In the 21st century, it’s a no-brainer that small businesses need to market themselves digitally in order to grow optimally. And for many small businesses, outsourced digital marketing services is the right answer to accelerate that growth. If you’re a small business that wants to grow through outsourced marketing services, we recommend working with a qualified local digital marketing agency if at all possible.
In fact, we have five reasons why working with a local digital marketing agency is a good idea for your small business.
1. A Local Digital Marketing Agency is More Accessible
A local digital marketing agency will likely be a smaller operation compared to a large agency located in a major city like New York City or Washington, D.C. While large agencies are certainly good at what they do, you’ll probably find it harder to set up meetings at a moment’s notice and you probably won’t get to regularly interface with the department head.
A smaller local agency will also give your business more individualized attention through more face-to-face meetings. More face-to-face attention means clearer communication of goals, project expectations, and more. Plus, it helps build trust and camaraderie between you and your agency. So not only do face-to-face meetings improve the quality of your communication, they also improve the quality of the product produced for you.
You also won’t have to worry about time-zone issues if you work with a local agency. If the local agency has employees or contractors in different time zones (as many do, including Ingenium), they will absorb the inconveniences that come with coordinating communication across time zones.
2. Understands the Local Market
A local digital marketing agency will understand your business’s local market. Sure, a marketing agency located outside of your town can do their homework to learn about your local competition and opportunities. But a local agency does business within that local market, and several of the employees probably live within that local market as well. That’s a deeper level of understanding that isn’t always gained by demographic research.
3. Knows Your Positioning and Messaging Needs
Because a local agency is so intimately familiar with your business’s market, they can help you position your businesses appropriately within that market. We were able to help a salon client (Bespoke Beauty Loft) craft messaging that differentiated them from the several other salons that already existed within the local Winchester market – highlighting especially their unique salon culture.
A local agency can also help craft marketing messaging tailored specifically to the unique characteristics of your local audience. Does your audience use specific jargon or idioms unique to your area? A local agency will know that and include that in the marketing messaging. Does your audience adhere to particular beliefs that could make your messaging more appealing if spoken to? Or, would they find something offensive that an outsider might not otherwise understand? A local agency can help with that too.
4. Agile within the Local Market
A local marketing agency will also be able to quickly help your business respond to local events, market changes, etc. An agency hundreds of miles away may not be aware of local challenges and opportunities so won’t be able to advise you on marketing pivots and responses unless you make them aware. And if you’re working with a large-scale agency, you might not be able to schedule a meeting in time to remain relevant with your response.
The COVID-19 pandemic has especially highlighted why local marketing agencies can be a valuable asset to small businesses who need to rapidly respond and pivot. As states, counties, and towns responded differently to shut-downs, mask mandates, vaccines, and more, local agencies could step up to help local small businesses navigate messaging and marketing tactics during an anxious and uncertain time.
During the height of the 2020 pandemic, we were able to help our local Chamber of Commerce launch a website where local businesses could advertise their various responses to the pandemic. Thanks to our size and agility, we were able to propose, design, and launch the website within two weeks.
5. A Local Digital Marketing Agency Knows Local Partners and Vendors
A local marketing agency can also promote your small business’s growth by helping you forge strategic partnerships with other local businesses. At Ingenium, we are active members of our local Chamber of Commerce and have developed many community connections. Where possible, we seek to work with local vendors (for printing marketing materials and our company sign, for example). Because of our personal experience and relationships with local businesses, we can help our local clients grow their own businesses through strategic partnerships.
A local marketing agency can also help boost your business’s PR efforts. They may have relationships established with local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations. So if you need PR work done for your company, they have a network of local advertisers and reporters to help spread the word faster.
Learn more about small business marketing with relational and digital tactics.
Grow Your Business with a Local Digital Marketing Agency
Partnering with a digital marketing agency can do wonders for your small business growth. At Ingenium, we’re passionate about helping our local Winchester, Virginia, community thrive by partnering with fellow local businesses. To learn more about how Ingenium can help your small business grow through digital marketing, we invite you to schedule a conversation with one of our consultants.