What does a digital marketing agency do and when do you need one?

What is a digital marketing agency?

A digital marketing agency is a business that helps other businesses with their marketing online. You will also hear online marketing agency, web agency or digital agency. In practice they all mean roughly the same thing. None of these titles is protected.

The difference from a traditional advertising agency lies mainly in the channels and in the measuring. An advertising agency devises campaigns, often for TV, radio or print as well. A digital marketing agency works with your website, Google, social media and email. And it can see what each channel delivers. Many agencies now do both.

What does a digital marketing agency actually do?

An agency helps you with one or more of these areas. A full-service agency covers all of them. A specialist focuses on one.

• Strategy. What do you want to achieve, with whom and through which channels? A good agency starts here, not with the execution.
• Website. A site that explains what you do and turns visitors into enquiries. Fast, clear and easy to use on a phone.
• SEO. Being found on Google and in AI answers, without paying per click. Read more about what an SEO specialist does.
• Content and video. Copy, photos and videos that answer customers' questions and show who you are.
• Social media. A plan, the content and the conversations with your followers.
• Online advertising. Campaigns on Google and social media, for quick visibility with the right people.
• Analytics and reporting. Measuring what each channel delivers, so you know where your money is working.

That last one is often neglected. Yet it is the very reason digital marketing suits small businesses so well. You can start small, see what works and put more into it.

What kinds of agency are there?

• Full-service agencies. Everything under one roof. Handy if you want one point of contact who sees the whole picture.
• Specialists. An SEO agency, a Google Ads agency or a social media agency. Deep in one field. You then have to make sure the pieces fit together yourself.
• Freelancers. One person with their own specialism. Flexible and direct, but with limited time.
• Large and small agencies. A large agency has departments and plenty of capacity. A small agency has shorter lines and often one familiar face.

None of these is always better. It depends on what you need and how you like to work.

When do you need an agency?

Bringing in an agency pays off mainly in these situations.

• You have a goal but no time. You want more enquiries or applications, but your days are full with your own work.
• You are stuck. You already do something with social media or Google, but it brings in nothing and you don't know why.
• You lack the know-how. Technical work, advertising and measuring call for knowledge that changes quickly.
• You want to grow. A new service, a new area or more staff calls for a plan that goes beyond one-off activities.
• You can't see what it delivers. You already spend money on marketing, but you don't know what comes back.

When don't you need an agency?

To be fair, not every business needs an agency. Sometimes it is wiser to do it yourself or to wait a while.

• Your diary is full. Do customers come through recommendations and can you barely keep up? Then extra marketing mostly adds extra pressure.
• You are just starting out. A simple website, a Google Business Profile and your own network will take you a long way at first. Read how local SEO works, for example.
• You have one separate job. A set of photos or a single ad? Then a freelancer or a specialist firm is often a better fit.
• You want someone to sort it out without you. An agency can do a lot, but not without your knowledge of your customers. If you have no time to talk things through, you won't get much out of it.
• Your budget is still small. Then invest first in the basics you can put in place yourself.

Want to try it yourself first? That is a perfectly good choice. Our knowledge base explains SEO, content, social media and advertising.

How to choose a digital marketing agency for a small business

There are plenty of agencies. These questions help you choose.

• Does the agency ask about your business? One that offers a package straight away without knowing your customers is selling a standard solution.
• Has it worked with businesses like yours? Ask about similar work and what it delivered.
• How does the agency measure results? A figure without a source says little. Ask how it was measured and over what period.
• Who is your contact? Know who you will be working with and whether that will stay the same.
• Do your accounts stay yours? Your website, Google Ads, Analytics and your Business Profile should be in your name.
• What about the contract? Ask about the term and the notice period. A long contract with no way out is a bad sign.
• Does the agency promise guarantees? Nobody can guarantee a top spot on Google or a set number of customers. If someone promises that, walk away.

How working together goes

Working with an agency often follows four steps.

1. Introduction. You explain what you want to achieve and where you stand. The agency asks questions and tells you honestly whether it can help.
2. Plan. A short plan with goals, channels and what comes first. Better a page you understand than a thick report.
3. Execution. The agency builds, writes, creates and launches. You bring knowledge and feedback.
4. Measuring and adjusting. At a set moment you look together at what works. What works gets more attention. What doesn't, stops.

How we approach it

Tridim is a small online marketing agency from Delft, in the Netherlands. You work with a small core team and with Joram as your regular contact. For film, photography and development we bring in specialists from our network. We take on a limited number of new projects, so we keep time for the clients we already have. In an introduction we look together at whether we can help you. If not, we will tell you honestly. See our services or read how we work.