Hiring a Local Marketing Agency vs. a Non-Local Agency (Pros + Cons)

Local Marketing Agencies

Keep Your Friends Close and Your [Marketing Partner] Closer

As the name suggests, local marketing agencies are those a hop, skip, and a jump from your business. This is where the first pro for local marketing agencies comes into play. Communication between client and agency tends to be much easier when you can meet up in person for weekly updates or when an unexpected hiccup occurs. Plus, time zones are never an issue for meetings. With this facilitated communication, your business can also be sure that the speed and quality of the agency’s work consistently meets your expectations.

Local Reviews

Most likely you know a few other businesses in your area who have worked with this local agency in the past. With this information, you can easily reach out to these companies to verify that they had a good experience with the agency and that the agency can employ the marketing strategies you are looking for.

Local Connections

If you are interested in implementing marketing tactics directly targeting a niche market of those within your region, a local marketing agency might be a great fit for you. Local agencies know what makes the locals tick: what news they’re consuming, what new places they’re going to for dinner, who’s in town for the next big sporting event, etc. Local agencies can tweak marketing tactics based on locals’ interests. In addition, local agencies have connections with small businesses in your area as well as the media. This could increase your reach throughout your community and facilitate sponsorships and partnerships.

Non-Local Agencies

Now, let’s hit non-local agencies, so you can make an informed decision on which type of agency you should hire.

Verified Credentials

Maybe the local agency you were looking at doesn’t have specific credentials that some of the non-local agencies have. Some of these credentials and certifications could include Google Analytics Certification, Google Ads Certification, various HubSpot Marketing Certifications, American Marketing Association Digital Marketing Certification, Quintly Social Media Analytics Course, and the list goes on and on. Remember, having these certifications is impressive, but you want to be sure that the agency’s past clients’ reviews, results, and case studies align to be equally as impressive.

Limited Competition

Say you find this outstanding local marketing agency, but your main competitor is already one of their clients. This could absolutely be a conflict of interest. If this local agency is already looking to enhance the awareness and sales of your competitor, there is simply no way that they can do the same for you without compromising the quality of effort and work for one or the other. So, if your competitor is already working with a local marketing agency, maybe it’s best to reach out to a non-local agency. Non-local agencies can bring a non-biased perspective into your region and target market. More often than not, this new eye can clearly see the marketing strategy that should be in place to differentiate you from the market and take your business to the next level.

The Age of Zoom

While one of the pros for local agencies is the short distance, it’s important to remember that it’s 2020. In other words, it’s the age of Zoom, UberConference, Skype, etc. These platforms have completely taken over business meetings, deals, and interviews. According to Statista, downloads of Zoom, Houseparty, and Skype increased by more than 100% in March 2020. This method of communication has proven to be effective, cost efficient, and preferable by the majority of business people, as the environment is often more relaxed for all involved. So, if you can use this form of communication to build a great agency-client relationship, why not choose the best of the best agencies to carry out your marketing plan?

Best of the Best

If you’re really serious about getting marketing help for your business, why not shoot for the stars and choose to work with the best of the best agency in the country or even the world? This is an option if you’re leaning toward a non-local agency. After all, if you abide by the expression “you get what you pay for,” then if you choose the best, most expensive agency, you might get the best marketing work. Again, that’s your decision to make.

…And you never know, maybe the best marketing agency for you in the world is the one right down the street.

Wrapping It Up

So, there you go. Hopefully, this information on both local and non-local marketing agencies will help you in choosing which agency type will work best for you. You already made the great decision to work with a marketing agency, and that alone is a win! Both types will provide you with excellent marketing deliverables to help your company move forward in leaps and bounds.