Building a team takes time and resources
You could hire a complete team to join you in-house. Assuming your hiring budget gets approved by the powers that be, you begin the task of building a team. To work through the hiring process you will need to create the job description, post / share the position to attract applicants, sort through all the CVs sent your way, interview the top candidates (assuming you can qualify all of their skills), and finally onboard them into your organization so they are ready to go. During this time, you are less focused on the actual marketing initiatives on the go and lose some of the momentum you’ve worked hard to gain. (Don’t forget the ongoing management of the team as well.)
Let’s face it, unicorns are extremely hard to find
Ideally, you would hire a marketing manager or specialist that can do everything you need – write snappy copy, design eye catching materials, create informative infographics, develop new pages for your website, integrate a media campaign and track the results of everything so you know your investment has paid off – but finding all of that in one person is highly unlikely. And if someone says they can do all that, we’d recommend doing some serious reference checks…
Freelancers are good — if you have capacity to manage them all
There are also a high number of qualified freelancers out there that you could contract to deliver a specific component of your marketing executables but that means additional coordination on your end to make sure everything aligns and works with the other freelancers for a cohesive campaign. So rather than focusing on your marketing initiatives, you’re busy organizing review meetings with different folks, all with varying schedules, just to keep everyone on the same page and on track.
A solution that checks off all the boxes
Working with a right-sized agency can provide you with exactly what’s needed to push through to the next level in marketing in your organization. Studio Locale offers:
- A team of experienced designers, developers, marketers and copywriters
- Access to tested and trusted strategies and up-to-date technology
- Expert execution of brand development, media campaigns and communication
- Overarching brand management to ensure consistency across touch points (improving brand recognition)
- Specialist knowledge in content marketing, market research, communications, business strategy, graphic design, web design, packaging design, social media and digital marketing and search engine optimization.
- Ready from the get-go. From the second you sign the contract, we are well equipped to deliver and get projects done.
- A single point of contact to manage all of the moving pieces
- ROI reporting
Plus you get these bonuses:
- An injection of fresh ideas to complement yours
- Insight into current trends and new tactics
- An outsider perspective – a fresh set of eyes to look objectively at your communications
- No staff downtime to fill between projects or vacation coverage to worry about
- More time to focus on other important tasks
Does this sound like a good fit for you?
We're happy to connect and hear about what it is you are looking to achieve and where you need some help.
Still not sure? You're not alone if you think:
Hiring an agency will cost more:
But the truth is outsourcing your marketing is cost-effective. You only pay a fixed amount for a clear list of deliverables within a specific time frame. Actually you save on salaries, time, training and other hidden costs.
I’ve been doing all of our marketing and I’m worried I’ll seem less capable of my job if I suggest bringing in an outside team:
Execution is an important part of marketing. As a Marketing Director, sometimes you don’t have enough time to implement all of the plans, monitor and optimize campaigns, and analyse all of the data. Leverage our expertise to save you valuable time that you can re-focus on more important tasks, make executive decisions, and build long-term strategies. We are here to be partners for your success.
How to find the right agency for you
The thought of selecting the agency that best fits with your organization may feel overwhelming at first. Ultimately, you want to find a team that understands what you need, and is easy to work with, so here are a few tips to help make the process a bit easier and hopefully enjoyable!
If you feel your organization is at the stage of needing an outside agency, shoot us a note. We’d be more than happy to sit down and have that initial conversation!
Start with a conversation
When beginning any relationship, it’s important to make sure you are a good fit for each other before going all in. You will be able to determine how invested an agency is in your success based on the types of questions they ask you. In turn, you can gain insights into their approach to your specific challenge and the experience they will bring to the table.
Be prepared to share
Have ready to provide specific goals and targets, challenges, timelines and budgets. Without this information, it will be difficult for any agency to come back with a viable approach and recommendations. (We equate it to asking an architect to design you a house without sharing elements of what you have in mind. You might be thinking of a classic Georgian and the architect is thinking contemporary, 2 storey vs. bungalow…. You get the picture.) If you don’t have those details yet figured out, be honest about that too. Many agencies can help define and set goals as part of the strategic planning process.
Collaboration is key
If you feel a good connection with an agency but aren’t sure their recommended approach is the right one, don’t hesitate to suggest working together to find an alternate plan. There are multiple paths you can take to get you to where you want to go. A good agency will know that and be open to finding the best course of action that works for your organization.
We can appreciate that seeing is believing.
Here are a few quick links to past and current client work were we’ve partnered to provide marketing support. If you want to read more about our complete marketing services, you can learn more about them in our marketing overview.
