General Services or Specialty Agency – Which is Better?
As your business grows and changes, so do your marketing needs. These needs will vary depending on what kind of business you are in. For example, medical spa web design is very different from other industries. When deciding to partner with a marketing agency, how can you find the best fit?
A good place to start when choosing a marketing solution is deciding between two main types of agencies: general-service and industry-specific.
What’s the Difference?
Not all marketing agencies are the same, and it’s important to be aware of what differentiates them before deciding on one for your business, whether that be by reading a woocommerce seo guide or by consulting experts. Having an idea of what you are going to need in the near-term and further down the road will help you determine what type of partnership you want to establish.
This is a conversation we often have with prospective clients. While our team brings a wealth of experience and diversity, ours is not one that specializes in any one industry. In fact, we pride ourselves on autonomy for our clients and don’t typically engage with similar businesses in the same market. Instead, we take a strategic approach to building marketing plans that will help our clients achieve their goals. In short, we don’t pull anything off the shelf, but rather tailor to the needs of our clients.
And that is our differentiator.
On the flip side, industry-specific marketing agencies provide many of the same creative and strategic services, but they are limited to a single or small number of industries in which they work, giving them the ability to not only offer creative counsel but serve as subject matter experts in their clients’ industry.
One clear advantage of an integrated agency is the breadth of expertise it brings to marketing campaigns. Most general-service agencies have extensive experience in a range of fields.
This is especially useful for smaller companies and startups that are just getting off the ground because agency professionals are able to assist at every stage of branding and marketing. From naming and tagline creation to social media promotions, a full-service agency has the capabilities to advise and implement expert strategies that deliver measurable results.
While industry-specific agencies may incorporate many of the same creative tactics in their campaigns, there may be new trends and emerging technologies they don’t have the opportunity to explore because they may not be viewed as relevant for that vertical.
Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of specialized vs. general agencies.
Generalized Agency Pros
- Knowledge of many industries
- Understands market trends
- Leverage techniques that work in different verticals
- Less likely to work with competitors
- Can help you think outside of the box
Generalized Agency Cons
- May not understand your industry as well as they should
- May apply techniques that work for other industries that don’t work for yours
- May require additional onboarding and learning time
Industry-Specific Pros
- Understands your specific industry
- Can “talk the talk.”
- Can share learnings of other clients in the same industry
- May have streamlined pricing and processes
Industry-Specific Cons
- May lack broader knowledge of marketing outside of the industry
- May work with your competitors
- May provide a one-size-fits-all or cookie-cutter work product
- May not be loyal or exclusive to you
- May share your inside information with competitors
Making the Choice
As you can see from the above information, there are many pros and cons to both examples. Our opinion is that an agency that services a variety of industries but has substantial expertise in a few is the best fit. After all, in our experience, the best client partnerships we have built are not because we have been experts in any one industry, but because we worked hard to build solid relationships with these clients that are completely honest and transparent. Trust is truly the cornerstone of every successful relationship.
At Eagle Eye Marketing, we understand that the needs of every brand and business are unique and dynamic. As a full-service agency, we offer a spectrum of expertise in various industries and have showcased this diversity for our clients. It’s worth a conversation and we’re here to listen.