How to Start a Digital Marketing Company on Your Own

Starting any new business is hard. We know it, and you probably know it by now…

Should you focus on learning as much as you can about digital marketing? Or maybe concentrate on looking for talented contractors? Or work on getting clients right away? With so many questions about how to start a marketing agency, you can get lost really fast.

Sure, it might look complicated, and you might be overwhelmed by the information out there, but it’s not mission impossible. Even better — there are ways to make the process less stressful. We bet that got your attention.

So, in this guide, we’ll be sharing tips for starting your own agency and growing it just as fast as possible. Let’s jump right in.

Contents

• Digital advertising marketing agency explained
• Types of online digital marketing businesses you need to know about
• Influencer marketing agencies
• SEO agencies
• Email marketing company
• PPC services
• Social media marketing companies
• Content writing and content marketing businesses
• Branding and web design agencies
• 5 steps to start a digital marketing company with no experience
• Step 1: Peep the market (research stage)
• Step 2: Choose your niche early on
• Step 3: Draw up a business plan
• Step 4: Show off your great skills (build your portfolio)
• Step 5: Grow your brand
• How to make your own startup marketing agency stand out
• Conclusion

Digital advertising marketing agency explained

A marketing agency business is responsible for those annoying ads you skip on Facebook and YouTube. Kidding. But not quite. What they really do is help companies reach their target audience online and increase sales.

And yes, sometimes that means they have to create ads. But they also make some of those cool memes, infographics, and all the other content people love to share so much.

Basically, these businesses act as the bridge that connects brands with their customers via emails, social media, SEO, etc.

So, content creation, social media management, and SEO optimization, what else? Well, a digital marketing agency is also typically responsible for coming up with strategies. You know, the ones that make it possible for clients to achieve their marketing goals.

And yes, opening a company like this remotely on your own is very possible. We bet you are now curious and wondering how to start a marketing business from home. Before we go into that, let’s look deeper at the range of agencies out there to help you choose first.

Types of online digital marketing businesses you need to know about

When it comes to starting a marketing agency, it is really important that you know there is more than one type out there. So, before you start building anything, figure out which one is more likely your style.

Don’t try to offer every marketing service from the get-go. It is much better to start with a specific expertise first. With that in mind, here are the different flavors of online marketing businesses:

Influencer marketing agencies

Over 82.7% of companies in the US with over 100 employees work with influencers. These influencers help brands promote their products to a wider audience. They are often responsible for launching and promoting different ad campaigns.

Source: Statista

SEO agencies

Over half of B2B marketers consider SEO crucial for any business. When it comes to SEO agencies, they help all kinds of companies optimize their online brand presence. And, of course, they also work to improve their clients’ search rankings.

In some cases, they can also help their clients buy backlinks. Since not all links are Google-compliant, it’s better for a white-hat agency to handle it so that you don’t lose your ranking.

Email marketing company

Email marketing agency is an oldie but still just as valid today. 87% of marketers vouch for the effectiveness of emails as a marketing tool. Agencies in this niche help businesses launch successful campaigns. The idea is to help them drive traffic to their sites.

PPC services

Starting a digital marketing agency? How about focusing on PPC (aka pay-per-click) promotion? This means helping your customers create high-converting ads on social media or in search engines. You will also need to know how to maximize your ad budget for better ROI.

Social media marketing companies

Apart from posting cat memes, SMMAs develop strategic plans for their client’s social media growth. This can include anything from creating and publishing posts to building a whole brand image on socials.

Often, these agencies can also work on influencer collaborations for you, do promotional marketing, or even set up social marketing ads (like what a PPC business can do).

Content writing and content marketing businesses

Agencies in the content writing category can be responsible for pretty much any copy. Some specialize in B2B SEO blogs and direct response copy. Others might be extremely good at high-converting ads and social media texts.

Source: X

Whatever that is, the whole idea of a content marketing/writing agency is to create written pieces. But not any type — only those that deliver new leads and/or conversions for their customers.

