How To Know When You Need a Local Digital Marketing Partner

Starting a local business often means having to do most of the work yourself, regardless of how well you can perform that job. When your business settles into a good place, though, finding new members for your team is vital.

A local digital marketing partner is a good candidate to add to your team.

Here are seven signs telling you to contact a Chicago digital marketing agency to help:

1. Your local reach is extremely limited.
2. Marketing does not generate any ROI.
3. Adding new strategies is a top priority.
4. You want to produce different content.
5. You cannot find time to handle marketing.
6. Marketing is taking up too much time.
7. You have time-sensitive growth goals.

There is much to discuss, so get ready to take notes.

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Seven Signs You Need a Local Digital Marketing Partner

Every business owner faces the issue of changing or updating their marketing strategy at some point. Because digital marketing is flexible enough, it is often a safe starting point. Even novices can find something that fits their unique skills.

Aiming for growth, however, means going beyond your comfort zone, such as integrating new marketing strategies. 

Here are seven hard truths that let you know when it is time to finally hire a local digital marketing partner, such as a Chicago digital marketing agency:

     1. Your Local Reach Is Extremely Limited

Business owners focus on marketing to extend their reach, particularly online. That does not mean that using digital marketing channels guarantees positive results all the time. You still need an appropriate strategy to get the most out of any digital channel.

Sometimes, your reach remains limited, particularly in your local area, even after many attempts to expand it. If this sounds similar to your situation, this should be a wake-up call to seek help with your marketing strategy as soon as possible.

     2. Marketing Does Not Generate Any ROI

The eventual goal of a marketing strategy (after successfully reaching leads) is to generate ROI. To put this into context, a steakhouse in Chicago should want more than just clicks on its ads. Visits and food orders are what matter most. In this sense, strategy and ROI contribute to growth.

However, that cannot happen unless they implement a well-built local digital marketing strategy. For example, if the restaurant is in the Loop (downtown Chicago), its strategy should focus on that area instead of Riverdale, a south Chicago suburb. Everything in marketing has to be intentional and methodical. 

     3. Adding New Strategies Is a Top Priority

The value of local digital marketing lies in its flexibility and adaptability, in addition to how low the learning curve is for the basics. Mixing strategies and crossing channels are at the core of this type of marketing because just one is not enough to produce meaningful results for a business.

Choosing the right digital marketing channels is one smart tactic every Chicago digital marketing agency uses to produce results for their clients. Using the steakhouse example again, adding both a video and a social media strategy to the business’s marketing plan allows it more creative freedom.

     4. You Want to Produce Different Content

At the heart of any successful digital marketing strategy is content, especially when distributed through various digital channels. In other words, you cannot rely solely on blog posts to take your business to the next level. You need rich media, such as videos and paid ads.

These may sound complicated to produce and manage all at once, but they do not have to be. You can seek help. An excellent agency has the right tools and skills to set your business up with the kind of content that your target market wants to see.

     5. You Cannot Find Time to Handle Marketing

Skills, knowledge, and experience are not the only roadblocks to creating a fantastic local digital marketing strategy. Time is probably the most impactful factor to consider because it is a limited resource directly tied to your ability to generate revenue and keep your business afloat.

Handling your digital marketing in-house is risky, especially if it is not one of your core competencies. You must spend considerable time learning what every Chicago digital marketing agency already knows. If you outsource, though, you just have to take the time to find a digital marketing agency that fits your needs.

     6. Marketing Is Taking up Too Much Time

Local small businesses do not have the advantage of time, resources, and manpower that big competitors and corporations have. Even when using AI to change how they handle marketing, small business owners inevitably struggle to properly allot time between their many critical responsibilities.

Although establishing an in-house team is preferable, the cost associated with it might be overwhelming. With a local digital marketing partner, you can choose how involved it is in your business operations and, consequently, how much hiring one will cost you in the long term.

     7. You Have Time-Sensitive Growth Goals

Rushing to meet deadlines and goals can be hectic, but it is a normal part of running a local business. For example, because many types of food are seasonal, Chicago restaurateurs have to follow strict timelines to execute their marketing strategies in order to advertise seasonal dishes at the appropriate times.

This puts an incredible amount of pressure on restaurant management and its staff, who each have other roles to fulfill. Take time-sensitive goals seriously. Getting outside help unburdens you and your employees so that everyone can focus on the primary aspects of their jobs.

Summing Up

Admitting that you cannot do everything on your own is an essential step in properly managing and growing a business. Marketing requires a lot of time, skill, and technical knowledge that is sometimes best left to the experts to avoid costly mistakes.

Need help building a local digital marketing strategy for your business? Contact Digital Authority Partners (DAP) to learn how we can help.