Finding just the right marketing agency can be tricky. You want the perfect match for your organization—an agency that does amazing work, complements your in-house marketing team, and works with your budget.
When searching for the right agency, perhaps you’ll ask colleagues for recommendations and read online reviews. Next, you’ll book consultations, review portfolios, and request proposals.
As you’re evaluating your options, keep in mind that bigger isn’t always better.
Although large agencies may have a reputation and name recognition working in their favor, they may also lack the flexibility and low overhead of smaller firms. Depending on your needs and budget, sometimes it makes more sense to work with a small marketing agency.
Small Marketing Agencies Are More Flexible
In general, small agencies are nimbler than large agencies. We can offer clients more personal service, better communication, and timely attention to their needs.
- By cutting out middle and project managers, clients get direct access to the owner, art directors, and graphic designers.
- With a small team comes better communication. Everyone knows what their teammates are working on, and there’s less internal disconnect among the staff.
- Small agencies also have smaller clients lists, which means you’ll get more personal attention.
- We can move faster than large agencies. Need something updated on your website? We can make those changes quickly, so you won’t have to wait a week for simple updates.
- Some small agencies may even specialize in your niche or industry, giving us an edge when it comes to onboarding and competitor analysis.
Small Marketing Agencies Offer Better Value
Marketing budgets for nonprofits, startups, and small businesses can be tight. The bloated hourly rates and retainer fees at large agencies may simply be out of your price range and leave no room for negotiations. Small agencies, on the other hand, are often willing to work within the constraints of your budget.
We’ve witnessed the following scenario too many times. A small company hires a large agency to design their logo or website, but no longer has the budget to use them beyond the initial project. The company also can’t afford to hire their own in-house designers or marketers.
Small agencies exist to fill the niche. We can work on large projects while on a fixed retainer instead of requiring a massive lump sum for only a few weeks of work. Then we can continue to manage the brand monthly for the same retainer with no long-term contract required. We can also develop a long-term marketing strategy and train your in-house team to implement the plan typically for less than it would cost to hire a full-time employee.
If you’re concerned about the quality of work in small agencies, don’t be. We provide the same (or better) level of expertise than large agencies for significantly lower rates, making us a better overall value. Since we have fewer positions to fill, we can be more selective about whom we hire.
Another advantage to hiring small marketing agencies, we have lower overhead and pass the savings on to our clients. In our case, we intentionally keep our overhead low by:
Eliminating Account Managers
You may hear directly from the designers and marketers working on your project so they can more efficiently explain the thinking process and implement changes in the moment. Also, eliminating “middleman” salaries means we’re able to hire more capable designers at a very competitive salary.
Ensuring All Work is Done In-House or by Local Freelancers
It’s common practice for agencies to outsource most of their work, such as SEO and web development, to larger firms that specialize in those areas. They pass those external rates, plus a little extra, on to the client. We believe in hiring well-rounded designers that can handle design, social media, web development, etc.
Keeping a Hybrid Work Model
Though we love having our designers in-office to collaborate and more easily learn from one another, we allow them to work from home as needed. Virtual meetings keep us available and able to process requests easily. And it keeps our employees happy, which means they are more productive.
Small Marketing Agencies Understand Your World
Small agencies can make more with less, working with the limited resources of nonprofits and small businesses. We understand your team “wears many hats” and struggles with shoestring budgets, skeleton staffing, and never enough time to get things done.
We’ve been in your shoes. We’re entrepreneurs, former freelancers, and nonprofits professionals, and we understand what it’s like to “wear all the hats” and work with small budgets. We exist to lighten your load so you can focus on the important things … like your mission!
Your Success Is Our Success
A small marketing agency can be selective about choosing their clients. At Padrón & Co., we choose to work primarily with nonprofits and purpose driven organizations so that we can feel good about the work we do.
No matter your goals, budget, or size, we’re ready to help you grow your business.
