Less Overhead = More Value

Of course, there’s also the factor that a boutique agency will have far less overhead than a big agency would. Boutiques have fewer expenses due to hiring fewer employees, having a smaller physical location, and needing fewer resources to provide their services. Since they don’t have the enormous overhead of a big agency, a boutique agency or small firm provides more value. They can do more with your budget since it’s being applied directly to your marketing and advertising initiatives.

Set it and Forget it

Let’s face it, we live in the Digital Age. When it became clear that digital was here to stay and would only get more complex, larger agencies jumped on the bandwagon. They often boasted about being able to execute digital strategy when in reality, they were challenged and normally outsourced it to smaller boutique agencies that were truly in that space. Big agencies are often known for automating their client’s PPC campaigns in a “set it and forget it” fashion. What this means is, after the initial changes are made to the campaign such as updating ad copy, creating a negative keyword list, or finding target keywords for ads, the campaign is relatively untouched afterward. This means that you are paying month after month for a service that you are not receiving. While the pay-per-click management agency did improve your bottom line and provide conversion optimization services, they are doing nothing with your monthly budget to improve things long-term and are simply pocketing your hard earned money. The best way to not fall victim to this sort of management is to work with a boutique agency that has a digital footprint first.

Boutique Agencies are all About Niche

A small agency is much more likely to have niche specialization. This means that they specifically work with businesses in your niche and preferred clients that provide the products or services that you do. A boutique agency tends to really specialize in a subset of services that they do extremely well. With boutique agencies, you get specialists that are rooted in strategy, design, content, etc.

Evolve or Evaporate

Every year, there are new changes to the digital marketing world. Whether it’s a search engine updating their algorithm, Facebook changing their privacy policy rights, or a new social network that’s worth advertising on, small agencies are better at innovating and adapting to these marketing changes. Larger firms typically have processes set in place and are challenged when needing to make changes to evolve. Instead, they prefer to implement their marketing strategies in the same way they have been practicing them for years. This can ultimately hurt your online presence and detract from your business goals and success.

Success Doesn’t Come Without RISK

As a business, you probably know better than anyone that it takes a calculated risk to find success sometimes. This can be as simple as applying for a job with the risk that you may be turned down, or investing in an advertising technique that has shown potential but is not a sure thing. A smaller agency is more likely to take these calculated risks in an effort to grow their business. Bigger agencies are less likely to think outside the box and try things that are not guaranteed or proven through past results. Risk may seem like a bad thing, but with any form of advertising, some risk is necessary.

No Bait and Switch or Shady Tactics

Big agencies can use tactics like bait and switch strategies to gain your business. They oftentimes reel you in with an enticing “too good to be true” offer, then tell you that it’s actually going to cost considerably more money. Don’t fall victim to this type of scam. Just like performance-based SEO is high-risk and should be avoided, you should also avoid big agencies using bait and switch tactics to gain your business.

The Way to Go

There are a lot of advantages to choosing a boutique marketing agency versus big agencies. If you want to work with a smaller agency that cares more about your business and your online success, boutiques often offer the best results.