As your business grows, there are certain things that have to grow with it: the size of your team and your operations budget, for example. But there are some things that, despite common expectations, could be better off staying small - your marketing agency is one.
When it comes to digital marketing agencies and the impact they can create, bigger does not necessarily translate to better.
On the rugby field, you wouldn’t pack your entire team full of big players - although they add weight, they can also be slower and lack the agility that’s needed to win. Success often depends on the smaller, nimble guys who can play more efficiently and run circles around the other team’s brawn.
There are dozens of reasons why a smaller agency could be the perfect fit for your big business, here are our top five:
The bigger an agency, the more likely they work with a large number of clients, and the more easily you become just another number.
In a smaller agency, however, every client counts and the personal touch remains throughout your business growth. Smaller agencies have more to lose when it comes to pleasing their big clients - that one client could make up a significant portion of their monthly work and revenue - meaning that they’ll work tirelessly to ensure their client is happy and results are delivered to meet or exceed expectations.
Additionally, with fewer layers of management and processes to get through, a small agency has the capacity to deal with you person to person, not just business to business.
Naturally, thanks to having fewer layers of management and processes, tasks are able to be completed with greater efficiency and speed in a smaller agency, meaning they can capitalise on events as they appear and make timely changes as necessary.
If something needs to be done it gets done without a dozen operational protocols slowing it down.
Small teams are able to provide a more direct service to their clients - often the person you’re dealing with is the same person who is making the decisions for your account and actioning them, so less is lost in translation and every action generates greater impact.
Small agencies still need to make money, but with smaller overheads and staff costs making money isn’t as difficult.
As a small team, they often have more flexibility to take creative risks in their work, keeping on the cutting edge of innovations and staying ahead of the curve with campaigns.
They can move fast and try new things without worrying about having to justify everything to their hundreds of stakeholders or wait for sign off from multiple places.
Big companies can sometimes feel like a rabbit warren of teams, staff, management, HR and executives - who is in charge of what, and who do you speak to to get this done?
With a smaller agency, you’ll likely have a couple of points of contact and they will become your partners throughout the journey. Communication about your campaign is easily shared between the small team in the office, so you can trust that there will be fewer miscommunications and misunderstandings.
This also makes them more accountable - there is little room to hide in a smaller team, so they can’t blame any missteps on “Jane from implementation” or some manager not giving sign off. You have the opportunity to get to know all of the people who will be working on your campaign, and what you see is what you get.
Without the high overheads of dozens of staff and larger offices, smaller agencies can keep their costs lean and affordable for both big and small clients.
While some larger agencies see big companies as a blank cheque, every business counts to a small agency (See point #1) so they’re more interested in keeping you around than squeezing you dry.
Smaller agencies are also, again, able to move faster and adapt more quickly to changes in the market, meaning that if a new channel delivers significantly better performance or returns, they can switch over as needed. They’re focused on finding the best results for your investment, not locking you into an expensive product they’ve already sunk costs into.
If you’re a big company looking to make a big impact with your digital marketing, a smaller agency may be exactly what you need.
We’re lean, agile, and transparent within our team and with our clients. Every client counts and every campaign matters to us.
We work with intention and efficiency to create effective, impactful work for your business whether it’s big, small, international or local. We’re here to serve you, so get in touch and see what we can do.
With well over one hundred 5-star Google reviews, its safe to say we are the real deal. Client relationships and demonstratable results are our priority. If you'd like to know more, we'll even let you talk to some real clients.
