Brand choose small digital agencies over traditional ad agencies

By Jodie Byass

In 2014, digital marketing comprised 40% of the revenue made by US based ad agencies. These figures come as no surprise and echo a growing trend where brands are choosing small digital agencies over traditional ones for their online campaigns. The question then is: why are brands scaling back to smaller digital agencies to deliver their message?

Omni-channel marketing has played an integral part in the shift toward utilising smaller digital agencies. Today, not only do brands have to juggle a number of mediums to market their campaigns, they?re grappling with how to capitalise on the vast and interconnected opportunities that digital media affords.

Digital agencies don?t pretend to be a one-stop-shop for all your brand marketing needs. Instead they offer specialised skills to drill down to specific digital arenas that are going to best drive the brand. I mean, why seek out a traditional agency that offers broad marketing services when you can hire a digital agency reputed for its SEO strategies or social media wizardry? But specialised skills is only one of the many great benefits of bringing a small digital agency on board.

Here are 5 other benefits:

1. Cost savings: Unlike traditional agencies, digital agencies have fewer (yet more specialised) staff. That means the cost to deliver a campaign or service is going to be far less than paying well established traditional agency. Additionally, the cost to drive digital campaigns is often much less than advertising via traditional media.

2. Greater agility: Particularly today, brands need their ad agencies to be nimble to keep pace with the digital world. There?s less red tape and bureaucracy in smaller businesses so digital agencies are able to respond to brands? requirements much faster. Digital media also isn?t reliant on stringent deadline dates like print, so a campaign can be launched sooner or refined along the way.

3. More focus: Small digital agencies don?t have the budget or the time to be everything to every brand. For this reason, brands can utilise specialised digital agencies that can focus on the areas that really showcase their products and services.

4. Better tracking: Metrics are far more precise online because of the various ways digital agencies can track campaigns, which means brands know sooner rather than later how a campaign has been received. Additionally, the flexibility of digital channels means that changes can be made in real time to respond to any challenges.

5. Stay ahead of the market: Technology is what digital agencies do best and for this reason are always one step ahead of trends and pioneering creative ways for brands to get their message out there.