The daily activities of a business owner are never the same: accounting, marketing, clients, production, human resources, etc. Problems that may hit at once requiring immediate attention. Decisions must be made and sometimes they will be good, sometimes will not be as good, but they are all based on the business owner’s knowledge and experience.

Sorry for the news, but no one is an expert on everything, so here are four reasons why you should hire a Marketing Agency:

Reason One: Business Development

When Business Plans are drafted, usually carry on assumptions based on experience and research of the current market conditions, which may change over time and new challenges and opportunities may arise. However, with everyday management responsibilities, lead generation and consequent sales may become stagnant. Two things: Business plans do not survive the first year of operations, and the sales cycle is in constant motion.

There are disruptors and economic forces that business owners cannot control, and sometimes they get caught in a vicious cycle of dipping on the same pool of clients over and over without any result. In this case, a Marketing Agency brings new technologies and research tools to counteract these forces and adapt to new environments with the objective of generating leads, or making the pool bigger with the addition of unexplored new markets. SEO, digital, social media, data analytics, etc. are used by companies to supplement their traditional marketing campaigns.

Reason Two: Time and Expertise

A business is a good idea put into motion, where all the parts fall into place after a conscious research and cautious actions … or a bold decision while learning on the go. It’s usually the former, so it’s no surprise that a business owner may have zero time to sit down at the local library and read all about marketing in the digital era or go to a classroom and listen to teachers. Also, dealing with sales representatives showing their station’s rankings data and how great they are within a wide cast of market share while leaving out what’s the value to the specific needs of the business. This is when a Marketing Agency acts like a filter between stations and providers, bringing to the table strong negotiating skills as well as a wide net of providers, maximizing the return on the investment made. Another option is to set up a “Turn-key” marketing department, where the Marketing Agency provides the contacts and trains the employees leaving the business with a fully functional marketing department, accelerating the learning curve process.

Reason Three: What to buy and where to place it?

Not all the stations are the same, they have different rankings within different segments of the population, so it’s important to maximize the marketing budget by making the right buys. Visiting with vendors, analyzing proposals, creating traffic instructions, negotiating prices, it’s a time-consuming process that will certainly take a toll on a busy person’s calendar.

Also, not all businesses are the same, some may need help with branding, creating top of mind awareness, or simply their sales cycle requires more than three reminders. A Marketing Agency has access to ratings and other marketing tools, works in sync for the business and not for the stations, negotiates prices, talks to sales representatives, finds the most efficient mix of media within the set budget, or simply does all of the above creating campaigns from scratch.

Reason Four: Competition is using one

Maybe your marketing strategy is a hit or miss, or it’s simply non-existent. Then, one day, while standing in your business, you see a competitor’s ad, the next day, you see a billboard right before the freeway exit, redirecting traffic to your competitors. Out of curiosity, you start looking around and then you realize your competitor has a powerful new employee: a Marketing Agency. That’s when you and your team start looking for counteractions to this campaign. After a good research you hire one and set up your first meeting, followed by the hard questions: What’s the value you bring to your customers? What separates your business from the competition? How do you want to be known as? This analysis leads to a campaign that may not have been possible without the need to respond to your competition’s actions.

In a fast-paced world, we want to hear from our favorite team, artists, people, brand, etc. The same happens with your customers, they want to have a reliable brand to call or visit whenever they are ready to make a purchase. There’s nothing wrong with word-of-mouth, but your customers need to hear directly from you. Partnering with a reputable Marketing Agency brings the best practices of the industry as well as knowledge to face a dynamic market and competition.