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:

  1. Variety of Skills
  2. Cost-Effectiveness
  3. Resources
  4. Adaptability
  5. Communication
  6. Personalised Service
  7. Quality of Work

1. Variety of Skills

Winner: Agency

With digital marketing agencies, it’s common to find a diverse team that includes digital marketing experts, developers, account leads and content specialists.

This enables them to approach projects from various angles and handle a range of digital marketing needs.

For businesses after a comprehensive solution, agencies can offer significant advantages.

But if the project is limited in scope, such as involving just SEO or PPC, such a wide team may not be required.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

Winner: Consultant

Although agencies can offer competitive pricing, but that usually includes the burden of office rent, team managers, and administrative support.

Consultants work differently. There’s no organisational padding – just direct access to their professional insight.

Consultants are often the wiser financial choice in digital marketing.

3. Resources

Winner: Agency

Thanks to their team-based structure, agencies are often ideal for handling more complex or high-volume projects.

They have the capacity to assign various specialists to different areas of your digital marketing simultaneously.

So, if your campaign demands a coordinated team effort, an agency could be the more suitable option.

4. Adaptability

Winner: Consultant

Because agencies juggle multiple people and projects, they often depend on pre-set processes to keep everything on track.

This structure can sometimes delay updates or changes to your campaign setup.

Consultants, on the other hand, are nimble. They tailor their approach and can pivot as your priorities shift.

In a dynamic digital space, that kind of adaptability is a real strength.

For example, if you need to shift gears halfway through a campaign, a consultant can typically act straight away, while agencies may need more time to get everyone aligned.

5. Communication

Winner: Consultant

One key benefit of working with a consultant is the simplicity of having a single, steady point of contact.

This removes the typical agency experience of juggling different team members or onboarding new account managers.

Consultants offer direct access and communication with the person doing the work, not someone relaying messages.

That directness leads to better collaboration and a more efficient working relationship.

6. Personal Service

Winner: Consultant

Digital marketing consultants have a personal stake in your success, as their reputation and income rely directly on the results they deliver and your satisfaction.

Unlike agencies, where responsibilities are often spread across teams and overseen by senior management, consultants are focused solely on you.

This usually results in a higher level of care and commitment.

While an agency might view you as just another account, a consultant sees your growth as a direct measure of their own performance.

7. Quality of Work

Winner: Equal

You can receive excellent digital marketing services from both consultants and agencies.

Agencies might offer access to various experts, though this often means parts of the work are given to less experienced team members for development.

Consultants tend to handle everything themselves, offering a more consistent and detail-focused approach.

Final Score

  • Agency: 3
  • Consultant: 5

Conclusion

Both Energy 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 an Energy digital marketing consultant…read more