21 Mar Exactly What Is A Digital Agency?
The digital agency is a newer advertising agency model. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
A digital agency is a business that delivers services for the creative and technical development of internet based products. These services range from the more generalist such as web design, e-mail marketing and micro-sites etc. to the more specialist such as viral campaigns, banner advertising, search engine optimization, podcasting, front-end development, etc.
There are a few more things that should be on the list, including social media marketing, branding, PR and mobile apps and web technology development.
Not exactly like an advertising agency
Brands touch many marketing channels and use a large overall range of marketing mediums. Some of the largest are customarily the services of the “traditional” advertising shops – Television, print marketing, radio advertising, and out of home (OOH). Almost all traditional advertising shops are fairly comfortable saying that they can also operate in digital mediums. The term ‘digital’ has expanded over the past few years to cover a wide range of customer interactions including mobile devices, social networks, digital OOH, standing digital kiosks, online software, and much, much more.
A digital agency isn’t exactly like an advertising agency in theory or in practice. Advertising agencies mostly work with traditional mass media production and buying. Today’s digital agencies mostly work with Internet/Online and purely digital campaigns. Advertising agencies usually make their money off ad placement instead of the work itself. Digital agencies make their money through the artwork, design, creative and technical services that you hire them to complete. The ad buying fees usually bill directly to the client from search engines and media outlets when working with Digital Agencies.
To keep it in a ‘modern’ perspective, an advertising agency is like you saw on ‘Mad Men’ that produces commercials and advertising but makes money on commissions for actually placing the ads in multiple markets. A Digital Marketing Agency is one that focuses on online media, and mostly makes their money from their creative services.
More than a web design company
The main difference is a digital agency has a lot of expertise in areas your typical web designer doesn’t even know how to address. They can pull in many different media channels as a part of an overall campaign to really make your efforts all tie together, increasing effectiveness.
An excellent digital agency understands the full scope and goals of a client’s needs, and has all the expertise, tools, and knowledge to fill all client media and message needs and complete successful online campaigns on many fronts. If it is online, your digital agency should be able to help you get through your campaign. Some Digital Agencies also have traditional print marketing skills, as well.
Solving Client Issues By Thinking creatively
The change to using digital agencies is gathering strength as clients start to realize that the online world is rapidly morphing into the most cost-effective and measurable place to invest their total marketing spend. Smarter businesses also realize that by working with a true digital agency, the business has an more effective way to tell their brand, product and service stories in this quickly changing online world, because a digital agency has all of the tactical, creative and strategic expertise to help their brands gain new sales and create long-term relationships with their customers.