Why You Should Pick a Small Agency for Your Project

We probably don’t need to convince you that hiring a marketing agency can create huge benefits for any brand. But when it comes to finding that just-right agency for your business, things aren’t quite as simple. Everything from an agency’s location, past projects, clients, specialties and, yes, even its size, become important considerations.

Well, the bigger the better, right? Not exactly. When it comes to marketing agencies, this age-old saying just doesn’t hold up. You might think that a global agency with offices all over the world would be the best option—but our sweet team of 14 is here to tell you that hiring small is often the way to go. In fact, while many large brands still contract big marketing agencies, more and more are hiring smaller firms to work on specific projects.

Need more convincing? Here’s why you should consider working with a boutique firm:

Less Red Tape Means More Innovation

Large firms may have all the resources in the world, but inflexible corporate structures and global dissemination can make it harder for the most innovative ideas to thrive (re: severely limited creativity). In contrast, small firms are often started by those who seek to meet changing needs with innovative tactics and custom solutions. In fact, that’s exactly the case with BatesMeron.

Fed up with the red tape, the siloed departments and the impersonal approach of agency life, our president and founder Becka Bates wrote our manifesto, established our agency as the answer to her woes and never looked back.

The beauty of small agencies lies in the individuals they employ. Small creative teams bring their own interests and strengths to the drawing board. The smaller the team, the more capable they are of remaining agile, harnessing each team member’s unique skillset and efficiently implementing new product or service offerings. Working together, the options are endless.

Niche Specialization > Breadth of Services

Small firms might not offer the widest range of services available, but you can be sure that they’re pretty dang fantastic at what they do provide.

Recently, niche agencies have become increasingly popular because they have more knowledge and expertise in certain areas than standard agencies. If you really want to increase your social media presence, for example, you could hire a full-service digital marketing agency—but know their attention is spread over lots of advertising activities. Instead, it would be in your best interest to find a firm that specializes in social media marketing.

Case in point: Our bread and butter is branding projects. Finding that oh-so-perfect way to visualize and speak to your brand, your mission, your values and your motivations is what our agency was literally designed to do. It’s how we help clients like Porter Pipe, Happy Work Spectacular Life and CT Mechanical reinvigorate their brands and improve all future marketing communications.

The Personal Touch that Goes a Long Way

To no one’s surprise, huge firms often focus on delivering the quickest and cheapest end product. It’s all about the bottom line, and with so many paying clients, they don’t need to worry about providing the absolute best customer service so long as they deliver on what’s asked.

In contrast, small firms are generally small for a reason: They want to retain the capacity to get to know their clients, understand their long-term goals and deliver high-caliber results. Personalized customer service is the foundation of these firms—and ours is no exception.

Our retainer clients, those that have a fixed marketing budget that we work with each year, stay with us for that exact reason. We get to know the ins and outs of both their brand and the individuals we work with directly at their brand. We hold weekly check-in meetings, schedule quarterly marketing reviews and not only deliver on what’s asked of us, but also anticipate future needs and actively work to bring more ideas to their attention. We become a pseudo-in-house agency for those that lack one, and the difference can been seen in our client satisfaction levels.

Bottom Line: Bigger is Not Always Better

We get it: You know the big agency names. You know their work. You know their clients. But while large agencies might seem like a safe bet, at the end of the day, they probably won’t take the time or make the effort to understand your core business challenges the way a smaller firm will. And the more a marketing agency knows your business inside and out, the more likely they are to deliver marketing solutions that really differentiate your brand and engage consumers.

If you’re hesitant about hiring a company you’ve never heard of, we don’t blame you—there are limited market insights out there to guide buying decisions. Luckily, we’re keen on a few great resources. Our favorite? Clutch: A B2B platform that transparently connects service providers with buyers by providing thorough client reviews and data-driven content. You can also find vetted and ranked agencies on The Manifest, Clutch’s partner site.

We’re proud to be listed on both Clutch and The Manifest as a top branding agency in Chicago because it means the work we love to create is loved by our clients as well. To see more of our work and get to know the beauty of small agency life, look through our portfolio and our website.

And if you’re ready to talk about conquering your market with a small agency on your side, send us a message today!