It's time to face the facts: No business gets anywhere without advertising. And lest you want to be at the wrong end of YouTube jokes for time and all eternity, your business's advertisements best be good.
Of course, the issue here is that good advertising costs good money, and most small business owners understandably want to put their money into more tangible facets of their business. Why spend thousands on an ad campaign when you can upgrade your office's software or buy new equipment?
The answer is that the future of your business depends on you being able to reach consumers, create a strong brand for your business and draw people in. And as good as you are at your job, making an advertisement of this caliber is no easy task.
Just as people come to you, as a business owner, for help in your area of expertise, there's a good chance that you should go to someone who has made your problem their area of expertise. If your business is experiencing any of the following, it's high time you partnered up with a digital marketing agency.
1. You aren't getting good leads.
If your business isn't bringing in new customers, it's happening for a reason: New customers aren't hearing about you. If someone has no idea who you are, how will they ever come to rely on your services? The fact is, not very many people just stumble in from the cold looking for a new company to patronize.
If your influx of new customers isn't where you want it to be, it's very likely that your advertising isn't where it needs to be. Maybe your ads aren't enticing. Maybe you don't even have ads! Regardless of where you stand right now, partnering with a marketing agency will practically guarantee that you'll increase your customer pool.
2. You don't know much about marketing.
Think about it this way: If your office's toilet isn't working, and you don't know how to fix it, are you going to call a plumber? (Hint: you should.) Treat your marketing issues the same way. You have an aspect of your business that is broken, and you don't know how to fix it.
Luckily for you, the market is full of qualified people who specialize in fixing this issue. They'll put together campaigns for you that will revamp or reinforce your brand and image, and they'll apply their professional knowledge to the issues facing your business.
Take, for example, 18-year-old marketing genius Peter Szabo. He has a set approach, knowing that, if you can find a meaningful story to tell around a product or service, it will pique the emotions and interest of viewers. The types of insights you'll find at a marketing agency go beyond what you're likely able to do on your own.
3. You're struggling to define your brand.
Branding is everything. Don't believe me? Look at the shoes you're wearing, or the phone or computer you're reading this on. Odds are you're surrounded by purchases that you made almost completely based off of your brand perception. Branding is what makes Nike great, Adidas OK and LA Gear obsolete.
What is your brand? If you can't think of anything right off the bat, you don't have a strong brand. Digital marketing agencies are brought in to specifically address this issue. They'll work with you – this is a partnership, remember – to figure out the image you wish to convey, and they'll bring it to the public.
4. Your marketing budget is lower than you'd like.
A small marketing budget can indicate two things: first, that you don't understand the importance of marketing, or second, that your profits aren't allowing you to invest in marketing. Both scenarios here indicate that you need to work with a marketing agency.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that your product will not sell itself. You have to sell your product – or rather, your marketing agency friends will sell your product for you. It will be, without a doubt, worth the investment. Without good advertising, your business will continue to struggle. With it, you'll give yourself a fighting chance.
There's no guarantee of success. Businesses succeed and fail every day, and there's no algorithm or formula that will perfectly explain why. Ultimately, the success or failure of your business will depend on a myriad of factors, marketing being just one.
It is, however, a big one. If you're interested in the long-term health of your business, it's something you should take seriously, and take to the professionals.