How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency in 2021

Did you know that the digital marketing agency industry is one of the most lucrative and promising fields in the marketing world? If you are considering venturing into this field, then you are on the right track.

The advancement and improvement in the world of technology have immensely affected the entire globe. Like other industries, the marketing industry also became influenced by these technological advancements. Thus, the emergence of digital marketing. Digital Marketing is a broad marketing field that uses the internet and other necessary technologies to reach out to a wide range of consumers. 

If you are considering how to start a digital marketing agency, this article will help you prepare ahead of time. It will also help you understand the intricacies and fundamentals of forming a digital marketing agency in this modern dispensation. You don’t have to wait for the perfect sign to tell you to start a digital marketing agency. Now is the time to get up and get on the task at hand.

Why Should You Consider Starting a Digital Marketing Agency

As mentioned earlier, building an agency in the digital marketing field is very lucrative and rewarding. However, there are other reasons to press home the need for and relevance of a digital marketing agency. These reasons include the following: 

• Opportunity to work remotely
• The benefit of controlling whom you hire
• Option to set up the right work culture in the digital space
• The advantage of working with different industries
• Opportunity to create jobs for others

How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency

A digital marketing agency is a unique and rewarding business you can consider starting in 2021. Although it is a business that requires you to keep up with trends in the digital space continually, it is also a business that is easy to start and maintain once you understand the intricacies attached to it.

Here are steps to take note of to help you get started with your digital marketing agency this year: –

1. Be a continual learner

 Acquiring the right knowledge is imperative before beginning any business. It’s essential to conduct a thorough analysis of the industry, your competitors, and digital trends. Since the digital landscape is ever-changing, any marketer needs to stay on top of industry trends. Marketing agencies that jump on them at the right time stand to increase their profile and revenues.

2. Find your niche

The most critical aspect of launching a digital marketing agency is understanding how your services differ from others in your industry. The marketing agency landscape is very saturated, and businesses are looking for more specialized solutions. Digital marketing is ever-changing, and strategies that might work for one business might not work for another.

Digital agencies should focus on these key industries:

• Ecommerce
• Fitness
• Healthcare
• Non-Profit Organizations
• SaaS
• Real Estate
• Food and Drink
• Legal Services

3. Set up an active online presence

In recent years, digital or online space has taken over almost all sectors across the globe. Thus, every business with an active online presence seems to be at the top. The reason for this is not far-fetched, as an active online presence makes visibility easier and more possible. Businesses will do their research before outsourcing their marketing — if an agency’s social media is inactive and has low engagement, the business most likely won’t trust that agency with their marketing.

Therefore, while on the path to starting a digital marketing agency in 2021, ensure to include an active online presence in your plan. You can start by creating a free Agency Vista profile to help interested businesses reach you easily. You may also create and run active social media accounts like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, amongst others, to build credibility and increase exposure.

4. Build a portfolio

Having a portfolio will make it easier for you to convince and attract clients to your agency. Therefore, you need to ensure that you keep track of the works done in the past. The reason for such record-keeping is to show them to potential clients. Agency Vista profiles also include a section that allows agencies to showcase their previous success, making it easier to generate more qualified leads.

5. Establish standard operating procedures

Before you start your digital marketing agency, you also need to set up a business plan that will include your operating procedures and models. For instance, you get to decide beforehand whether or not to run your agency has a traditional business, virtual business, or a combination of both. You also get to define your business model either per hour, per project, or monthly.

6. Hire the right team

Building a standard digital marketing team becomes necessary when you are managing multiple clients for different services. Suppose an agency decides to focus on providing only PPC services. In that case, they will still need an in-house graphic designer, web developer, marketing manager, account manager, digital marketing coordinator, and sales manager to run effectively.

Another opportunity would be to hire freelancers until the agency gets to the point of hiring full-time employees. Also, larger agencies tend to partner with smaller agencies to help their big clients on specialized services (i.e. a PPC agency may partner with a small digital reporting/analytics agency to help track conversions).

7. Use the right digital marketing tools

Apart from paying your employees’ salaries, the next most considerable expense is likely to be paying for a tools’ license. That is to show the importance of and need for the right tools in the digital marketing field. Hence, to ensure that you successfully start a digital marketing agency, you need to invest in getting the right digital marketing tools to help you optimize your digital marketing campaigns, invoicing, accounting, and creation of reports, amongst other services.

Businesses can discover the top tools used by agencies through the Agency Vista Hub. These tools include digital marketing platforms such as Sendible, Hubspot, Moz, and Ahrez; Email marketing tools like Drip, Mail Chimp, Constant Contact, and Klayvio; Lead Generation Software Optinmonster. Other tools include Canva, Grammarly, Skype, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Data Studio, and Google Keyword Planner.

Conclusion

A digital marketing agency is a business that can scale without much capital. It is also a business that allows you to offer your services from either the comfort of your home or a well- set up office.

One of the challenges a digital marketing agency, especially a startup, may face is getting clients. To avoid being faced by this challenge, get your agency registered on Agency Vista, the largest agency ecosystem that allows you to connect with potential digital marketing clients.