4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

Antonella Pisani is the CEO of Eyeful Media, a leading digital marketing agency that is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the US.

4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

The decision for CMOs and business leaders to identify the best digital marketing agency for their company’s needs can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. In many cases, a good area for your business to start is to do due diligence on whether your needs and expectations would be a better fit for a boutique marketing agency or a “big shop.” In this article, I’ll focus on some considerations for working with a boutique agency specifically, based on my experience of running one.

4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

Boutique marketing agencies are smaller than the well-known “big shops.” This organizational structure typically helps the account team be more flexible, agile and customized to your needs.

4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

Boutique agencies also tend to be more specialized, often serving a specific vertical, company size and scope of work—from digital marketing and creative to web development and public relations.

4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

Keep reading below for more details on how boutique marketing agencies could help support your business goals—and what to consider when selecting a boutique agency partner.

4 Benefits And Considerations For Working With A Boutique Marketing Agency

Customized Service

A more customized approach leads to better alignment with digital marketing strategies and client goals. Make sure you’re not being led by templated digital marketing strategies designed to scale internal efficiencies that are often found at large corporate agencies.

Boutique agencies are generally structured to deliver personalized attention to each client. Smaller agencies also have fewer client accounts to manage. In my experience, account leads and subject matter experts at boutique agencies typically work with two to five clients each. This leads to a more personalized approach to driving success.

Fostering Innovation And Growth

Large marketing agencies typically rely on routine processes and systems that have proven to work over time. They develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and playbooks so junior employees (typically those handling client accounts) have prescriptive marketing procedures to follow. Boutique marketing agencies generally don’t have the same rigid protocols for marketing campaigns.

No matter what type of agency you choose, just make sure there’s room for creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box solutions that can be explicitly tailored to your individual needs and goals.

This type of working environment often leads to more innovation and growth. Collaborating with a boutique agency that prioritizes these things can give your team more opportunities to engage, ask questions and provide context that will lead to innovative ideas and strategies for growth.

Integrating A Culture Of Teamwork

A strong agency culture often leads to better teamwork and engagement on projects. While I can’t speak for the big shops, I know for a fact that most (if not all) boutique agencies rely on culture to find their people. Employees at boutique firms are attracted to the nature of the work, their colleagues and company values, which typically translates to happy and passionate marketers dedicated to serving their clients.

The culture at boutique marketing agencies tends to attract unique and passionate talent—people who are comfortable taking risks and doing things differently. This approach to agency structure creates a company culture that is charitable, service-minded and built on dedication.

When looking for a marketing agency to work with, do not overlook the benefits of integrating a culture of teamwork that challenges the marketing status quo. These digital marketing leaders should also help create synergies and integration with your team to maximize productivity and create efficiencies.

Access To Senior-Level Talent

The best agencies are led by senior-level marketing with years of valuable experience and insights. These digital marketing leaders can provide the fresh, creative new talent your company needs. They also can combine marketing strategy with clear and actionable next steps for implementation.

A working relationship with a boutique agency should provide more access for your marketing team to experienced, senior-level talent. It is common, for example, to have a direct line of communication with your agency’s CEO or vice presidents in an engagement with a boutique marketing company. Top-level leadership has more bandwidth to oversee day-to-day operations. As a result, this marketing partnership can also help with creative brainstorming and guides marketers to continually test, evolve and grow. Subject matter experts for boutique agencies can also help coach your team on best practices for sustaining growth.

Selecting an agency is an important decision, so I hope this article helps you choose the one that is the best fit for your company. Remember that at the end of the day, it comes down to the specific team assigned to your account, whether the agency is large or small.

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