Local business owners wear many hats, doing everything from managing finances to marketing and communications. However, in the everyday hustle of running a business, marketing can easily be overlooked. Marketing is critical to the success of any business, and in an increasingly digital world, it is essential to the success of companies. Effective marketing and communications strategies, also known as MarComm strategies, can attract and retain customers, drive growth, and increase public awareness of your company (Forbes). To ensure the success of their plan and business, many local businesses turn to marketing partners to outsource their MarComm needs.
As a local business owner, understanding the many options for choosing a marketing partner can be a daunting task, but with the help of some of our members, we break down the steps to selecting the right marketing partner for your business.
Types of Marketing Partners
Marketing and communications are big, broad terms, but there is a lot of nuance within this space. While many of these MarComm specialties have overlap, it is beneficial to know the key differentiators of each.
- Marketing is the business practice of identifying, predicting, and meeting customer needs through creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging value. It encompasses everything from understanding your audience to shaping the experience that leads them to choose you (AMA).
- Strategic Communications helps you figure out what to say, who to say it to, and where to show up so you can have maximum visibility.
- Branding shapes how your business looks and sounds. It includes everything that pertains to your brand, from the logos and colors to the messaging and tone. Branding helps customers to recognize, identify with, and trust your company.
- Advertising is the paid placement of your company’s product or message. Advertising aims to reach your target audience and prompt them to take action (AMA).
- Public Relations (PR) builds mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and stakeholders. It involves internal and external communications, managing reputation, and aligning messaging across channels to foster lasting public connection and trust (PSRA).
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) optimizes your website and content to make it easier for customers to find your company online. It’s a long game, but once it kicks in, it delivers steady traffic without spending money on advertisements.
- Social Media Management involves creating and scheduling content, engaging with followers, and keeping your brand active online. This helps you stay visible and top-of-mind through the use of photos, videos, trends, and analytics.
- Creative Services produces the visuals (graphics, photos, videos, and more) that make your business stand out. Creatives utilize visual storytelling to convey your brand messaging and story.
Full-Service Agencies vs. Niche Specialists or Independent Practitioners
While some individuals and MarComm partners focus on a single niche, agencies often bring together experts from multiple specialties, enabling the agency to deploy a comprehensive, holistic effort. Knowing which MarComm area would benefit your business the most is the first step to choosing the right marketing partner for your business.
- Full-Service Agency: A full-service agency offers a broad range of marketing and communications capabilities under one roof. An agency is ideal for businesses seeking a single, integrated partner that can manage and align all marketing efforts holistically.
- Pros: Streamlined communication, consistent brand alignment, and convenience.
- Cons: May be more expensive, and some services might be less specialized.
- Specialist: A specialist, or independent practitioner, focuses on a specific area of MarComm, and sometimes in one specific industry or sector. This type of partner is best suited for businesses with a clearly defined need or an established strategy that requires support in one area.
- Pros: Deep expertise, faster performance in one focused area, and typically more cost-effective for targeted needs.
- Cons: Limited scope, and there can be gaps due to a lack of coordination between specialists.
How to Know When It’s Time to Hire Outside Help
We interviewed four InUnison members with extensive experience as marketing partners. Our featured members are all marketing and communications experts, each specializing in a distinct field. When deciding whether or not to hire outside help, we consulted the experts. They recommend seeking marketing and communications assistance if:
- “The internal team simply doesn’t have enough hours in the day to accomplish its organization’s marketing goals,” said Sean Ryan, SVP of media relations at The Hodges Partnership. “Another good time to look outside is when you start feeling that you’re doing the same thing over and over and not seeing the results you’re looking for.”
- “They don’t have a teammate on staff who is good at it, and they aren’t marketing because it feels too hard,” added Jolina Anderson, founder and principal designer of Shapes and Colors by Jolinda.
- “You are experiencing a significant change in your business… it’s a great time to engage with an outside marketing partner to help you maximize exposure. If budget allows, if sales have stalled or plateaued, it’s also a great time to infuse new energy and ideas with a marketing partner,” said Melissa Greenfield, principal at Haxall Marketing and Communications. “Every business has a story to tell, and if you’re not able to tell that story effectively, then it’s time to look for outside marketing or communications help.”
- “The most obvious and urgent signs would be lack of engagement, or worse, negative engagement. Another clear sign is the lack of cohesion within existing marketing efforts,” said Jason St. Peter, creative director and founder of Think804.
Determining What Your Business Needs
There are numerous options when it comes to choosing a marketing partner, but selecting the right one can feel like a daunting task. With so many different focus areas, it is essential to select a marketing partner that aligns with your business’s needs. How do you determine fit? Our experts say:
- “Setting clear goals is vital in choosing the right partner. Most marketing or communications firms will be able to determine if the assignment is something they can–or want–to do. If they don’t feel they can be successful, they may be able to help connect your team with another firm that may be a better fit,” Ryan advised.
- “Interview several partners, almost like dating, to see who feels like the right fit and to ask about approaches and services so you’re clear as to what is included or provided from each partner,” Anderson said.
- “It’s essential for businesses to first determine what they are truly looking for and find a marketing partner who specializes in that area. You need to feel confident that they are aligned with how you want your brand represented,” Greenfield said.
- “There needs to be chemistry, a compatible level of interest in the same areas, and a reciprocal respect. It’s about more than just surface-level appeal and more about trust, shared goals, and long-term alignment. Most importantly, both need to communicate in a way that works well for the other,” St. Peter added.
Common Misconceptions of Marketing Partnerships
Because marketing and communications are broad fields, many business owners have questions or misconceptions about working with a marketing partner. Some points our experts want non-marketing professionals to understand about the industry are:
- “We’re most successful when clear goals are established at the outset and there is continual feedback on progress. A client who goes dark and is nonresponsive often limits the chances of success,” explained Ryan.
- “Marketing partners can’t produce strong marketing without a business owner’s input,” said Anderson. “If you do not provide deep insights, feedback, information and collaborative time with your marketing partner, your marketing will not feel authentic or aligned and may not reach your intended goals.”
- “Great marketing takes time and repetition. Just because you don’t get the immediate response that you want, it’s important to stay the course and not have a knee-jerk reaction,” added Greenfield.
- “Different strategies, campaign styles, and marketing tactics do very different things and… can be measured in a variety of ways, which often do things not directly related to sales, but are far more important to the health and longevity of the brand,” said St. Peter.
What Makes You a Great Client
Engaging a marketing and communications partner is a collaborative process. While you will depend on them to develop and implement a plan, they will count on you for information, input, and approvals. Being a good client is crucial to the success of your marketing partnership. In the eyes of our experts, a good client is someone who:
- “Sees the communications partner as an extension of their team, understanding that we’re all moving in the same direction to accomplish the company goals,” stated Ryan.
- “Approaches us with goals and intentions, but they’re open to how we solve the problem,” said Anderson.
- “Understands the value of collaboration and creativity and can trust both the process and their marketing partner,” added Greenfield.
- “Has patience, empathy, and is willing to invest in something they don’t understand,” said St. Peter.
Key Takeaways
- Recognize when your team has gaps in time, skills, or resources that may hinder your marketing efforts. If your business is not consistently marketing or is facing changes, it may be time to bring in outside help.
- Choose a communications partner whose values, skill set, and communication style align with your brand and needs.
- Clarify success metrics, team roles, past results, and how they plan to meet your specific goals before committing.
- Go above and beyond to be a good client; ask questions to better understand the process and industry, and be open to the process and ideas that your partner brings to the table.
