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Behind the Scenes of a Marketing Agency: What They Do for Your Business

  • Writer: DM Monticello
    DM Monticello
  • Jul 3
  • 6 min read

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If you've ever wondered what marketing agencies actually do, you're not alone. Many business owners know they need help with marketing but aren’t sure where to start—or whether an agency is the right choice.

Marketing agencies help companies grow by improving visibility, generating leads, and boosting sales through proven strategies. But their role can vary widely depending on the agency's focus, your business goals, and the services you need.

In this two-part guide, we’ll break down what marketing agencies do, how they can help your business, and when to consider hiring one.



What Is a Marketing Agency?

Definition and Purpose

A marketing agency is a company that helps other businesses plan, execute, and manage their marketing efforts. Their job is to attract potential customers to your business using a mix of online and offline strategies—ultimately turning attention into action.

Whether you're launching a product, improving your online presence, or looking to scale sales, a marketing agency can handle the heavy lifting while you focus on running your business.


Types of Marketing Agencies

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to agencies. Here are a few of the most common types:

  • Digital Marketing Agencies focus on online marketing strategies like SEO, social media, and email marketing.

  • Traditional Marketing Agencies use offline tactics like print ads, radio, and TV.

  • Full-Service Agencies offer a combination of both digital and traditional services.

You can explore how digital teams are evolving in work smart: AI and virtual talent for business success.



Core Services Offered by Marketing Agencies

Strategy and Planning

Before anything gets built or posted, agencies help create a marketing strategy. This includes setting goals, defining target audiences, and choosing the best channels to reach them. Think of it as the blueprint for all future marketing efforts.

Want to understand how planning impacts your business? Check out your ultimate guide to growth strategy.


Branding and Creative Services

Agencies often help businesses develop or refine their branding—logos, color palettes, messaging, and tone. A consistent and memorable brand builds trust with your audience.

Creative services also include ad design, video production, and marketing collateral. These are the assets that make your business stand out.


Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO helps your website rank higher in search engines like Google. Agencies perform keyword research, optimize content, and improve website performance to boost visibility. If your audience can’t find you online, you’re missing opportunities.

Need help getting started? Dive into how to run SEO accurately to understand the basics.


Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

This includes platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Agencies set up and manage ad campaigns to drive targeted traffic to your website. They optimize these campaigns for the best return on investment.

Learn how PPC fits into broader digital strategies by visiting top 10 sites to hire a virtual assistant for marketing agencies.


Social Media Management

Agencies plan, create, and schedule content across platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok. They also manage engagement—responding to comments, messages, and mentions.

Social media is crucial for brand awareness and community-building. Many agencies use virtual assistants to support social media tasks.


Email and Content Marketing

Email marketing campaigns keep your audience engaged and drive repeat business. Agencies help write and design newsletters, promos, and nurture sequences.

They also produce blogs, guides, case studies, and whitepapers to drive organic traffic and demonstrate expertise. See cost-effective strategies for business growth for content tips that convert.


Web Design and Development

Your website is often the first impression people get of your business. Marketing agencies create user-friendly, responsive websites optimized for both SEO and conversions.

Many businesses pair this with how to streamline back-office operations to support tech and admin processes post-launch.



How Marketing Agencies Help Businesses Grow

Reaching the Right Audience

Through research and testing, agencies help you focus on people who are most likely to become customers. This saves time, reduces marketing waste, and improves results.

Using tools like Facebook’s lookalike audiences or Google’s keyword planner, agencies can refine targeting and get your message in front of the right eyes.


Improving Brand Awareness

Agencies craft strategies to increase your visibility across multiple platforms. This includes social media campaigns, SEO, influencer partnerships, and public relations.

Over time, increased brand awareness builds trust and makes your audience more likely to choose you over competitors. Read how to build a strong employer brand for ideas that apply beyond recruiting.


Boosting Lead Generation and Sales

Whether it’s driving traffic to your site or running a funnel-based campaign, agencies help convert attention into leads and sales. They use A/B testing, analytics, and sales psychology to maximize each campaign’s effectiveness.

You can learn how marketing agencies improve lead conversion by studying how to boost your outbound sales with virtual assistants.


Providing Data and Performance Insights

Modern agencies don’t guess—they measure. With tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or SEMrush, agencies analyze what’s working and what’s not, allowing them to adjust strategies in real-time.

