Myth: Your Budget is Too Small to Hire an Agency ​

As brands are growing closer to the consumer through new platforms, technology and communication, it may feel too expensive to keep up. Even though you may feel like every business except yours is spending and doing all they can to get their message heard, it’s just not true. Few companies have a never-ending budget to spend with an agency. It’s more likely that a company has allotted a smaller spending amount.

Regardless of your budget, every brand can benefit from a well-planned and executed communications strategy. If you partner with an agency for social media guidance as an example, they can optimize your brand’s engagement across its channels, which in return leads to more clicks on your website and more sales of the product or service.

If you are worried your brand lacks the budget to hire an agency, consider the five tips below before crossing a communications team off your to-do list.

1. Shift job responsibilities.

Is your internal staff in charge of tasks that a PR firm can do for less? When you hire an agency, you are getting a team. This team of experts will contribute more collaborative efforts, brainpower, contacts, opportunities and efficiency compared to one in-house employee. While it may seem like a bizarre idea, traditional employment can amount to significant costs when compared to agency expenses. Shifting the communications responsibilities an agency team can also allow internal staff to take on other duties that need more attention.

2. You can stop paying for your PR software or media monitoring services.

Communications agencies provide many services including media monitoring, tracking and analysis. When you are creating a strategic budget for your brand, consider the money you can save from canceling existing software and services that an agency would take over, which is likely offered at a better price.

3. Stay diligent in your reviews and edits.

One of the best ways to save money is paying attention during the overall service discussion and editing process. If you ask for a quarterly e-newsletter, be sure to explain all your expectations and ask your questions before the design and content creation begins. This beginning step can save you time during the editing process. Once you receive the e-newsletter for review be diligent in your edits to ensure everything is covered in the first round and that the second, if needed, is merely tweaking the ready-to-go content. The more decisive and effective communication between your business and an agency means less delay in your product’s timeline and no unnecessary costs.

4. Prioritize and time services.

While putting together your budget, make a strategic timeline based on what service is most important to help your brand grow. Prioritizing your brand’s needs can help outline where your spending should start, remain constant and eventually move toward.

5. Measure what works and cut what doesn’t.

Another benefit from hiring a communications agency is that they measure your brand’s growth for you. As you receive weekly, monthly or annual reports, pay attention to the findings to recognize what services are working best in correlation with your brand’s success. Discuss your questions or concerns with the agency to receive suggestions on what is most effective for your brand and budget. If you decide to cut something, allot that budget to a service that is performing well and more likely to grow your business.

Most importantly, keep in mind that hiring an agency is forming a partnership. We are here to help each other, especially if you are worried about financial parameters. If you are interested in hiring a communications team, we would love to connect!