Digital marketing agencies spend their time advising clients to market themselves online. But where do agencies spend their time and money when it comes to marketing?
Oursocialtimes and Constant Contact surveyed 130 UK based digital marketing companies to find out. Amongst the questions they looked at where digital marketing agencies get their insights. The type of marketing that they take part in. How effective they find various marketing channels. Why they use specific channels and how much they spend on each.
You can download a full copy of the survey here, below is a summary of the results.
Where Do The Experts Get Their Insights?
You would expect those advising you to know their stuff. You’d also hope they would be in touch with the latest trends.
That looks to be the case. Over 40% of agencies use social networks on a daily basis as a source of advice. With blogs and news sites checked on a daily basis by many of them too.
The Marketing Channels They Use
When to comes to marketing online there are many channels to choose from. The choices you make will much depend on your objectives and budget.
The two favourite channels for digital agencies are social media and content marketing. With SEO and email marketing both used by over 60% of respondents.
Only 25% use pay per click advertising.
Though I don’t see these results as much of a surprise. Much of my own business comes from referral, driven by my activity online. Pay per click in our sector can be expensive.
The Effectiveness of Each Activity
For most digital agencies content marketing, social media and email are the most effective. In my experience many businesses struggle using these channels to any effect.
As agencies we’ve got more to do to prove the benefits of these channels.
The Purpose of Each Channel
This is an important consideration, what is your business goal? This determines your choice of marketing channel. Other businesses may perceive content and social media marketing as a pure awareness activity. Whilst agencies see it as just as important for lead generation.
I can testify to this, but is it a self-fulfilling policy?
Marketing Budgets of Marketing Agencies
Spending money on marketing isn’t popular for agencies. £50 per month is the maximum most spend on marketing. But is this a surprise? When you have the skills in-house for these activities, why would you outsource them?
Although what isn’t spent in monetary terms, is often made up for in the time. 90% of marketing agencies see a lack of time as a limiting factor on their success.