Branding and web design agencies

Branding and web design agencies are focused on improving the appeal of clients’ websites and the overall visual image.

Of course, writing converting copy and setting up super-optimized ads is cool. But all those will never be effective enough if the site and/or branding is too obsolete or doesn’t transmit the right message.

Now, what direction should you choose as you start a digital marketing agency?

First, consider what skills and knowledge you already have. What seems the most interesting to you? Of course, you can hire any specialist, so you don’t necessarily need some deep understanding of the niche. Yet, comprehending the basics is still crucial.

Besides, think about finances and market estimations. Some niches are more profitable than others. And the returns can also be different.

Typically, you can see quite quick results with social media marketing and PPC. But other niches like SEO and content marketing can take a bit more time. So, you have to consider this when positioning and selling your service.

Source: Ahrefs

Another thing: do you want to build a niche digital service or a full-service digital marketing firm? With the first one, you’ll specialize in one type of service. With the latter, you’ll offer a wide range like SEO, content creation, email marketing, PPC, or anything else.

But how do you start? That’s what the next section is all about.

5 steps to start a digital marketing company with no experience

Wondering what starting a digital marketing agency with no experience looks like? Like a giant mess with lots of work in front of you. Sorry, not sorry for being this straightforward.

But the good news is that if you have a clear plan, the whole thing gets a bit less messy. So, here comes your plan. Many of these steps can work even with no money investments.

Step 1: Peep the market (research stage)

To start a digital marketing agency, you have to know what the current market trends are and who needs your services. You need to understand the struggles of those individuals or companies and how you can fit in as a solution.

Source: Similarweb

The research stage might be boring, but it isn’t the one you can miss. Unless you know the market demand and your potential competition, you can’t really strategize.

And an agency without a strategy is, well, like Russian roulette — exciting, but your success is left up to chance. Okay, that’s all well and good. But how can I identify my target audience? Well, we are glad you asked.

There are plenty of tactics for these, from conducting surveys and polls to doing competitor analysis. Do you already know the big marketing firms offering the same services you’re hoping to sell? Well, then, check to see their marketing strategies and how you can beat them.

Step 2: Choose your niche early on

Do you still recall the many options or types of start-up marketing agencies we mentioned at the beginning? Yeah, it’s best to choose your niche as early as possible.

You can offer only email marketing or link-building services or maybe a selection of a few services (boutique agency). But, if you have a big budget, you can decide to launch a full suite of digital marketing services instead of specializing in one niche.

Still, as we’ve already mentioned, if you're just starting out, it's better to narrow down your niche and focus on one area. This will help you gain trust, build a clear brand, improve efficiency, and grow more quickly.

Keep in mind that any direction you choose to focus on should match with not just your passion. Instead, it should also align with your skills and previous experience. Do you have an idea of how many clients you can handle at a time? How long will it take you to finish a project?

Your answers to these might be more important than you think and can shape your journey. Plus, once you pass this stage, you will have a firm idea of who your ideal clients are, which is crucial.

Step 3: Draw up a business plan

Source: LinkedIn

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. That’s a common saying people keep repeating because of how true it is. Starting your own marketing agency requires a lot of resources, time, and energy. It’s not something you want to wing — so plan ahead.

On top of all that, you are going to need to assemble your own Avengers… a perfect digital marketing team. But first, you have to create your business plan.

A business plan is a document that explains the goals and vision for your business and how you intend to get there.

Yet, apart from stating your origins, vision, mission, core values, and objectives, you need one more thing. Include what makes you better than the other marketers and agencies in your niche. What is your point of differentiation?

Once you figure it out, it becomes easier to know what kind of specialists are needed for your startup marketing agency.

Maybe you have the funds to hire a full in-house team from the start, or maybe you don’t. Either way, you must have a solid idea of which roles are key and which ones you can maybe outsource.

Besides, having a business plan is just as important as having a road map for a long trip. Things fall into place seamlessly compared to when you just go by vibes and coffee.

Step 4: Show off your great skills (build your portfolio)

It’s going to feel like you have to prove yourself a lot at first when you just start your own digital marketing agency. But don’t worry, it’s only for a while. Things get better over time, you know.

