Thinking of hiring a marketing agency. Anyone every used one?

[tomld2]

I am releasing a new website and for the first time thinking of hiring an internet marketing agency to create and/or execute a complete marketing strategy. My question is whether anyone has hired a professional marketing agency or marketer and what your results were? I am also wondering what this could potentially cost? Can anyone share their experiences of working with a marketing agency?

Thanks
Tom

[jsinger]

You better become your own "internet market agency" and fast. Beware of scammy deals too.

[powerchuter]

I am interested also. We are launching a new site and I am interested in some of the package deals out there.

I know that there are great deals to be found on last minute magazine buys, some cable programs etc... but I don't have the time right now to become an expert on this.

We are looking to start pretty small for the first year and want to keep the ad budget in the small 6 figures.

[tomld2]

There's a big difference between doing marketing (and every other aspect of your business) yourself and hiring a firm who does nothing but create marketing plans for companies. I have been managed all marketing for my company by myself for years and with great success. I would just like some outside blood to provide fresh ideas. I like the idea of letting someone who does marketing and nothing else to formulate a marketing strategy, even if I still execute it myself. Anyone every hired a marketing agency to create a marketing plan, even if you executed it yourself?

[jsinger]

I know that there are great deals to be found on last minute magazine buys, some cable programs etc... but I don't have the time right now to become an expert on this.

I can tell that you're not an expert. That stuff is a waste for 99% of websites.

As for Expert marketing companies that do marketing 100% of the time, how much do they know about YOUR business? Probably nothing.

Some things can't be easily delegated. Be you own expert, at least while you're small.

[DROvas]

2 jsinger

just my 2 cents. Your words is ordinary complain against consulting companies. There`re tons pros and cons of using external marketing team as well as any other consulting team. In each case you need to deside do it or no. But you can`t make a desision on just a few words:

- I want to hire external Marketing team. What do you think?
- No, don`t do it. This is totally bad idea.

Now it`s going just like this.

[powerchuter]

I can tell that you're not an expert. That stuff is a waste for 99% of websites.

hmmm

I wouldn't say I am an expert but I think I have covered most of the interent basis on this one and since it still brings in a few million a year I was thinking of maybe expanding my reach into some offline advertising.

But since a guru such as yourself has spoken I guess I will just assume that that there is no further market for the site and give up. thanks

[powerchuter]

There is a topic at the top of the members area that is constructively discussing a 100k spend on a site right now. worth checking out

---moving over there

[jsinger]

powerchuter, rather than move elsewhere to "constructively spend 100K" you might read the many old posts here that have discussed using other media to boost web traffic. There was about 100% agreement that TV and magazines work poorly for most sites.

Sometimes the most "constructive" expenditure is to spend nothing. Many "other media" ads are more about impressing shareholders and Wall Street. I see Overstock.com ads on TV all the time; the company is losing money in buckets.

I guess people are starting to forget the DotCom crash with all those $2 million super bowl ads, and the bankruptcies.

[powerchuter]

I will agree 100% that sometime the ads are used to raise company awareness and prepare it for a possible public offering.....

.......in fact that is kind of the point!

it seems that we are discussing apples and oranges - it is true that expensive media buys are a complete waste for 99% of websites.

I have plenty of eccommerce sites that it would be a complete waste for.

I am discussing the other 1% ( or more like .25% ) that are ready for the next step.

and like MANY on this board 100k is a small % of next years ad budget ( i am sure that some of the guys I have met at the webmasterworld and the inc500 alumni meeting are spending 10x that) and I would like to explore some other areas.