Types of marketing companies

Many types of marketing companies exist. While some perform in multiple disciplines, others are hyperspecialized. Here are six of the most common specializations within the marketing industry.

● Marketing consultancy. As the name suggests, a marketing consultancy focuses on consulting more than outsourcing. It will coach you on marketing strategies and various ways to succeed. Many consultancies have a specific focus, such as branding. They will rarely carry out marketing programs on your behalf.

● Direct marketing. Direct mail marketing means advertising through USPS-delivered mail. A direct marketing agency can help you strategize your direct mail campaign; in most cases, the agency will carry it out for you.

● Telemarketing. Telemarketing is marketing over the phone. Any reputable agency assisting you with telemarketing will abide by FTC telemarketing laws. Telemarketing has evolved in the last decade – it’s less about cold calls and more about live chat interactions. Telemarketing now also encompasses text message marketing, which helps you communicate with customers easily. If you’re interested in exploring text message marketing, read our reviews of the best text message marketing services. We recommend starting with our Textedly review; this company is our top pick for businesses looking for scalability.

● Digital marketing. Digital marketing agencies focus on helping you increase traffic to your website and improving the value of that traffic with website visitor tracking. Digital marketing agencies use various strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising, to drive traffic. They can also redesign your online branding and website to improve conversion rates and sales, helping you generate more revenue and profit.

● Print marketing. A print marketing agency can help you perform market research and collaborate to produce printed advertising and marketing materials, including newspaper or magazine advertisements, brochures, posters and product displays. Print marketing agencies can also strategize on distributing printed resources to get the most value. There is often some crossover between direct marketing and print marketing firms, but a print marketing group emphasizes design skills over marketing distribution.

● Market research. Like consultancies, market research firms don’t market on your behalf. Instead, these agencies focus on collecting and analyzing data specific to your brand, including demographics. They can help you measure your efforts and reasonably predict specific campaigns’ impact on their intended audiences. Market research becomes invaluable as your brand grows, but until you are generating data, it can produce diminishing returns on your investments.

Why hire a marketing company for your business?

A small business might hire a marketing company to manage marketing channels and help craft strategies, improving marketing effectiveness while removing the burden of daily management and freeing internal resources.

“When you hire a marketing agency, you are effectively hiring a team of marketing experts, as well as all of their resources, to assist you in implementing your marketing strategy,” said McHugh. “In a way, you are handing over the marketing responsibilities for your company to the agency.”

While outsourcing to a marketing company helps free up internal resources, the real benefit comes from having experts carry out a crucial, nuanced, wide-ranging business aspect. Marketing, especially in the digital space, spans various channels requiring unique strategies and tactics. An experienced marketing company can provide a consultative approach to your business’s marketing efforts.

“A marketing agency not only gives you the marketing expertise and the capabilities to successfully carry out your marketing campaign, it also gives you access to all sorts of marketing services and strategies, such as SEO, email marketing, content marketing, web design, pay-per-click advertising and much more,” McHugh said. “You can use these resources allotted to you by an agency to create a very effective marketing strategy that gets your business real results.”

Types of services a marketing company provides

Every marketing agency is different and may offer unique or niche services. However, most marketing companies will handle the following tasks:

● SEO. Marketers use SEO to ensure their audience will see their online content. They’ll employ keyword research to identify terms your audience searches for and handle technical website considerations, including speed and making your website Google mobile-friendly. Many marketing agencies conduct a full website audit to determine where your web pages are lacking and act immediately to correct these issues. They’ll also use SEO to create a content strategy for your website and social media channels.

● Web development. Every business needs a website, and many marketing companies offer web development services. They can build a brand-new website from scratch or optimize your existing website. Web development also typically includes site maintenance and hosting management, taking another administrative burden off your company.

● Branding and design. Branding and design are integral to how your audience perceives your business. Branding encompasses everything from the tone of your marketing materials to your organization’s core values. Design supports branding by providing visual consistency to reinforce your brand message. Whether you need a logo redesign or support in developing your brand message across the board, marketing companies can help.

● Content marketing. Every word on your website, social media accounts, email campaigns and external publications is considered content. Content marketing and SEO are closely related, ensuring you develop the content most likely to reach your target customers. Content marketing includes your web content, including your business blog. A good marketing agency leverages this content for use across all marketing channels to develop a consistent brand message that resonates with your audience.

● Email marketing. Email is one of the most effective channels for driving conversions. Marketing emails cover aspects like customer segmentation, subject line writing, and the content of an email. It also includes the frequency with which you deliver email content to users and what actions trigger certain emails. For example, suppose a user abandons their cart in your e-commerce store. In that case, you can set up an email marketing plan to automatically trigger a message with the subject line “Complete your purchase,” with a clickable link to the user’s cart in the email body.

● Social media marketing. Social channels like Facebook and Instagram can help build your audience and generate leads. Social media marketing strategies depend on the nature of your business and the platforms most suitable for reaching your audience. However, these marketing efforts should reflect your broader brand message and content marketing plan. An experienced marketing company will manage your social media channels and optimize their intersection with the rest of your marketing.

● Paid advertising. Paid advertising includes pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and sponsored content online. It also includes conventional marketing efforts, such as public relations and print, radio and television ads. A good marketing company identifies where your business could realize the greatest return on investment for paid advertising opportunities and develop a strategy accordingly.

Some marketing companies offer all these services and more, while others might specialize in a particular area or two. Understanding which services you need most will help you prioritize your budget and select the right marketing agency for your small business.