you may ask?  You are sure to have come across them whether you know it or not. For example, if you have ever used a search engine such as Google, you may have been advertised to using Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short). This method uses various tactics that ‘trick’ a search engine’s algorithm to show a particular link higher up on a query. And the higher up a link is on the result, the more it gets visited. Simple yet beautiful.

Companies may also pay Google to show their content right at the top of their results. Every time the link is visited, the company has to pay Google for this advertisement. Sites such as Facebook or Twitter also offer this method of ‘pay per click’ marketing. This method is very effective but understandably much more expensive than SEO. Businesses could always create pages on these social media websites and use regular posts to establish a presence in this area and market to potential customers using this tactic of social media marketing.

Other methods of digital marketing include email marketing, content marketing, and online advertisements, among others.

What does Digital Marketing Agencies do?

As you may have suspected, digital marketing is a large and complex field. To obtain the desired results, it is necessary to hire an expert in this field. A digital marketing agency has a pool of experts. For small businesses, it may be economical to hire one agency to manage multiple of the aspects mentioned above of this field. However, larger companies often employ several sub-specialists, each of which is entrusted with one aspect alone.

Much like there are various types of doctors, there are different digital marketing agents highly skilled in starting up and managing their respective field. These include SEO managers, content marketing specialists, social media managers, etc.

How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency?

There is an enormous pool of options to pick from when looking for a digital marketing agency. Indeed, it can be quite a daunting task as the direction your business takes can largely be influenced by whether or not you make the correct decision. However, if you take one step at a time and work your way up, the right choice is all but guaranteed.

The first step is to make a preliminary list of agencies. This can be done using a comprehensive online search and reading multiple client reviews. Focus on those reviews left by companies whose requirements resemble yours. Direct recommendations by peers may be added to this list. Ask the agencies you selected to provide you with a few clients who would recommend them and take time to contact these businesses to learn about their experience with the agency.

After this, it is vital to conduct meetings with your shortlisted candidates. Make your expectations clear to them and ask if the agency can fulfill these requirements. Understand the practices they use and ensure that they do not employ the use of any black hat methods. Often you may find that there are several proficient options, but you need to pick one that is best suited to your business. Ask how much the company knows about your business and evaluate what their level of interest is in this field. An agency that fails to show an appropriate level of investment should never be hired regardless of expertise.

How Much does it Cost?

In hiring a digital marketing agency, considering the cost is of paramount importance. On average, digital marketing agencies charge between 30,000 to 145,000 dollars a year. Several factors influence this price resulting in this vast range. These include the agency’s experience, (particularly in your area of business) your company’s size, how soon you want to see results and how many of the digital marketing services you wish to employ.

The entire concept of marketing is based on increasing profits, so the money spent in this area should create enough return on investment to justify hiring the marketing company. This is why it is better to hire a proficient agency despite its higher cost than one that is cheaper but isn’t as good at its job.

Conclusion:

Digital marketing is much more efficient in getting your global business recognition and improving conversion rates than conventional marketing. And it achieves this at a fraction of what it would have cost to get the same level of exposure by traditional means. Mentioned-above, are only some of the several benefits which prove that digital is the present and foreseeable future of marketing.