But don’t miss out on this opportunity either. It’s all that bad. Being the new kid on the block can be a good thing. You still have a blank slate and can decide what goes on it. One of these things is your portfolio, the representation of your best work.

Source: Instagram

But wait, “How is that possible when I am just starting out?” We hear you loud and clear. So, here are some ideas anyone can use at the beginning when they have never worked for any client before:

• Treat your own blog/site as you would a client’s. Often, a lot of professionals get buried in doing a great job for others, but their own sites suffer. Don’t let this be you — your web page is your first case study. And it’s better to be a good one.
• Offer some businesses your work for free or for a very small fee. Of course, it doesn’t sound super attractive, but it can help you a lot. Do your best and include a great project in your portfolio. Trust us — this will pay off in the future.
• Got any friends or friends of friends that have blogs or online stores? Well, you can help them create and manage their marketing campaigns for a short while. Maybe you can get some of them to link back to your site and drive some referral traffic your way.
• Create social media accounts to promote your blogs and work there. Bonus point — this helps you build a stronger online presence.

Make sure to document your journey for all projects, whether personal or for others. This includes the starting point and/or issues, your solutions, and the outcome.

Keep a record of the before and after of the web traffic, engagement rates, and other useful metrics. You need as much verifiable proof as you can when starting a digital marketing agency.

Pull this off, and you will be noticed before you know it. If you want quicker results in terms of visibility, you might get hold of some non-spammy links. Of course, this might mean purchasing some if you don’t have time to build them yourself.

Step 5: Grow your brand

You probably know how important it is to have a unique brand identity when you start your own advertising or marketing agency. So, we are not going to rehash the same old tips about color, logo, business name, and other branding elements.

For sure, those are crucial, and getting them wrong can mess up your journey for a long time. So, chances are that you have already done your research. If you didn’t, here is the main gist — use appealing colors, fonts, and design, and make sure they are the same across all your channels.

Now, on to how you can grow your brand:

• Make sure your brand personality and values are clear to your target audience. Make videos, podcasts, or written and visual content that highlight your voice and personality. Even a little BTS (aka behind-the-scenes) video can humanize your brand and make it more relatable.
• Network and step out of your shell. As a marketing agency startup, you have to get as many connections as you possibly can. So, attend conferences and lectures or even try to do occasional collaborations with someone in a related niche. There are many startups who’d love that.
• Invest in quality tools. They can make your life so much easier and improve the overall quality of your work. Don’t go all in right away; use free trials first and test the waters. But when you find software that actually saves you time and provides you with market data and insights, just go for it.

How to make your own startup marketing agency stand out

Now that you know how to start an online marketing business, what’s next? You will need to build and maintain a competitive edge. How? Here are a few tips to help you:

• As early as possible, identify your unique value proposition (UVP). This could be the fact that you use the latest AI software or only offer 100% human content. Now, make sure everyone else knows about it.
• Keep watching and learning from your competitors. The goal is not to become them. Instead, you can spot opportunities they have missed and grab those for yourself.
• As much as possible, work with others, whether influencers or related businesses. This will help you meet new and interesting clients.
• Make sure that apart from delivering an incredible service, your agency also has a personality. You know, digital marketing, SM, and SEO are changing thanks to AI. And the only way to stand out from artificial intelligence is to be human and treat your clients accordingly.

Conclusion

It’s important that you don’t just read blogs on how to start a digital marketing business. You also want to go out there and give it your best shot.

From the long list here, it’s clear that this is not a one-day journey. So, try not to be overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes. Like all business ventures, you just need to focus on taking the next step and then the next one.

As you follow the ideas discussed here, you should have a more seamless experience of it. One last thing. It’s important that you don’t judge your efforts by how quickly and how many clients you are able to snag.

Sometimes, you will hit the ground running, and in other cases, it might take a while.

So, you need a different definition of success that is not just based on the number of clients you have. Whether a few or many clients, the important success metric is how well you are able to help them.