When considering digital marketing services for your business, one decision you will have to make on the way is choosing between a digital marketing agency and consultant (in fact, you most likely clicked on this article to help with that exact decision!).
While both agencies and consultants aim to grow your website’s traffic and revenue, their approach, structure, and relationship with clients differ significantly.
- Digital marketing agencies typically consist of multiple people skilled in different aspects of digital marketing, account managers, developers, admin staff and directors.
- Digital marketing consultants on the other hand are just the person skilled in digital marketing, covering admin duties themselves.
To help you decide between the two, I’ll compare both against seven key factors that are important to businesses deciding between choosing an agency or a consultant:
- Variety of Skills
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Resources
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Personalised Service
- Quality of Work
1. Variety of Skills
Winner: Agency
Typically, digital marketing agencies are staffed by a mix of specialists, including digital marketing specialists, developers, account managers and writers.
This breadth enables them to tackle large or multifaceted campaigns that benefit from multiple perspectives.
For businesses that require an end-to-end solution, working with an agency can be highly efficient.
Still, in cases where only one or two skill sets are required, such as SEO or PPC, this approach may be more than is necessary.
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Winner: Consultant
Agencies can provide competitive rates, but it’s worth remembering they also carry the costs of office premises, management teams, and support staff.
Independent consultants generally avoid these overheads. You’re paying for their skills and experience, not the extra layers that come with an agency structure.
All things considered, digital marketing consultants often represent the more economical choice.
3. Resources
Winner: Agency
With multiple team members on hand, agencies are naturally geared towards supporting larger projects.
They’re able to work on several campaign elements in parallel by leveraging their broader resource base.
If your requirements are extensive, involving several moving parts, an agency could be the right choice.
4. Adaptability
Winner: Consultant
With multiple teams to coordinate, agencies often lean on standard operating procedures to keep things running smoothly.
While the individuals you deal with may be flexible, the broader team might take time to adjust to changes in direction.
Consultants offer a more fluid experience. They can shape their work around your needs and change tack as required.
That sort of adaptability is invaluable when digital trends shift rapidly.
If, mid-project, you decide to revise your digital marketing approach, a consultant is generally quicker to implement changes than an agency working through layers of process.
5. Communication
Winner: Consultant
One of the most significant benefits of working with a consultant is having a single, consistent point of contact.
This eliminates the frustration of being passed between account managers or dealing with staff turnover, which can be common in agencies.
With a consultant, communication is often more straightforward, efficient, and personal as you will be talking to the person actually doing the work, not an account manager or new member of the team.
Clear communication not only saves time but also helps to build a stronger working relationship.
6. Personal Service
Winner: Consultant
With digital marketing consultants, you often get a deeper level of commitment – their business thrives on results and happy clients.
Agencies, by contrast, typically work within larger structures where client focus can be diluted by internal priorities.
Consultants, working independently, are driven to deliver great outcomes.
For them, your success directly reflects on their own – which often leads to a more dedicated partnership.
7. Quality of Work
Winner: Equal
Consultants and agencies both have the ability to deliver strong digital marketing campaigns.
Agencies may draw on a mix of experts, but that often involves delegating tasks to more junior staff as part of their development.
Consultants, however, usually manage the full project themselves, which means your strategy benefits from a more personal, detail-oriented approach.
Final Score
- Agency: 3
- Consultant: 5
Conclusion
Both Department Store digital marketing agencies and consultants have their strengths.
While agencies bring extensive resources and a variety of skills, consultants may offer a more cost-effective, adaptable, and personalised approach.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of working with a Department Store digital marketing consultant…read more