How Digital Agencies Have Evolved into Marketing Agencies

These days, the best digital marketing agencies have embraced the fact that “digital” is such a huge part of marketing that the term “digital marketing” is almost redundant. As they recognize the need for integrated, multi-channel marketing campaigns that require diverse expertise, clients are demanding more. And if they aren’t they should be.

From Digital to Full-service

Just 15 years ago, the average consumer ran through only two touchpoints before deciding to purchase an item. These days, modern consumers are likely to encounter nearly six touchpoints. With so many opportunities for companies to engage with new customers, marketing has become more complex. As new channels and platforms emerge, consumers have more choices than ever. In turn, it’s important for companies to have diverse marketing strategies that leverage multiple channels, using integrated campaigns.

As brands and agencies realize that one-off campaigns were no longer enough, the concept of all-encompassing, multi-channel marketing has gained popularity among companies and digital marketers. Likewise, now that digital tactics allow companies to measure the performance of offline awareness campaigns, digital has become a part of every marketing facet.

A Comprehensive Approach

Digital marketing agencies have traditionally employed a channel-specific approach to marketing that relies on specific expertise related to email, SEO, AdWords and social media advertising. As agencies proliferated, however, even the most capable channel expertise has become less of a differentiator.

In response, dynamic agencies have broadened their focus to help companies drive brand awareness through marketing campaigns that are integrated across digital platforms and traditional media. At the same time, forward-thinking agencies are now helping clients become more efficient by using digital to modernize existing business processes that continue to convert prospective buyers into actual buyers.

Marketing campaigns are much less effective when they are siloed away from one another. In this day and age, digital ads can be used to reinforce print and traditional media ads, while working in concert to move customers through the sales funnel.

At the same time, Google AdWords can result in conversions for customer service; social media can lead to text message and email opt-ins; and emails can be reinforced by texts to lead back to customer service. This is just a small example of why it’s so important to have a consistent brand message and customer experience across every medium and channel. That requires a complete marketing focus that brings the digital specialist into every level of the sales funnel.

A Complete and Cohesive Marketing Effort

Whether they are helping to develop offline marketing campaigns from scratch, or working with a client’s on-site staff to track the performance of a campaign, digital agencies are now involved in every level of marketing – and that is a very good thing.

At every turn of the sales funnel, customers should get a sense of familiarity that will build confidence and trust. In large organizations with siloed departments, this can seem like a daunting task. For modern digital marketing agencies, it’s par for the course. Or, it should be, if you are working with the right agency.

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