Your Digital Marketing Agency: The Ultimate Guide

If you’re looking to learn about digital marketing agencies, look no further. That’s because this guide will tell you everything you need to know. We’ll talk about the roles, the work, and what you can expect as a client. In short, this guide to your digital marketing agency is here to help.

RELATE ARTICLE: MARKETING FOR NON-MARKETERS: GET GOOD AT IT BY LEARNING TO LOVE IT

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is marketing that you do online. Basically, digital marketing agencies engage in the following six disciplines:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If your site has robust SEO, it will rank higher on search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. This means your prospective customers can find you more easily.

SEO relies heavily on keyword research. Further, the process involves building links, optimizing content, and improving your site overall. All of these things will make your site more search-engine-friendly.

What’s more, continuously improving your SEO needs to be a long-term strategy.

2. Paid Search Advertising (PPC [Pay Per Click])

If quick visibility is key, then PPC is for you. Also called “paid search advertising,” PPC involves advertising on Google and Bing. With a PPC ad, your site will be displayed above organic search results. Then, Google and Bing charge your account whenever anyone clicks on your ad.

In contrast to developing your long-term SEO game plan, PPC works as a short-term strategy. However, it goes hand-in-hand with SEO. Both SEO and PPC are forms of search engine marketing.

3. Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating quality content. Think images, videos, blogs, and articles. Quality content is a big part of robust SEO. Plus, content is a great way of building a brand and engaging users. However, this is true only if your content is interesting, engaging, and informative.

4. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing involves managing social media accounts. In other words, you engage on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your posts on these channels will help to spread the word about your brand.

As with content marketing, it involves creating engaging content for your followers. Additionally, it includes paid advertising on social media platforms.

Social media marketing is primarily about engaging users and driving traffic to your website.

5. Influencer and Affiliate Marketing

Influencer marketing happens when you persuade people who have lots of followers on social media to market your business on their sites.

Similarly, affiliate marketing involves collaborating with industry experts (affiliates) to market your business through content creation, often on their blogs.

These forms of marketing are especially great for driving sales of your products.

6. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a form of direct marketing. Using mailer tools and subscriber lists, you target specific consumers. Then you approach them through their email inbox.

In your messages, you can inform them about your products. Alternatively, you can pass along information or special offers.

Digital Marketing Agency Roles

As for who does what in an agency, below is an overall summary.

Executives and experts do the actual work on the campaign. Perhaps they will optimize a site for SEO. Or they might manage posting for social media marketing. Regardless of the specific task, you can count on having at least one of these experts working on your account.

Large agencies with big clients who spend a lot of money generally have someone who oversees the work of the experts. Account managers are the people who make sure everything runs smoothly for those big-spending clients.

• Marketing or Department Managers

You’ll generally find marketing or department managers in smaller agencies. Their roles are similar to those of account managers. They help to ensure that all goes well with clients’ accounts.

Department heads oversee the individual departments. They are ultimately accountable for clients’ campaigns and strategies.

Directors sit at the top of the organization and supervise the work of the department heads.

Naturally, these roles can vary widely from agency to agency. For example, in some large agencies there are separate department managers for PPC, content, social media, and so on. Additionally, some agencies employ creatives such as web developers and graphic designers.

What to Expect from Your Digital Marketing Agency

Always look first at the services the agencies offer. A good agency will offer only a few services. However, a great agency will offer all forms of digital marketing. Below is a checklist to help you make your decision:

• Look for agencies that have a portfolio of work.
• Review their case studies and read testimonials from other clients.
• Make sure your digital marketing agency understands your vision of your company.
• Inquire about how the agency communicates and reports. You’ll want to receive regular updates on your campaign.
• Make sure you will have a point of contact at the agency.
• Before you sign on, be sure that your agency will be willing to make changes if your campaign is not yielding results.
• Ensure that you can trust your digital marketing agency to report honestly to you.
• Finally, make sure you relate well with the people at the agency. You’ll be working closely with these people. Therefore, a friendly working relationship with them is key.

Finally

An investment in digital marketing—with the right agency—will pay off in spades for your company. We hope we have helped you to understand how it all works with this post.