More than likely you have already switched from traditional outbound marketing methods to inbound marketing. While you are already using some inbound marketing strategies, are you wondering if you would profit by partnering with a digital marketing agency?
DIY or Agency Hire?
The answer to that question lies largely in what you hope to achieve with your digital marketing and how much time and money you intend to invest in it. HubSpot, an industry leader in inbound marketing strategy, addresses the DIY approach versus hiring an agency, noting the pros and cons of each.Organizations that choose to do their own digital/inbound marketing can reap benefits including: control over all marketing campaigns and materials, marketing agility, and insight. On the other hand, the DIY approach involves accepting that there will be a significant learning curve as you design and implement a digital marketing strategy, costing you time and money. Additionally, you likely will have access to only a fraction of the marketing resources that are available to agencies that specialize in digital marketing.
If, however, you partner with a digital marketing agency, you have virtually limitless access to marketing resources and experts, a faster set-up and execution time, and continual support and adjustment for your marketing campaigns based on analytic data.
Which Agency Should You Choose?
When you want to take advantage of what a good digital marketing agency can do, it is important to remember that not all digital marketing agencies are equal in terms of experience or effectiveness. Thus, the question becomes "What agency should you choose?"HubSpot finds that you might not be able to outsource all your SEO because business can be so personal, but there are important questions to ask a potential agency candidate. The suggest that you choose an agency that:
- Has an understanding of your industry. The most effective agency for your organization is one that asks the right questions during the assessment process, accurately identifies your areas of weakness, and actually provides you with insight about your business.
- Is using digital methodologies themselves. While you may think this is a no-brainer, you might be surprised at the number of digital agencies that do not utilize best practices in their own digital strategies.
- Understands the fundamental need for marketing and sales alignment and engages and interacts with your sales department as well as your marketing department.
- Offers a clearly defined process for handling your digital marketing needs.
- Offers comprehensive reporting and measurement to prove the ROI of digital campaigns.
Why Working with a HubSpot Certified Digital Marketing Agency Makes Sense
HubSpot offers a partnership program for digital marketing agencies with the drive to perform at peak effectiveness. Working with such an agency affords you significant benefits. Here are a few:1) Assurance of Expertise
Not every agency achieves HubSpot certification. To receive certification, agencies and staff must pass a series of tests and demonstrate expertise in digital marketing strategies. HubSpot places agencies in tiers using a combination of metrics, looking at monthly recurring revenue (MRR) acquired and managed, retention, software engagement, and actual inbound marketing success. This means that agencies who achieve HubSpot certification have demonstrated their effectiveness as digital marketers.2) Access to More Inbound Resources
With direct access to the best technologies and resources for inbound marketers available today, HubSpot certified agencies know how to use their resources to solve your marketing problems. For instance, agencies with a Growth Driven Design certification are experts in cutting-edge web design technologies that incorporate growth-driven design.3) Built In Tracking and ROI Proof
HubSpot agencies excel at designing campaigns that can be tested and tracked over time, ensuring that your campaigns are constantly optimized for maximum ROI.4) Savings of Time and Money
As has been said many times, digital marketing has multiple moving parts. HubSpot certified agencies employ experts in all forms of digital marketing. These experts can quickly produce content, write marketing copy, manage social media campaigns and optimize your website design. An agency assigns team members to work on all these things simultaneously, saving significant time and money.Seattle's First Platinum Certified Digital Marketing Agency
At Connection Model, we take our relationship with HubSpot seriously. As one of HubSpot's first partners going back to 2009, we have garnered significant experience in helping our clients get started and grow their business using the Inbound Methodology.
Plus, we pride ourselves on ensuring our staff stays up-to-date on the HubSpot Platform and Inbound Strategies by dedicating time to training through the HubSpot Academy. Below are some of the of HubSpot Certifications our staff has earned.
Working with an agency that has received HubSpot certification ensures that you are partnered with a winning digital marketing team. Connection Model is proud to be the only HubSpot Platinum partner in the Seattle area. Contact us today and begin to leverage the benefits of our HubSpot certification for your organization.
Written By: David Carpenter
