Whether you’re venturing into new territories or entering a new segment in an existing market, success often requires partnership. The right B2B digital marketing agency can help you progress faster and more sustainably. However, the wrong one can deplete your resources and, more critically, waste your time, diminishing your opportunity to capture the market.
Therefore, choosing the right partner is crucial for successful execution.
Digital marketing agency age and size matters
When considering expansion in B2B with digital marketing, people often gravitate towards large agencies, assuming that more team members equate to more success. This isn’t often the case, and it may result in spending time and money faster than necessary. On the flip side, young, eager teams work quickly and affordably, but they may lack the experience and established processes that more seasoned teams have.
Between these extremes lie small and mid-sized, agile agencies that can swiftly mobilize resources and talent globally as needed. They have significant experience, and their processes have been refined to be modern and efficient.
I represent such an agency, but there are others out there as well. If you don’t decide to work with us, work with our most formidable competitors rather than with an inefficient agency that relies on fancy names and prizes to attract clients.
Look for processes and applicable experience in B2B digital marketing
Having experience in similar, though not identical, expansions is beneficial. This demonstrates the agency’s adaptability. Ensure that the agency has scalable processes established from this experience. This allows for a more fruitful and sustainable digital marketing partnership, as you’re not reliant on specific individuals within the agency you’re hiring.
It’s not as crucial for the digital marketing agency to have worked within the same industry or expansion target before. What’s more important is that they have relevant skills and experience in market expansion within any industry.
Don’t buy quick results, or you won’t get any results
If you’re running a serious B2B business, anyone promising quick end results with digital marketing is, to be frank, a fool or a liar. Quick results can occur, but they are more often due to luck than skill. Success, the sustainable kind, typically comes from meticulous, continuous work.
Rather than seeking those who make rosy promises, look for those who have a solid plan and process. I speak from experience, as companies who chased after those rosy promises often come to work with us when the promised results don’t materialize. This means more cleaning up for us, more costs for you from both marketing agencies, and a massive loss of time.
While you’ll start learning from the data relatively quickly, the expansion work is not instantly completed.
Get the best B2B digital marketing agency, not the closest
Interestingly, many choose a partner from their own city or country due to proximity, which is ironic when considering expansion elsewhere. Don’t compromise on finding the best partner for the sake of geographic closeness or a shared time zone. Your job is to find the best possible partner for you.
Local agency is ok, global is better
You may consider partnering with a digital marketing agency from your home market or a specific country you plan to expand into. While both of these might seem easy, even logical, they overlook several critical factors. The partner from your home market we went through in the previous chapter. It isn’t automatically bad, but most likely it is.
Partnering with a B2B digital marketing agency from your target market may lack proper knowledge of control group markets, and further expansion to other markets may be limited. Moreover, there may be a significant bias towards making this market work, meaning the partner may be motivated to keep you there, regardless of whether it’s beneficial for you.
It won’t be cheap, but it shouldn’t be costly
Engaging in this type of endeavor won’t be inexpensive if you want to do it effectively. Be prepared, and don’t attempt to estimate the cost yourself if you lack experience in this area. With legacy providers, you may feel you’re paying a premium for something that doesn’t meet your expectations. Trust your instincts in this situation.
Is this the truth about digital marketing agencies for B2B or just laddering?
Did I write this to suggest that all other agencies are subpar and you should only work with us? No. Many excellent agencies exist that we respect, and new ones are emerging. We operate based on our observations and align our models with the insights discussed here.
Also read:
B2B Digital Marketing in Europe: What to Know and Do When Entering the Market
Validate Go-To-Market Strategy with Behavioural Digital Market Study