As a small business owner, you have a lot on your plate. With so many things going on, marketing is typically the first thing that gets pushed to the side. While many small business owners think they’d rather handle their own marketing, an agency can be a huge asset to your company.

Large companies have the time and manpower to engage in strategic marketing right off the bat, and as a result, it’s easy for small businesses to feel lost or overshadowed. But with a clear strategic marketing plan and a sound partnership with an agency, your company can grow and succeed with ease.

What’s the hesitation?

Sometimes marketing agencies get a bad rap because many people have a preconceived notion that they only work with large, multi-million-dollar companies, but this isn’t always the case.

There are a variety of agencies dedicated to serving small businesses and helping them grow and thrive. When you work with a marketing firm like this, they’ll know how to use your budget where it matters most.

How can a marketing agency help your business?

While there are countless advantages to working with a marketing agency, there are five big ways small businesses can benefit from a little help.

1. You’ll probably save money.

This may sound shocking, but it’s true. Many small businesses who know they need marketing assistance assume they’re better off adding a full-time marketing employee to their staff. However, by the time you consider salary and benefits, a full-time employee is going to cost your business a lot more than you think. If you pay half—or even a quarter—of that to a marketing agency, you’re almost guaranteed to get more bang for your buck.

2. You’ll benefit from a team of experts.

You’re probably skeptical of a “jack of all trades” in marketing or other areas of your business, and you should be! Hiring just one marketing employee is rarely enough. While many small businesses are better off simply working with an agency, some companies can benefit from having a marketing employee on staff who then works with an agency. An agency can complement your marketing specialist’s skills and help him or her create and implement promotional materials that are best for your business.

An efficient marketing team needs:

• A strategist who can look at the big picture and create a map for getting from A to Z
• A copywriter who can write on a business’s behalf
• A graphic/web designer who can create the visual elements your business needs

Adding these three positions to your company will likely be costly, and a team that small may struggle to keep up with the demands of your company. Working with a marketing agency full of strategy, copywriting, and design experts may be your simplest, most cost-effective option.

3. Everyone can focus on their own responsibilities.

It can be easy to assume the occasional newspaper ad or social media post will attract the right customers and only require a little extra work on the part of a current employee. But he or she may struggle to take the marketing reigns while handling his or her other responsibilities.

This can be especially difficult if the employee doesn’t have a marketing background and the new responsibilities will slow down his or her primary job. This can lead to burnout, affecting your retention rate, and will not be helpful in bettering your marketing efforts. An agency can provide the right quantity of high-quality marketing so you and your staff can stay focused on the daily operations that make your company a success.

4. Your company will have a professional, credible appearance.

When you look at a website, the quality of design probably influences how professional or credible you think the source is. Customers agree. For example, the use of color in branding increases recognition by up to 80%, and customers judge a product, service, content, or website within the first 90 seconds of viewing it.

If a website is difficult to navigate, contains little information about products or services, or doesn’t have a consistent brand appearance, those who visit aren’t likely to stay or make a purchase. It can even seem risky to put in payment information if a site doesn’t seem credible or well-designed. You want your customers to feel informed and safe when using your site, so an agency can help.

After thoroughly researching your audience’s visual preferences and content needs, a marketing agency can make your business appear trustworthy and competent by making your website and other marketing materials consistent with your brand and applicable to your audience. The best news: studies show this kind of consistent brand presentation increases revenue by 23%.

5. You’ll gain an outside perspective.

As a small business owner, you and your staff have a lot of responsibilities. You need to spend much of your time working inside your business, but this can make it difficult to see how your company looks from the outside.

It can be harder than you think to know exactly who your customers are and what they’re looking for. Through research and marketing knowledge, an agency will be able to look at your current marketing tactics and determine what is and isn’t working. This will save you time and money and allow you to adjust, which will hopefully lead to an increase in sales and your audience’s knowledge of your business.

What about freelancers?

It’s common to wonder if there’s a difference between hiring a marketing agency and a few freelancers. There most definitely is! While you may be able to assign freelancers a few projects, like blog posts or poster designs, they typically don’t do extensive research or become invested in your company like an agency will. A marketing agency conducts ample research before creating a strategy and strives to be part of every client’s team. Not to mention, they have a whole staff to help with any marketing material you need.

We know you’re busy growing your business, so marketing may feel like too much to add to your already packed schedule. A team of experts will take these tasks off your plate, so you can stay focused on your company-related responsibilities. For most businesses, it’s efficient and cost-effective to partner with a marketing agency that can help you meet your goals and stick to your budget.

The size of your company, your goals, and your marketing needs are factors to consider when deciding whether to hire an agency. That said, some kind of marketing is necessary for every small business. Without it, your company simply isn’t reaching its biggest audience or its full potential.

Our proven marketing protocol helps companies make more money, free up time, and plan an effective strategy.

Treefrog Marketing is an agency in Lafayette, Indiana focused on small business. We specialize in strategic marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design, social media, SEO, and more. For more information, please visit our website. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.