So you have decided to start your own business and are excited to get your name out in the market. You want to advertise your products/services to attract more customers than ever before. But you aren’t sure who to choose… A digital marketing agency or a digital marketing freelancer. Before we dive deep into this let’s first understand what is the difference between a digital marketing freelancer and a digital marketing agency? Why would you choose one over the other?
Who is a digital marketing freelancer?
A digital marketing freelancer is a professional who can be hired to help with all digital marketing in your company. They singlehandedly build your digital marketing strategies and execute these strategies. A digital marketing freelancer is popularly hired on a project basis for a commitment of fewer than 3 months at a time.
When you are starting this exciting new business, you don’t want to overpay, especially in the early stages of your company. The cost of hiring a digital marketing agency is much higher. However, digital marketing freelancers charge is much more affordable.
You pay them monthly for the services they provide and have no long-term commitments. Digital marketing freelancers are usually hired to complete an objective such as advertising for a product launch or movie promotion. Once the project is over so is the freelancer’s job.
What is a digital marketing agency?
A digital marketing agency is a company that offers a variety of digital marketing services to its customers. An agency is a company that has the knowledge and experience about marketing, branding, designing, and developing websites. The agency’s experience enables it to bring in customers to its clients.
A digital marketing agency is responsible to develop and manage marketing strategies, promotions, content writing and much more.
A digital marketing agency comes with a lot of resources like in-house designers, web designers, developers, social media managers, SEO/PPC specialists, PR professionals, and graphic designers.
These resources help the agency to offer the perfect service that fulfills all the needs of its clients.
Here are some pros and cons of a digital marketing freelancer vs a digital marketing agency:
Pros of a digital marketing freelancer:
Affordability: You get to save on the high cost of hiring a digital marketing agency.
Flexibility: Freelancers are flexible. You hire them when you need to get work done… No minimum commitments.
Communication: Freelancers are a call/email away. You are always in direct contact with them
Cons of a digital marketing freelancer:
Limited Resources: Freelancers usually don’t have access to software/tools used in agencies because of the high cost associated with these tools.
Availability: Freelancers might not be available for you all the time since they work on other projects.
Pros of a Digital Marketing Agency
Access to tools and resources: By having a digital marketing agency you get access to the agency’s resources.
Team of Professionals: You get a team of experts working towards your business goals
Deadlines: Agencies generally deliver projects well in advance as they have a team of people working on your project.
Cons of a Digital Marketing Agency:
Cost: Marketing agencies have to pay a lot of money for the services that they offer and have to charge the clients a premium.
Competition: There are thousands of agencies in Dubai and it can be a hassle to find the right one for you.
Which one is better suited for you?
Digital marketing freelancers have now made a significant impact on the marketing industry. Many people who have been working as digital marketing freelancers are now earning millions of dollars annually. But in recent years, different marketing agencies have emerged to gain market share from digital marketing freelancers by offering a one-stop solution for all marketing needs.
If you are trying to choose where to go to get your business website and advertising up and running, you should always consider working with a digital marketing agency. This is because a digital marketing agency can offer you amazing deals and special discounts on web design, development, and hosting services that might not be available at competitive rates anywhere else. An agency also has digital marketing experts in-house who are responsible for running your campaigns.
If you have a tight budget but you have a clear picture of how you want to bring your website and advertising activities to life, then a digital marketing freelancer is all you need. You need someone to execute your strategy while having full control over the process. The digital marketing freelancer will surely give his recommendations however they won’t do the thinking for you, you will still be the decision-maker.