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
Digital marketing agencies, by nature, typically have a broad team of experts including digital marketing specialists, developers, account strategists, copywriters and more.
This allows them to collaborate effectively on cross-functional projects.
For brands looking for a single provider to cover a wide array of needs, agencies can be a natural fit.
Nonetheless, when the task at hand is relatively narrow, like SEO or PPC, this broader capacity may not be essential.
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
Agencies are often the better choice for large or complex digital marketing work because they can tap into wider internal resources.
Tasks can be distributed across the team, so various campaign activities progress at the same time.
If your project calls for that level of team involvement, an agency may be the most suitable solution.
4. Adaptability
Winner: Consultant
Agencies, with their multi-person teams, tend to run on streamlined processes to manage workflow across accounts.
This can mean that adapting your account setup or strategy involves multiple steps and takes longer than expected.
Consultants are more agile. They’re able to adapt their work directly to your evolving needs without the red tape.
In a fast-moving digital world, this kind of responsiveness can make a real difference.
If plans change, a consultant can often pivot within hours – something agencies may struggle with due to approval chains and team structures.
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
Because their income and reputation are closely tied to performance, digital marketing consultants are usually highly invested in getting results for their clients.
Agencies tend to work within larger teams, which can sometimes dilute individual focus.
Consultants, on the other hand, are laser-focused on you and your success.
They often see your achievements as a direct extension of their own work.
7. Quality of Work
Winner: Equal
Both options – agencies and consultants – are capable of delivering quality digital marketing.
Agencies may have the benefit of larger teams, though this can also mean tasks are passed around and handled by less experienced staff.
With consultants, you get a single, dedicated professional managing the entire process with close attention to detail.
Final Score
- Agency: 3
- Consultant: 5
Conclusion
Both Recruitment Agency 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 Recruitment Agency digital marketing consultant…read more