This kind of data-driven decision-making is key to scaling. For a deeper dive, explore top data analytics tools for 2024.



When Should You Hire a Marketing Agency?

Signs Your Business Needs Outside Marketing Help

While some businesses handle marketing in-house, many reach a point where hiring an agency makes more sense. Here are some common signs:

  • Your team lacks the time or expertise to create consistent marketing campaigns

  • Your website isn’t getting traffic, or leads aren’t converting

  • You’ve hit a growth plateau and don’t know what to do next

  • You need professional design, copy, or technical help

If any of these sound familiar, partnering with an agency—or augmenting your team with virtual assistants—may be the right move.


Cost vs. Benefit Analysis

Hiring a marketing agency isn’t cheap—but the return on investment can be significant. Consider the time you’d spend trying to:

  • Build a marketing funnel

  • Run A/B tests

  • Optimize landing pages

  • Post content daily

An agency handles all of that for you. Compare this with hiring internally, which comes with salaries, benefits, and training time. See how to hire top remote talent without breaking the bank to evaluate cost-effective solutions.


In-House Team vs. Agency Partnership

If your business is growing fast, you may wonder whether to hire an internal team or outsource to an agency. Here’s a quick comparison:

Category

In-House Team

Marketing Agency

Cost

High (salaries, benefits)

Flexible (pay-per-project or retainer)

Expertise

May be limited

Full access to specialists

Scalability

Slower

Fast, with larger bandwidth

Setup Time

Longer onboarding

Quick start and execution

You can also combine both—use an agency for strategy and creative, and virtual assistants for execution.



What to Look for in a Great Marketing Agency

Clear Process and Communication

A good agency has a defined process. From onboarding to campaign delivery, they keep you informed and involved. Look for:

  • Transparent timelines

  • Weekly or monthly reports

  • A dedicated account manager

To learn about managing external teams, review tips for effective team management.


Proven Track Record with Case Studies

Reputable agencies don’t just talk—they show. Ask for past results or client stories. A solid agency will have:

  • Case studies on lead generation, traffic, or revenue

  • Industry-specific examples

  • Positive testimonials or reviews

Want to see how results are presented? Explore how OpsArmy helped clients boost revenue and productivity.


Custom Strategies, Not Cookie-Cutter Packages

Avoid agencies that offer one-size-fits-all plans. Your business is unique, and your marketing should reflect that. Customization is critical for ROI. Look for:

  • In-depth audits before proposals

  • Audience research tailored to your niche

  • Multi-channel plans that align with your goals



The Role of Virtual Assistants in Marketing Agencies

Delegating Repetitive Tasks

Virtual assistants (VAs) play a huge role in modern agencies. They can:

  • Schedule social posts

  • Format blog content

  • Send client reports

  • Monitor analytics dashboards

This frees up your core team for creative and strategic work. Read how to manage virtual assistants for workflow ideas.


Supporting Client Communication

VAs can help with:

  • Inbox management

  • Meeting scheduling

  • Sending contracts or proposals

  • Following up with leads

With clear SOPs, VAs can become an extension of your client success team. Check out what if you had a virtual assistant for more use cases.


Scaling with Remote Talent

As you bring on more clients, having a scalable support structure is key. OpsArmy helps marketing agencies build strong remote teams by providing trained VAs and specialists on demand.



Final Thoughts: Are Marketing Agencies Worth It?

Marketing agencies bring structure, experience, and results to your growth efforts. They’re ideal for businesses looking to scale, stand out, and simplify operations. The best ones become partners—not just service providers.

Whether you need help with branding, content, paid ads, or social strategy, agencies offer a plug-and-play option with less risk than hiring an in-house team.

For agencies themselves, working with VAs allows you to focus on strategy while offloading execution.



How OpsArmy Supports Marketing Agencies

OpsArmy is your remote talent partner for growth. Whether you run a lean marketing team or a growing agency, OpsArmy helps you:

  • Hire trained virtual assistants for content, email, SEO, and client support 

  • Scale faster without the overhead of full-time hiring 

  • Access top talent globally without time-consuming recruitment

Hundreds of businesses use OpsArmy to build reliable, affordable teams in marketing, sales, operations, and more.

👉 Get started with OpsArmy today and streamline your marketing operations with world-class virtual support.



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