Digital marketing has forever revolutionized how companies and businesses attract customers/clients and generate revenue.
Small businesses are the bedrock of America’s thriving economy and here in New York City, there are thousands of ambitious entrepreneurs building booming businesses. However, underneath these growths are numerous marketing and advertising agencies creating most of the magic!
When your business has marketing needs extending beyond your team, hiring the best marketing agency in NYC can make a lot of difference. But the options for small business marketing agencies in Manhattan are endless, which is both welcoming and challenging.
I am very passionate about helping small businesses out. Not all small business marketing companies are created equal. That is why I have built this comprehensive resource, combining the best small business marketing companies in Manhattan in one place. This is to provide you a shortcut to acquiring the help you require to grow your business.
I’ve dug deep and gotten the inside scoops about which ad agencies are acing it for their customers. The marketing and advertising agencies on this blog cover a diverse range of offerings, including:
- Advertising/Full-Service
- Digital Marketing
- SEO & Content
How to Choose the Best Small Business Marketing Agency in Manhattan
Businesses, particularly startups spend between 5% and 20% of their annual revenue on marketing – that is a substantial investment for any business. Therefore, if you’re considering hiring a marketing agency, ensure that you choose the best fit for your business.
Choosing the right branding and marketing company for small businesses is critical to the success of your marketing strategy and overall business. A wrong choice wouldn’t only drain your budget and investment, it could also negatively impact your business branding.
Below are some tips to guide you when choosing the best small business marketing agency in Manhattan for your brand:
Determine Your Business Needs
The most important step towards identifying the best marketing company is understanding your business needs. Many agencies will specialize in different aspects of marketing, so think about what exactly you need to achieve.
For example, are you looking to generate more leads for your sales team? Is your website/blog the main priority? Or are you looking for a company that can manage your overall marketing function?
Additionally, do you seek an outfit that specializes in specific technologies, like marketing automation? What market do you operate in (B2B or B2C)?
Carefully and Thoroughly Review Each Prospect
You can start by reviewing the agency’s website. Look for contact details (office address, phone number, and email), team bio, and client testimonials. If you can’t find these, it should raise an eyebrow. Transparency is critical when assessing your prospects.
Other factors to consider are credibility and experience. Ask for their track record. How long have they been in the marketing and advertising industry? What projects have they executed for their clients (both past and present), particularly small businesses similar to yours?
When possible, ask for client references too, both for the clients happy with your prospect’s work and those that it didn’t work out well. There’s no better approach to gaining insight about a branding and marketing company for small businesses than those who’ve had first-hand experience with their services.
Check If The Marketing Agency Is A Cultural Fit?
After shortlisting your prospects and clearly communicating your needs, it’s important to hold some form of discussion with them. At least a conference call or when possible, a face-to-face meeting to determine whether they fully understand your needs.
Inquire about their culture and values, work processes, the tools they use, the plans they have to create your marketing strategy, etc. Assess whether they possess the initiative to come up with ways to help grow your business.
An ideal fit would be a marketing agency that aligns with your business core culture and values. Ensure that the ad agency you choose can demonstrate that they understand your business, including our specific goals and expectations.
Always remember that a result-driven agency, with a proper understanding of your industry requirement and your specific goals, will more likely impress on work outcomes.
Additionally, consider the size of the agency. As a small business, choosing to work with the biggest companies, you might find your business at the bottom of their priority list.
Determine Your Budget
Budgeting is critical, particularly for small businesses with lesser breathing space in terms of finances. You must determine how much you’re willing to spend on a marketing campaign before choosing an agency.
While there isn’t any set price, you must work with a reasonable budget and set business goals and expectations accordingly.
More experienced and seasoned marketing agencies could cost more, however, don’t cut corners by going for the cheapest service. The quality of the work delivered could be compromised.
Additionally, agencies will have diverse approaches in which they charge you for the services rendered. Generally, a marketing company will work under one of the following broad options:
- Per hour – The Company will execute tasks as described and charge an hourly rate.
- Per project – The Company will submit a project proposal for the specific project with a fixed price to execute the work.
- Monthly retainer – You pay the agency a fixed fee monthly and they will undertake the operation required to reach that monthly amount.
Lasting Trend
Lasting Trend is a digital advertising/full-service SEO agency in New York City for local small businesses. It uses cost-effective marketing tools and technologies which help its clients achieve significant sales growth within a few months of implementation.
Additionally, it is ranked among the best small business marketing companies in Long Island.
Why I Choose Lasting Trend
Lasting Trend is an industry leader, recognized by many industry experts. Their track record demonstrates this – according to Clutch, they rank 9th of the top 15 SEO agencies in New York City. The Manifest also ranks them 15th among the top SEO companies in New York.
Other Lasting Trend industry-leading statistics include:
● 3-10 new leads – average daily increase.
● 30% decrease in customer acquisition cost.
SEO Inc.
SEO Inc. is a thriving SEO agency that helps small businesses improve their online presence through search engines search and social media to acquire new leads, generate revenue as well as build their brand online.
Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include SC Johnson, PG&E, IGN, Paul Mitchell, JotForm, and Teleflora.
McCann
McCann is a leading advertising/full-service agency. It focuses on its mantra “Truth well told” to build marketing programs for its clients. This philosophy is dedicated to the confidence that a brand’s truth can be the spark that ignites powerful ideas that resonate with people.
Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include MasterCard, Verizon, and Ikea.
Meredith
McCann is an advertising/full-service company. It focuses on pop culture, food, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle, sports, news, business, and finance. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Sports Illustrated, Time, and People.
Blue Fountain Media
Blue Fountain Media is a digital marketing company that believes in the use of data and technology to drive innovation.
Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Engel and Volkers, Microsoft, and Sony.
Mcgarrybowen has a philosophy – “it’s not creative unless it works.” This advertising agency focuses on the change and transformation that creativity has on brands, communities, and consumers. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Oscar Meyer, American Express, and Brita.
Big Fuel
Big Fuel is an SEO/content marketing agency that primarily focuses on social media platforms. It helps small businesses to design powerful KPIs aimed at tracking important business activities on social media. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Burger King, McDonalds, and T Mobile.
Hey Oxford
Hey Oxford is a digital marketing agency that focuses on community engagement. They will ensure that you achieve fast results and help you design a long-term growth strategy. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Pfizer, Braun, and Livekick Fitness.
Ueno
Ueno is a full-service creative company predominantly focused on client relations that don’t believe in pitches. They build close collaborations to create a better understanding of clients’ needs. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include Slack, Uber, Airbnb, Lonely Planet, and Dropbox.
Story Worldwide
Story Worldwide is an SEO/content marketing company that concentrates on story finding, making, and scoring to communicate a brand’s story. Some of the notable clients they have partnered with include FX, Beefeater, and Country Crock.
Conclusion
Given the information and many alternatives provided above, I hope that you can go on and choose the branding and marketing company for small businesses that best suits your needs.
Although I don’t claim that this a comprehensive list of the ad agencies in Manhattan and New York City, it definitely narrows your search down!
